Emmett Morehead’s TD pass to Joe Griffin with 14 seconds left lifts Boston College over North Carolina State
NC State #NCState
The Boston College football team stunned No. 17 North Carolina State, 21-20, Saturday at Raleigh, N.C., earning its first win over an Associated Press Top 25 team since 2014.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Emmett Morehead found freshman Joe Griffin Jr. for a 2-yard touchdown with 14 seconds left, capping a 12-play, 69-yard drive.
Morehead, who finished 29 of 48 for 330 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions in his second career start, was masterful with the game on the line. The Eagles’ defense allowed just 51 yards in the second half, helping to turn an early deficit into a signature triumph.
The Wolfpack jumped out to a 14-0 lead on a 27-yard touchdown reception from Trent Pennix and a 10-yard run from quarterback MJ Morris. NC State’s physicality up front gave the Eagles fits, and the Wolfpack moved the ball downfield with relative ease early.
Late in the first quarter, BC standout receiver Zay Flowers (7 catches, 130 yards, 2 TDs) became the program’s all-time leader with 2,804 receiving yards, passing Alex Amidon (2,800 from 2010-13). He then hauled in a 17-yard TD pass from Morehead to slice the deficit to 14-7 with 2:30 left in the first quarter.
Neto Okpala and Vinny DePalma helped the Eagles stuff the Wolfpack on fourth and goal from the 1 midway through the second, but BC couldn’t capitalize. Christopher Dunn drilled a 30-yard field goal on the ensuing NC State drive to push the margin to 10 with 1:36 left in the half.
Morehead, who threw four TD passes last week against Duke, was sharp in stretches against the ACC’s best defense (17.8 points allowed per game). He did, however, throw a costly interception late in the first half to curb BC’s momentum and help the Wolfpack preserve a 17-7 cushion heading into halftime.
BC held a 140-124 edge in passing yards, but NC State’s 150-2 advantage in rushing yards and three sacks paid major dividends. The Eagles finished 0 for 6 on third down in the half and allowed 8.1 yards per play.
The Wolfpack capitalized on a Jaelen Gill fumble on a punt early in the second half, as Dunn drilled a 45-yard field goal to extend their lead to 20-7. Four minutes later, Flowers zigzagged his way into the end zone for a 35-yard strike to trim the deficit to 20-14 and give the Eagles some much-needed momentum.
NC State, also playing with a promising but inexperienced quarterback, gave the Eagles plenty of chances late in the game.
Morris fumbled near midfield and Okpala recovered, but Morehead threw another pick moments later as NC State kept a 6-point edge through three.
DePalma recovered a fumble early in the fourth, and Elijah Jones later intercepted Morris, but the Eagles couldn’t capitalize on the string of turnovers until the final drive.
Morehead found Dino Tomlin for 29 yards and George Takacs for 17, and eventually hit Griffin to secure one of the Eagles’ most monumental wins this decade.