2 weeks Ago By By AARON BEARD - AP Sports Writer
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — KC Concepcion slithered free from contact and broke loose to the right for a 35-yard catch-and-run touchdown — his third score of the night — to help No.
24 N.C. State finally push ahead for good and beat Western Carolina 38-21 in Thursday's opener for both teams.
Concepcion had a diving 17-yard scoring catch over the middle in the first quarter along with a 5-yard catch-and-run to the left pylon in the second. He finished with nine catches and 121 yards as a highlight in what was at times a slog for N.C.
State — and other times an unexpectedly tense test against a Championship Subdivision opponent. “Obviously a game we'd have loved to have played better in the first half,” Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren said. “But I'm not going to apologize for winning either.
” The game was tied at 14-all at halftime and the Catamounts led 21-17 going into the final quarter, putting them within reach of a shocking upset. But Concepcion's highlight-reel effort put the Wolfpack ahead for good, then Jordan Waters — a transfer from nearby Duke — shook off what had been a rough debut to that point by keeping his legs churning through multiple tacklers for a 7-yard TD that pushed N.C.
State to a 31-21 lead with 6:33 left. Waters sealed this one by breaking free for a 50-yard scoring sprint with 1:50 left in what morphed into a 123-yard rushing day, while Coastal Carolina transfer Grayson McCall threw for 318 yards in his first game in Wolfpack red. “I also think our guys woke up a little bit and just started playing better," Doeren said.
"That’s why you play games, man. You’ve got to go out there and learn where you’re at.” Cole Gonzales threw for 211 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Catamounts, who entered as the 19th-ranked team in the FCS coaches poll.
Branson Adams also wiggled his way through the middle for a 17-yard scoring run and that 21-17 lead with 4:36 left in the third. Western Carolina: The instate Catamounts, picked to finish third in the Southern Conference, fell to 0-63 all-time against Bowl Subdivision opponents. Those struggles include eight losses to N.
C. State, nine losses to ranked FBS teams and 34 losses to Atlantic Coast Conference opponents. Despite breaking in new coordinators on both sides of the ball, they hung in on this one with opportunistic play and by largely stuffing N.
C. State's attempts to run the ball. N.
C. State: The good news is Doeren opened his 12th season with a win. But this was an often-bumpy outing, starting with dropping a potential pick-6 on the game's first offensive snap and including twice being stuffed on fourth-and-1 running plays.
That means there's plenty to work on with a marquee matchup looming for a team picked to finish fourth in the ACC. The struggles against an FCS team at home could cost the Wolfpack some support near the back of next week's AP Top 25 poll. Kickoff was delayed by about a half-hour to around 7:30 p.
m. due to lightning in the area. Students who had begun to fill the stands to watch warmups had to leave the bleacher areas at Carter-Finley Stadium.
Western Carolina: The Catamounts have their home opener against instate foe Campbell on Sept. 7. N.
C. State: No. 15 Tennessee awaits the Wolfpack in Charlotte on Sept.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football.
