Quick hits from NC State's win over Georgia Tech

Here are quick hits and notes from NC State football's 23-13 home win over Georgia Tech in front of a small crowd at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh Saturday evening:

NC State junior kicker Christopher Dunn nailed a 39-yard field goal with 3:31 left in the game to give the Wolfpack what almost immediately felt like an insurmountable 23-13 lead. The kick was more challenging than it probably appeared since there was a stiff breeze throughout the game, and Dunn was kicking into that wind in the fourth quarter.

The field goal was Dunn's third of the game, and in the process he passed Niklas Sade (2011-14) for the most made field goals in a career at NC State with 56. Considering Dunn has at least one, if not two, more seasons available to him, he's on pace to set a Wolfpack record that will be tough to match.

The record for the most field goals in an ACC career is held by Florida State's Dustin Hopkins, who made 88 from 2009-12.

Dunn also connected on his two extra point attempts, and is now a perfect 119 of 119 in his career. He ties Josh Czajkowski (2008-10) for the second most extra points at NC State. Sade holds the record with 167.

Senior receiver Emeka Emezie's six catches for 91 yards made him just the seventh Wolfpack wideout in school history to go over 2,000 career yards. His career numbers now sit at 164 receptions for 2,049 yards.

The receptions total is the sixth most ever by a Wolfpacker and four away from tying his former teammate Jakobi Meyers (2016-18) for fifth.

NC State went down a corner last week when redshirt sophomore Malik Dunlap announced he was transferring. Then it was revealed pregame that sophomore starter Cecil Powell was not playing. Powell had been injured in the win at Syracuse on Nov. 28.

That left the Pack with true freshman Aydan White and redshirt freshman Shyheim Battle as its starting corners Saturday and very little depth. After the game, head coach Dave Doeren noted that Battle went down at one point during the game and was replaced by redshirt sophomore Taiyon Palmer, the third-string nickel.

And for the third time this year, junior safety Tanner Ingle was ejected from a game due to targeting. On the opening drive of the second half, Ingle was flagged for the infraction while tackling sliding Georgia Tech freshman quarterback Jeff Sims. Because it is Ingle's third targeting flag of the year, he cannot play the next game.

Former walk-on and redshirt sophomore Isaac Duffy replaced Ingle in the lineup and had a strong second half, making seven tackles, including one for a loss.

Fifth-year senior defensive end Daniel Joseph (leg) and redshirt sophomore linebacker Payton Wilson (arm) were also banged up in the game.

NC State joined Boston College and Syracuse in the ACC, South Carolina and Kentucky from the SEC and the Big 12's Iowa State, Kansas State and Texas Tech as the first teams to have successfully completed their entire regular season slate by the original end date of Dec. 5.

The Pack will have the next two weeks off while much of their brethren in the ACC and across the country try to play at least one if not two more games. Challenges remain. Georgia Tech was shorthanded on defense and only had 50-some players available. Miami announced it was going through a second round of COVID issues after having to postpone games earlier this fall due to an outbreak. Those two teams are supposed to play each other in a makeup game on Dec. 19.

NC State's final placement in the ACC standings, which will either be fourth place outright or tied for fourth, makes it more likely that the Wolfpack will be playing in a bowl game in Florida (Cheez-It Bowl in Orlando on Dec. 29 or TaxSlayer Gator Bowl in Jacksonville on Jan. 2) or the Duke's Mayo Bowl in Charlotte on Dec. 30.

The following scholarship players were not active for NC State’s game Saturday against Georgia Tech.

Sophomore safety Rakeim Ashford

Redshirt freshman nickel Jalen Frazier

Senior corner Chris Ingram

Redshirt junior defensive lineman Dante Johnson

Freshman defensive end Claude Larkins

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Devin Leary

Sophomore receiver Keyon Lesane

Redshirt freshman safety Khalid Martin

Freshman offensive tackle Patrick Matan

Redshirt freshman offensive lineman Timothy McKay

Junior corner Teshaun Smith

Ashford, McKay and Smith have been officially ruled out for the season, while Leary and Martin were presumed to be in that category as well. Neither played after Martin went down in game two at Virginia Tech and Leary in game five vs. Duke.

Frazier and Ingram did not play this season after suffering injuries last spring and fall, respectively.

NC State finished the regular season 8-3 overall and 7-3 in the ACC, setting a school record for most conference wins in a year.

It marks the third time in four years that head coach Dave Doeren's squad has won at least eight games in the regular season. In each of those years, the Wolfpack went 5-1 in games at Carter-Finley Stadium, one off the school record for home wins.

Doeren also coached his 100th game on the Wolfpack sidelines, improving to 55-45 in that span. In the process, he picked up his first win in three tries against the Yellow Jackets. Clemson (0-7), Miami (0-2) and Virginia Tech (0-2) are the remaining ACC teams Doeren has yet to beat.

It is the first time NC State has defeated Georgia Tech at home since 2000. The Yellow Jackets lead the all-time series 20-11-1, with a 11-5 mark in games played in Raleigh.

In the makeshift ACC schedule, NC State played every Coastal Division team this year and went 4-3 in those games. It went 3-0 against its normal Atlantic Division counterparts.

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