WRAL Sports Fan

WRALSportsFan

N.C. State 24, Middle Tennessee 3

Nov 19, 2005

RALEIGH, N.C. — Chuck Amato figures North Carolina State has already entered the postseason since one loss will kill any chance for a bowl game.

And on Saturday, the Wolfpack advanced in the coach's self-dubbed "playoffs."

Andre Brown ran for 94 yards and a touchdown while Stephen Tulloch returned an interception for a score, helping the Wolfpack beat Middle Tennessee 24-3 and keep its bowl hopes alive.

DaJuan Morgan added a blocked punt to set up Brown's TD run in the second quarter for the Wolfpack (5-5), which must beat Maryland next week at home to become bowl eligible after a disastrous start to the season.

"We told our kids that this was the most important game of their life this week," Amato said. "Then I told them I liked to them, because next week would be the most important game of their lives."

Clint Marks threw for 228 yards for the Blue Raiders (3-6), who got off to a quick start but had 10 first-half points erased by penalties to lose momentum.

The Wolfpack is now down to its final chance to turn a season gone awry into something better. N.C. State went to bowl games in its first four years under Amato before missing out last year with a 5-6 record.

Many fans expected the team to challenge for the league title this season, but N.C. State's high hopes withered in a 2-4 start. The Wolfpack _ last in the Atlantic Coast Conference's Atlantic Division _ beat Southern Mississippi and Florida State to revive bowl hopes, but last week's 30-10 loss at Boston College erased what little wiggle room was left.

But after a slow start, the Wolfpack's defense shut down Middle Tennessee while Brown continued his recent strong play in the backfield.

"Coach said it was a semifinal game, and I guess next week's the final," said Brown, who had run for 248 yards against the Golden Eagles and 179 against the Seminoles. "That's what coach is preaching. It's a must-win. We cannot lose."

North Carolina State had some early trouble with its defense unable to get off the field in the opening period. Middle Tennessee's first drive was a 16-play, 71-yard march that lasted more than 7 1/2 minutes.

By the end of the period, the Blue Raiders had run 24 plays for 131 yards and held the ball for nearly 13 minutes. The Wolfpack had just five plays for 13 yards in the quarter.

But that was as good as things would get for the Blue Raiders, who scored first on Colby Smith's 26-yard field goal on the opening drive. They followed with a second long drive only to have a holding penalty wipe out a touchdown on a shovel pass from Marks to Eugene Gross and an illegal-formation penalty negate Smith's second field goal.

Smith also had a 31-yard field goal taken off the board on an offside penalty by N.C. State that extended the drive. Ultimately, however, Middle Tennessee came up empty when Smith missed a 36-yarder, his third attempt in seven plays.

"We just couldn't make the big play that would have turned their crowd against them," Blue Raiders cornerback Keyon Raymond said.

N.C. State responded with John Deraney's 27-yard field goal on its next drive. Then, after the Wolfpack forced a three-and-out, its special teams made the biggest play when Morgan came through the middle and blocked Smith's punt to give N.C. State the ball at the 10.

The play provided a spark for a team playing in front of an announced attendance of 37,217, more than 20,000 below capacity at Carter-Finley Stadium and the smallest home attendance of the past two seasons.

Brown then put the Wolfpack ahead to stay, following a block from Anthony Hill around the left side and stepping just inside the pylon for the touchdown and a 10-3 lead with 2:19 left in the half.

"That really swung momentum their way," Middle Tennessee coach Andy McCollum said of the blocked punt.

Then, after Marcus Stone connected with T.J. Williams for a 6-yard score and a 17-3 lead early in the third, Tulloch jumped in front of a pass from Marks at midfield and raced to the end zone with Taron Henry in close pursuit for the TD return.

That play capped a stretch of nearly flawless defense for the Wolfpack, which surrendered only 11 yards over 21 minutes midway through the game to give N.C. State complete control.

The teams played much of the second half with the play clocks turned off due to a scoreboard malfunction. The officials kept the 25-second count on the field until the scoreboard was working again midway through the fourth quarter.