NC State Wolfpack football won its second ACC road game in back-to-back weeks for just the third time since 1970 with a 38-21 road win over Virginia.
Junior nose tackle Alim McNeill went viral for his 18-yard pick-six that put that Wolfpack ahead by 17 points in the fourth quarter. Sophomore running back Zonovan "Bam" Knight led the Pack in rushing with 101 yards and two touchdowns.
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Here are the Top Five plays from the Wolfpack win:
5. Porter Rooks' acrobatic catch on a 25-yard pass from Devin Leary to set up the first touchdown
Freshman wide receiver Porter Rooks would have found himself ranked higher in the Top Five plays had his 34-yard touchdown reception on the Wolfpack's second drive of the game not been called back upon an official review.
The four-star talent bounced back quick on the next offensive position to set up NC State's first touchdown, a five-yard pass from redshirt sophomore quarterback Devin Leary to redshirt sophomore running back Trent Pennix.
Rooks showed off his freaky athleticism with this diving catch towards the sideline while remaining in bounds. Two plays later, the Pack went up 7-0 midway through the first quarter.
4. Vi Jones' punt block on Virginia's first drive of the second half recovered by Taiyon Palmer at the Cavaliers' 15-yard line
Redshirt junior linebacker Levi Jones' blocked punt could not have come at a better time for the Wolfpack. With Virginia trying to gain momentum early in the second half to fight back from a 17-point lead, NC State's defense completed a nice three-and-out before putting the cherry on top with a blocked punt. Redshirt sophomore defensive back Taiyon Palmer recovered the loose ball and had he caught it on the first hop, likely could have walked in to the end zone for a sccop-and-score.
"Levi's blocked punt was a great play," NC State coach Dave Doeren said Monday. "He did a really good job communicating with Coach Goebel on the sidelines previous to that play about how they were protecting and that he could beat his guy. I was really happy for him using technique.
"Should have been a scoop-and-score opportunity that we didn't get but we got the ball there. I love blocking punts, I thought that was awesome."
3. Devin Leary's 32-yard trick-play touchdown pass to Cary Angeline in the first quarter
There were many people to credit on this creative touchdown play. For starters, a tip of the hat to offensive coordinator Tim Beck for engineering the play and calling it at the right time.
At first, the play appeared to be a hand-off to junior running back Ricky Person Jr. who then hands it off to Rooks in what the defense probably assumed was a counter sweep. Rooks tosses the ball back to Leary who finds fifth-year senior tight end Cary Angeline wide-open in an assumably confused coverage. It marked Angeline's fourth touchdown of the season and his third game this fall with at least 30 yards and one touchdown.
2. Zonovan Knight's 35-yard touchdown run to give the Pack a 24-0 lead in the second quarter
Knight is making a habit out of breaking off for long runs. He currently is tied for the most rush attempts of 10 or more yards in the ACC, which includes four against Virginia.
NC State had a chance to take a commanding 24-point lead into halftime and Knight almost helped it get there. The Cavaliers scored a touchdown before halftime, but this impressive 35-yard run paved the way to Knight's 101-yard rushing performance with two touchdowns. It was the first 100-yard rushing performance on NC State this season and Knight had led all back in yards per carry each week through four contests.
1. Alim McNeill's 18-yard interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter
You already knew what the No. 1 play would be before you even clicked on the article. If you haven't seen this by now, do you live under a rock?
McNeill's 18-yard interception return for a touchdown off of Virginia back-up quarterback Lindell Stone didn't just go viral this weekend, it was a crucial momentum swing for the Wolfpack with 11:10 remaining in the fourth quarter. NC State missed a field goal attempt on the play before and Virginia had a chance to shrink the Pack's lead into a one-possession game. McNeill's freaky play put the Wolfpack up by three possessions and completely drained the energy from the Cavaliers sideline.
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