C.J. Bailey contributed both on the ground and through the air as North Carolina State secured a 24-17 victory over Northern Illinois on Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium.
In his second start for the Wolfpack (3-2), the true freshman completed 13 of 20 passes for 108 yards, while the N.C. State defense played a key role by forcing four turnovers from NIU (2-2).
“It was a team win. Our offensive stats may not look great, but we didn’t turn the ball over all game,” said N.C. State coach Dave Doeren. “We punted well and played strong defense against a solid team.”
The momentum shifted in N.C. State’s favor early in the second quarter when safety DK Kaufman blitzed NIU quarterback Ethan Hampton, forcing a fumble that he recovered for a 2-yard defensive touchdown.
In the third quarter, the defense struck again when Devin Vann forced another fumble, which Brandon Cleveland recovered and brought back to the 1-yard line. Bailey capitalized on this excellent field position, throwing a short touchdown pass to Kevin Concepcion to extend the lead to two scores.
With four seconds left and trailing by seven, NIU attempted to tie the game, but Hampton’s pass in the end zone was intercepted by Corey Coley.
“You can’t lose the turnover battle four-to-nothing and expect to win,” said NIU coach Thomas Hammock. “They blitzed us frequently, and we didn’t make enough plays.”
Antario Brown led the Huskies with 114 rushing yards on 28 carries.
