Here are some the thoughts from those who covered NC State Wolfpack football's 15-14 win over No. 21 Liberty on Saturday evening.
• Matt Carter, TheWolfpacker.com — Column: Resilient NC State finds a way to overcome itself
This game unfolded exactly like everyone expected — a defensive slugfest preventing two offenses from seemingly even able to get first downs for long stretches of time.
Who are we kidding?
NC State prevailed 15-14 over No. 21 Liberty in a thriller only because it came down to a blocked field goal from emerging NC State special teams superstar and redshirt junior Vi Jones. It was the last in a series of stops and big plays by the Wolfpack defense and special teams to deliver the victory.
That was anything but the perceived formula for winning in a game that featured two high-powered offenses seemingly playing their best football of the season coming into Saturday.
And the truth was that it was a win that came in spite of NC State's offense, because the truth is the performance delivered by the defense was worthy of an easy win for the Wolfpack, infinitely easier than having the heart-pounding moments in the final minutes.
• Justin H. Williams, TheWolfpacker.com — Notebook: NC State spoils No. 21 Liberty's perfect season
Although NC State found a way to win Saturday, it gave Liberty every opportunity to take control of the game with several self-inflicted wounds.
The Wolfpack committed a season-high 14 penalties for a loss of 123 yards.
“We had to overcome ourselves,” Doeren said. “14 penalties which, obviously, we can't have. I got to get that fixed and the kids got to be more mature. There were a lot of costly ones, but we found a way to win.
“I don't understand why we're jumping offsides on defense. We're literally yelling, with no crowd, at the guys on the sideline, ‘hard count.’ We yelled ‘dojo,’ which means don't jump offsides, and everybody's screaming it. For us to do that multiple times, there's no excuse.”
Despite the mental lapses, the Wolfpack showed resilience — a trait this team has consistently displayed all season.
Four of NC State’s six victories this fall have now come in contests in which it has trailed at some point in the second half.
• Jonas Pope IV, Raleigh News & Observer — NC State knocks off Liberty with late field goal block
One thing about N.C. State linebacker Vi Jones, he can block some kicks.
The USC transfer blocked his third kick of the season, this time a Liberty field goal attempt with 1:18 remaining in the game and the Wolfpack nursing a one-point lead.
N.C. State’s Bam Knight scored the go-ahead touchdown with 6:53 remaining and the defense forced three turnovers to beat its second ranked opponent this season, 15-14, over the No. 21 Flames.
On a night when the offense struggled, the defense stepped up and saved the day. Liberty quarterback Malik Willis came into the game with just one interception this season, but threw three. The Wolfpack defense also got a safety in the third quarter.
It was appropriate that the game's decisive moment came with the ball in the other team's hands.
Vi Jones' field goal block with 1:18 left in the fourth quarter secured a 15-14 NC State win over previously unbeaten No. 21 Liberty (8-1), but it took several defensive plays to get to that point.
It started late in the third quarter when linebacker Isaiah Moore tackled Liberty running back Peytton Pickett in the end zone to cut the Flames' lead to 14-9. It continued with an interception from true freshman Aydan White with 9:32 left in the fourth quarter.
White jumped in front of a Malik Willis pass on Liberty's 26-yard-line, setting up the game-winning touchdown run from Zonovan Knight, who led the team in rushing for the second straight game.
On the ensuing possession, Isaac Duffy, a former walk-on, gave the defense its third interception. Willis entered the game with 15 passing touchdowns to one pick.
He left with his team's first loss.
• Aaron Beard, Associated Press — Blocked FG helps NC State hold off No. 21 Liberty 15-14
Liberty (8-1) was trying to earn a third win against an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent this year, all on the road. The Flames had their shot to extend the best start in program history, too, putting together a drive to give Barbir — who had kicked a 51-yard field goal to beat Virginia Tech earlier this season — a shot at the lead.
But Vi Jones deflected the kick to set off a celebration for the Wolfpack (6-3), who moved the chains once more to run out the clock and seal a win on a tough night for both offenses.
Zonovan Knight ran for two touchdowns to lead N.C. State, including the go-ahead 4-yard score with 6:53 left. That play was set up by a diving interception from true freshman reserve Aydan White.
Knight also had a first-half touchdown run and ran for 96 yards on the night, while Ricky Person Jr. added 83 yards — part of a 167-yard rushing effort that largely had to carry the Wolfpack’s offense with Bailey Hockman getting nothing going consistently in the passing game.
• Joe Giglio, WRALSportsFan — THere's more than one way to win. NC State found a unique one.
Herb Sendek had a lot of sayings.
Few (keep chopping wood, day-tight compartments, one-sixteenth of the ACC schedule) were popular with NC State fans but there’s one I’ll always remember from the pedantic former Wolfpack basketball coach.
There are two ways to win a game: score more points than the other team or hold the other team to fewer points.
NC State’s 15-14 football win over No. 21 Liberty on Saturday fell squarely in the category of the latter. Liberty went into the game ranked No. 16 in the country in scoring with an average of 40.5 points per game.
The Flames (8-1) scored 38 in a road win over Syracuse on Oct. 17 and 38 in a wild win over Virginia Tech on Nov. 7.
The NC State football team has now done something that no other team in college football has done this season: beat Liberty. It wasn’t pretty, but the Wolfpack somehow found a way to hand the No. 21 Liberty Flames their first loss of the season with a 15-14 win on Saturday night at Carter-Finley Stadium.
“Heck of a football game,” said head coach Dave Doeren. “Really proud of our guys, just finding another way to win… Tonight, it’s about celebrating the win and knocking off a top-25 team.”
NC State (6-3, 5-3 ACC) committed 14 penalties for a whopping 123 yards, and the offense struggled for most of the night, but it was the defense that was able to hold Liberty’s (8-1) usually prolific offense in check. It was both the defense and special teams that were able to make key plays down the stretch to help the Pack get the win.
The Flames scored 38 points or more in each of their previous five games, and the Pack had scored 30 or more points in all but two this season, but the first quarter ended in a scoreless tie, 0-0.
Liberty experienced the euphoria of winning on the road on a last-second field goal two weekends ago at Virginia Tech. The Flames stormed Lane Stadium in celebration of knocking off the Hokies in thrilling fashion.
That feel-good moment wasn’t repeated Saturday night at Carter-Finley Stadium.
Alex Barbir, the hero at Virginia Tech, had his 39-yard field goal attempt blocked by N.C. State’s Vi Jones with 1:18 remaining, and the Wolfpack knocked the No. 21 Flames from the ranks of the unbeaten with a 15-14 victory.
“Gave ourselves a chance to win it there with him,” Flames coach Hugh Freeze said. “Obviously disappointed. Felt like our kids played their guts out as hard as they could. Proud of them and proud of the way they fought.”
The Flames (8-1) trailed by one after the Wolfpack (6-3, 5-3 ACC) took the slim lead on Zonavan Knight’s 4-yard rushing touchdown with 6:53 remaining.
The teams exchanged possessions before Malik Willis attempted to engineer a go-ahead drive late in the fourth quarter.
Willis, added to the Maxwell Award watch list earlier in the week, threw a trio of interceptions after only throwing one pick in the season’s first eight games.
Two of his interceptions came in the fourth quarter, and the first one led to Knight’s go-ahead score.
“It’s all on me. I take the blame for that loss. I take the blame for turning the ball over,” said Willis, who completed 13 of 32 passes for 172 yards and two scores. He also rushed for 44 yards on 15 carries. “I’ve just got to take command and do what I’m supposed to do and go out there and take care of the football.”
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