Published May 5, 2020
TheWolfpacker.com bracket: Best NC State game since 2000, round one
Justin H. Williams
The Wolfpacker writer

There have been many long-lasting memories in NC State Wolfpack athletics history, with the 1983 national title game in men's basketball forever carrying the torch as the brightest of them all.

The Wolfpacker decided to do a bracket to determine what was the best game of the 2000s at NC State. In a difficult narrowing-down process that was sure to leave out some of the best moments, 32 contests were chosen for the tournament and divided into four regions: Carter-Finley, PNC Arena, Doak Field and Reynolds Coliseum.

They were seeded one through eight in each region, and in the end we will have the ultimate game since the turn of the millennium.

Monday we started the fourth and final region: Reynolds Coliseum. The first two matchups can be found here.

Now the final two first round competition.

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No. 3 seed men's basketball vs. No. 1 Duke in 2013 against No. 6 seed football vs. Maryland in 2011

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3 seed — men's basketball vs. No. 1 Duke in 2013

Known as the “Roll Pack” game for the famous court-storming at PNC Arena led out by Will Privette, NC State won its first game versus the top-ranked team since 2004, defeating Duke 84-76.

C.J. Leslie led the team with 25 points while Richard Howell and Lorenzo Brown each had double-doubles. Howell had 16 points and 18 rebounds, Brown added 12 points and 13 assists.

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6 seed — football vs. Maryland in 2011

Down 41-14 in the third quarter, almost all hope was lost in Carter-Finley Stadium. Then quarterback Mike Glennon found magic. He threw for two touchdowns and ran in a third to spark an NC State run of 42 points. The Wolfpack outscored the Terrapins 35-0 in the fourth quarter en route to a 56-41 win.

Glennon finished the day with 306 yards and five passing touchdowns on top of his single rushing touchdown. NC State’s rally from a 27-point deficit marked the largest comeback in ACC history.

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No. 2 seed football vs. No. 1 Duke in 2013 against No. 7 seed men's basketball ACC Tournament quarterfinals vs. No. 11 Syracuse in 2014

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2 seed — football vs. No. 3 Florida State in 2012

While the shirtless NC State fan waving his shirt around helicopter-style was turned into an instant celebrity when he was turned into a viral GIF, the upset of No. 3 Florida State should be equally memorable.

NC State went to the locker room down 16-0 at halftime. The Wolfpack defense shut down Florida State quarterback E.J. Manuel and scored 17 unanswered points in the second half, including the game-winning three-yard pass on fourth down from Mike Glennon to Bryan Underwood with 16 seconds remaining for the win.

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7 seed — ACC Tournament Quarterfinals men's basketball vs. No. 11 Syracuse 2014

Led by a 28-point, eight-rebound performance by T.J. Warren, NC State handed Syracuse its first ACC Tournament loss.

The Orange had plenty of opportunities to tie or extend the game in its final possession, but missed six consecutive field goals that allowed the Wolfpack to advance to the ACC Semifinals with a 66-63 win and likely clinched its NCAA Tournament at-large bid.

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