Here are running updates from NC State football's home game against Western Carolina.
NC State moves to 2-0 (3:38 p.m.)
After a second straight slow start offensively, NC State moved the ball at will on the ground and cruised to a 41-0 win over Western Carolina. The Pack rushed for 309 yards as a team in the victory to improve to 2-0 while WCU fell to 0-2.
The Pack plays at West Virginia next Saturday, noon kickoff.
Jordan Houston powers Pack to TD drive (3:17 p.m.)
Freshman running back Jordan Houston reached the end zone for the first time in his college career on a 3-yard run with 10:50 left in the game. Houston carried five times on the drive for 39 yards and has eight runs for 73 yards in the game. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Bailey Hockman was in for the drive.
NC State leads 41-0.
Stats through third quarters
NC State gets long touchdown drive (2:56 p.m.)
NC State took over at its own 2-yard line with 9:15 to go in the third quarter. Seventeen plays later, with an assist from a Western Carolina illegal substitution penalty that extended the drive, freshman running back Zonovan Knight ran it into the end zone to put NCSU up 34-0 with 1:18 left in the third quarter.
The Catamounts had NC State punting on fourth and three at its own 32, but it was flagged for illegal substitution that gave the Pack a first down.
Knight has gone over 100 yards for the first time of his career. He ended the possession with 17 rushes for 116 yards and two scores.
Pack starts second half with field goal (2:31 p.m.)
NC State marched to the Western Carolina 9-yard line to start the second half but the drive stalled out there and the Pack had to settled for a 25-yard field goal from sophomore Christopher Dunn.
NC State leads 27-0 with 11:35 left in the third quarter.
Halftime stats (2:05 p.m.)
NC State executes two-minute drive for TD (2:01 p.m.)
For the third straight possession, NC State scores a touchdown. This time it went 68 yards in 1:52 before scoring on redshirt sophomore quarterback Matthew McKay's one-yard TD pass to redshirt junior tight end Cary Angeline with 16 seconds left before halftime.
The Pack started the possession at its own 32 with 2:08 left. McKay began the series with a 28-yard pass to Angeline, and overall on the drive McKay was 5-of-6 passing for 69 yards.
Pack's ground game steamrolling WCU (1:45 p.m.)
For the second straight possession, NC State went to the ground to get a touchdown. Freshman running back Zonovan Knight ran five straight times to cover 45 yards, and the last carry was a two-yard touchdown to put NC State up 17-0 with 3:56 left in the first half.
NC State runs for game's first TD (1:32 p.m.)
A sluggish NC State offense turned to its running backs to get jumpstarted. The combination of sophomore Ricky Person Jr. and freshman Zonovan Knight ran six straight times for a collective 42 yards to score the game's first touchdown and put the Pack up 10-0 with 8:24 to go in the first half.
Person capped the drive with a six-yard TD run.
The possession started with an eight-yard pass from redshirt sophomore quarterback Matthew McKay to true freshman and converted safety Cecil Powell. It was Powell's first career catch.
First quarter stats (1:10 p.m.)
NC State gets field goal to start scoring (12:58 p.m.)
On its second possession, NC State gets on the board. Sophomore placekicker Christopher Dunn nailed a 32-yard field goal to put the Pack up 3-0 with 5:06 to go in the first quarter.
Freshman receiver Keyon Lesane set up the score with a 22-yard on a sweep. However it has been a slow start for redshirt sophomore quarterback Matthew McKay, who has completed just 1 of 4 passes for 16 yards.
Defensively, linemen sophomore Alim McNeill and redshirt sophomore Xavier Lyas have recorded sacks for NC State.
Starting Pack corner out with injury (12:31 p.m.)
Senior starting corner Nick McCloud will miss the contest with an injury. Taking his place will be sophomore Teshaun Smith, who will be making his third career start.
Western Carolina QB suspended (11:39 a.m.)
Western Carolina senior quarterback and the school's all-time leader in total yards Tyrie Adams is among four players suspended for this game.
Pack set for game two of the season
NC State football is a heavy favorite Saturday against Western Carolina from the FCS level. The Pack comes off a 34-6 victory over East Carolina while Western Carolina fell 49-27 at home to Mercer, both games played last week.
Kickoff is at 12:30 p.m.
We'll have updates throughout the game in this live blog. Fans can discuss the contest on the premium Wolves' Den message board game thread.
——
• Talk about it inside The Wolves' Den
• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, The Wolfpacker
• Follow us on Twitter: @TheWolfpacker
• Like us on Facebook
