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FOOTBALL

NC State To Host Clemson For Homecoming

A top twenty five match up is set for Saturday as NC State welcomes Clemson to Carter Finley Stadium for homecoming.

 Clemson comes into the game ranked number six in the AP Top 25  and has a record of 7-1 while they're 5-1 in the ACC. NC State meanwhile has a record of 6-2 while they're 4-0 in the ACC and is ranked twentieth in this weeks AP Top 25.

As for NC State's last game, they went to South Bend and got crushed by Notre Dame.

After #14 NC State (6-2) took a 14-7 lead on the second play of the second quarter, #9 Notre Dame (7-1) scored 28 unanswered points and snapped the Pack's six-game winning streak with a 35-14 win in South Bend on Saturday. "according to http://gopack.com/news/2017/10/28/football-unanswered-points-lead-9-notre-dame-to-35-14-win-over-14-nc-state.aspx
 
The Wolfpack started the scoring five minutes into the game, DE James -Smith Williams  blocked a Notre Dame punt, and LB Germaine Pratt  fell on the ball in the end zone to give the Pack a 7-0 lead. The Irish answered on the ensuing drive, going 60 yards in two plays to tie the game 7-7. "according to http://gopack.com/news/2017/10/28/football-unanswered-points-lead-9-notre-dame-to-35-14-win-over-14-nc-state.aspx
 
NC State once again grabbed the lead, this time on the second play of the second quarter. QB Ryan Finley  found WR Kelvin Harmon  from 15 yards out. The Irish then scored 14 unanswered and held a 21-14 lead. "according to http://gopack.com/news/2017/10/28/football-unanswered-points-lead-9-notre-dame-to-35-14-win-over-14-nc-state.aspx
 
Notre Dame would tack on a pair of TDs in the third quarter to go ahead 35-14. "according to http://gopack.com/news/2017/10/28/football-unanswered-points-lead-9-notre-dame-to-35-14-win-over-14-nc-state.aspx
 
WOLFPACK SPOTLIGHT DRIVE
7 plays, 71 yards in 2:46 – Ryan Finley to Kelvin Harmon  15-yard TD pass "according to http://gopack.com/news/2017/10/28/football-unanswered-points-lead-9-notre-dame-to-35-14-win-over-14-nc-state.aspx
 
After the teams traded touchdowns in the first quarter, NC State went ahead 14-7 on the second play of the second quarter. NC state went 71 yards in seven plays, with QB Ryan Finley finding WR Kelvin Harmon  for a 15-yard score. Finley also connected with Stephen Lewis for a 42-yard pass play earlier in the drive. "according to http://gopack.com/news/2017/10/28/football-unanswered-points-lead-9-notre-dame-to-35-14-win-over-14-nc-state.aspx

QB Ryan Finley
17-of-37 for 213 yards, 1 TD
 
• RB Reggie Gallaspy
11 rushes for 47 yards
 
• WR Kelvin Harmon
7 catches for 97 yards, 1 TD
 
• LB Jerod Fernandez
13 tackles, 7 solo, 1.5 TFLs
 
• LB Germaine Pratt
8 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 TD (recovered blocked punt)
 
• DE Bradley Chubb
8 tackles, 3 TFLs, 1 sack

"according to http://gopack.com/news/2017/10/28/football-unanswered-points-lead-9-notre-dame-to-35-14-win-over-14-nc-state.aspx
 
NOTABLES
• For the second straight year, NC State blocked a punt and scored a TD against Notre Dame. Last year, NC State blocked a punt and returned it for the game's lone TD. Today, the Pack's first TD was a blocked punt recovered in the end zone five minutes into the game. "according to http://gopack.com/news/2017/10/28/football-unanswered-points-lead-9-notre-dame-to-35-14-win-over-14-nc-state.aspx
 
• LB Germaine Pratt scored his second touchdown of the season, INT return vs. Louisville and blocked punt recovered in the end zone today. Pratt is the first defensive player at NC State to scour a pair of touchdowns in a season since David Amerson in 2011. "according to http://gopack.com/news/2017/10/28/football-unanswered-points-lead-9-notre-dame-to-35-14-win-over-14-nc-state.aspx
 
• Starting RB Nyheim Hines was hurt after only two carries, and did not return to the game. Hines came into the game with three straight 100+ rushing games, but without his services today NC State was held to just 50 rushing yards – its lowest team total since last year's Boston College game. "according to http://gopack.com/news/2017/10/28/football-unanswered-points-lead-9-notre-dame-to-35-14-win-over-14-nc-state.aspx
 
