NC State Holds Off Appalachian State 41-31 After Late Tie in Raleigh

NC State saw a three-score lead become a fourth-quarter tie before a late drive, fourth-down stop and field goal sealed a 41-31 win over Appalachian State in Raleigh.

NC State defeated Appalachian State 41-31 on Saturday, Sept. 26, at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, winning a college football game that swung from one-sided to tied before it was finally settled in the closing minutes. The Wolfpack built a three-score lead, carried it for much of the night, and then had to withstand a fourth-quarter comeback that pulled the Mountaineers even.

For a significant portion of the evening, NC State was in firm control of the matchup. The Wolfpack's advantage stood at three scores through long stretches of the game, a margin that kept Appalachian State at a distance and left the host in position to put the contest out of reach well before the final period began.

The lead began to shrink in the fourth quarter, and a turnover started the slide. Quarterback CJ Bailey was intercepted on a costly throw, and Appalachian State wasted little time converting the mistake into points. The score brought the Mountaineers closer in a game that had tilted heavily in NC State's favor to that point. The turnover stood out as a self-inflicted error during a stretch in which NC State was trying to close the game out.

Momentum continued to shift on the ensuing kickoff. Kicking off from midfield, Appalachian State tried an onside kick, a possibility the field position made foreseeable, and caught NC State unprepared for it. The Mountaineers recovered the ball to extend their push, and the game later reached a tie after the Wolfpack had spent much of the night ahead by three scores.

Once the game was level, NC State answered on both sides of the ball. The offense put together a deliberate, extended drive that moved the Wolfpack back in front, restoring the lead and steadying a team that had just watched its three-score cushion disappear over the course of the fourth quarter.

The defense then delivered the sequence that settled it. NC State turned Appalachian State away on fourth down, a stop that proved decisive, and added a field goal after the stand to stretch the lead to the final margin of ten points with approximately two minutes remaining. The Mountaineers did not score again.

The narrow escape continued a pattern for the Wolfpack. For the second consecutive week, a strong NC State performance ran into fourth-quarter trouble that placed the result in doubt, echoing the late difficulties of a week earlier. On this occasion, the recovery arrived in time for the team to finish off the win.

NC State ultimately left its home field with a 41-31 victory over visiting Appalachian State, a result achieved the hard way after a tied scoreline late in a game the Wolfpack had controlled for long stretches on Sept. 26 at Carter-Finley Stadium.