• The Irish's first quarter touchdown was the first against NC State in three games. In the previous two matchups between the teams, the Pack held Notre Dame to a total of three field goals. "according to http://gopack.com/news/2017/10/28/football-unanswered-points-lead-9-notre-dame-to-35-14-win-over-14-nc-state.aspx
 
• QB Ryan Finley has thrown at least one TD in every game this season. "according to http://gopack.com/news/2017/10/28/football-unanswered-points-lead-9-notre-dame-to-35-14-win-over-14-nc-state.aspx
 
• NC State was flagged 11 times in the first half. Prior to today, the most penalties in a game for NC State was eight in the season opener versus South Carolina. "according to http://gopack.com/news/2017/10/28/football-unanswered-points-lead-9-notre-dame-to-35-14-win-over-14-nc-state.aspx
 
• For the first time this season, NC State faced a halftime deficit (21-14). "according to http://gopack.com/news/2017/10/28/football-unanswered-points-lead-9-notre-dame-to-35-14-win-over-14-nc-state.aspx
 
•Notre Dame RB Josh Adams was the first 100+ yard rusher against the NC State defense this season. "according to http://gopack.com/news/2017/10/28/football-unanswered-points-lead-9-notre-dame-to-35-14-win-over-14-nc-state.aspx
 
• QB Ryan Finley  threw his first interception of the season, and had his streak of 339 attempts without an INT snapped – which dated back to last season. The streak of 339 passes without an INT stands as second-best in both ACC and NC State history (Russell Wilson – 379). "according to http://gopack.com/news/2017/10/28/football-unanswered-points-lead-9-notre-dame-to-35-14-win-over-14-nc-state.aspx
 
• The INT was returned for a 69-yard score, the first INT returned for a touchdown against the Wolfpack since Duke in 2013. "according to http://gopack.com/news/2017/10/28/football-unanswered-points-lead-9-notre-dame-to-35-14-win-over-14-nc-state.aspx

As for Clemson's last game, they beat Georgia Tech,

The No. 7 Clemson football team picked up its 300th all-time win in Death Valley on Saturday, defeating the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets by a score of 24-10. With the win, Clemson improved to 7-1 overall and 5-1 in the ACC, while Georgia Tech fell to 4-3 on the year and 3-2 in conference play. "according to http://www.clemsontigers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=657769&SPID=103701&DB_OEM_ID=28500&ATCLID=211674515

Offensively, the Tigers were led in both rushing and passing by quarterback Kelly Bryant , who ran for 67 yards on 12 carries and threw for 207 yards and two touchdowns on 22 completions. The Clemson defense, who held the Yellow Jackets to negative passing yardage until late in the fourth quarter, totaled 11 tackles for loss by eight different players. "according to http://www.clemsontigers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=657769&SPID=103701&DB_OEM_ID=28500&ATCLID=211674515

The Tigers jumped out to an early 7-0 lead just two minutes into the game after Van Smith  recovered a Georgia Tech fumble on the Yellow Jackets’ first drive, and Bryant connected with Deon Cain for a 38-yard score two plays later. Georgia Tech cut into the Tigers’ lead with five minutes remaining in the first quarter on a 25-yard Brenton King field goal, set up by a KirVonte Benson 65-yard run earlier in the drive. Milan Richard hauled in a 20-yard touchdown pass three minutes later to put the Tigers up 14-3. "according to http://www.clemsontigers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=657769&SPID=103701&DB_OEM_ID=28500&ATCLID=211674515

Clemson scored the only points of the second quarter with just over three minutes left in the half when Travis Etienne punched in the endzone from two yards out, and the Tigers took a 21-3 lead into the break. "according to http://www.clemsontigers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=657769&SPID=103701&DB_OEM_ID=28500&ATCLID=211674515

An Alex Spence  29-yard field goal made up the only points of the third quarter, and a TaQuon Marshall 22-yard touchdown run with just under five minutes left in the game rounded out the scoring. "according to http://www.clemsontigers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=657769&SPID=103701&DB_OEM_ID=28500&ATCLID=211674515

Kick-off is set for 3:30pm. The game will be televised on the ABC. "according to http://gopack.com/schedule.aspx?path=football