RALEIGH – Seven days earlier, NC State was one play away from leaving Nashville with a victory.

Instead, the Wolfpack experienced about as painful a finish as football can provide.

NC State took possession at its own 2-yard line with 1:04 remaining against Vanderbilt and a 31-28 lead. But as the Wolfpack attempted to run out the clock, quarterback CJ Bailey was hit and lost the football in the end zone. Vanderbilt recovered for a touchdown as time expired, turning what appeared to be an NC State victory into a stunning 35-31 loss. 

So when a 21-point lead disappeared Saturday night at Carter-Finley Stadium, when App State turned an interception, a touchdown, a surprise onside kick and another touchdown into a 31-31 tie, NC State found itself facing another late-game test.

This time, the Wolfpack finished.

NC State answered App State's furious comeback with a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, reclaimed the lead on Duke Scott's 16-yard touchdown run and scored the final 10 points of a wild 41-31 victory before 56,919 fans.

“Everything this week's been about finish for obvious reasons,” NC State coach Dave Doeren said. “We needed to finish, and we did.” 

The victory moved NC State to 2-2 and handed App State its first loss of the season after a 3-0 start. It also extended the Wolfpack's perfect record against the Mountaineers to 7-0 in the first meeting between the programs since 2006. 

For much of the first half, there was little indication NC State would need any late-game heroics.

The Wolfpack took the opening possession 75 yards in 10 plays, with Bailey scoring on a five-yard run.

The drive also produced the first of two plays App State might look back on and wonder what could have been.

Near the goal line, Colton Phares appeared to rip the football from Scott and raced 49 yards in the opposite direction. Instead of a turnover that would have given App State possession in NC State territory, officials ruled Scott's forward progress had been stopped before the ball came free. Two plays later, Bailey scored.

App State coach Dowell Loggains disagreed with the ruling but wasn't interested in blaming it for the loss.

“I know it's a judgment call,” Loggains said. “In real time, it felt like it was a fumble and felt like holding the ball on the 50-yard line, and the official saw it differently.” 

NC State kept rolling.

Scott scored from nine yards out with five seconds remaining in the opening quarter before Bailey found Ashton Locklear for a 10-yard touchdown midway through the second.

It was 21-0.

App State finally broke through with a five-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. Singleton completed passes of 27 and 30 yards to Darrin Fugitt before scoring himself on a three-yard keeper.

But NC State answered again.

Bailey found Keenan Jackson for a 17-yard touchdown with 39 seconds remaining, restoring a three-touchdown advantage at 28-7.

App State could easily have gone quietly to halftime.

Instead, Singleton completed four consecutive passes in the final 39 seconds, including a 30-yarder to Nate Branch, setting up James London's 48-yard field goal as time expired.

The three points made it 28-10. More importantly, they gave the Mountaineers something positive to carry into halftime.

“We needed something good to happen right there,” Loggains said. “It was really huge just coming in the locker room.” 

App State refuses to go away

That momentum carried immediately into the second half.

On App State's first offensive snap, Singleton connected with Sam Pickett III for 54 yards to the NC State 21.

The Mountaineers converted a fourth-and-one later in the possession, and Jaquari Lewis scored from two yards out to make it 28-17.

NC State responded with a much different kind of drive.

The Wolfpack consumed 6:45 with a 13-play, 69-yard march. App State kept NC State out of the end zone, but Kanoah Vinesett kicked a 23-yard field goal to push the advantage back to 31-17. 

That possession included another potential App State takeaway.

Alex Mitchell stripped the ball from an NC State receiver near the sideline and recovered it. After review, officials ruled the football was touching the receiver while he was out of bounds, allowing NC State to retain possession.

This time, Loggains said he believed officials got the call right.

He also made clear afterward that neither ruling was why App State lost.

“I think it was us,” Loggains said. “There were too many self-inflicted things.”

NC State's efficiency demonstrated his point.

The Wolfpack converted 11 of 17 third downs, possessed the football for 36:23 and went a perfect 7-for-7 on red-zone opportunities. NC State ran 79 offensive plays compared with App State's 61 and finished with 459 yards. 

“You want to go on the road and play an ACC opponent and you want to beat them, you've got to play a lot better,” Loggains said. “You can't make errors.” 

But if App State hadn't played cleanly enough to win through three quarters, the Mountaineers were about to give themselves a chance anyway.

107 seconds changes everything

NC State still led 31-17 early in the fourth when Keaton Braddock drilled Bailey as the quarterback attempted to throw.

The ball popped forward and landed in the arms of defensive tackle Aaron Clark.

This turnover counted.

App State took possession at the NC State 42, and five plays later Singleton found Pickett for an 18-yard touchdown.

The Mountaineers were within seven.

Then came the play that transformed the atmosphere inside Carter-Finley.

Because NC State was penalized for roughing the passer on the touchdown, App State kicked off from midfield. London tapped a dribbling onside kick straight ahead, catching the Wolfpack off guard.

Joe Reddish recovered.

App State had stolen another possession.

Loggains said the Mountaineers had seen an opportunity and were prepared to take advantage of it.

“We knew when we got in the situation — and plus where the field position was — it was kind of a no-risk play,” Loggains said. “You got to try to find a way to steal a possession.” 

Four plays later, App State was in the end zone again.

Singleton hit Lewis for 18 yards to reach the red zone. Then, facing third-and-one from the 9, the Mountaineers got aggressive again.

Singleton faked the handoff.

True freshman tight end Gavin Barber slipped into the end zone uncovered.

Touchdown.

London's extra point tied the game at 31 with 9:41 remaining.

In 107 seconds, App State had scored 14 points.

A team that once trailed 21-0 had erased the entire deficit.

“I think our guys believe and I think they've got a lot of fight in them,” Loggains said. “They battled, they fought.”

But App State hadn't come to Raleigh looking for a moral victory.

“We came here to try to win the football game,” Loggains said, “and we didn't get that done.” 

One more chance to finish

If anyone understood the weight of NC State's next possession, it was Bailey.

A week earlier, the football had come out of his hands on the final play at Vanderbilt.

Now NC State had watched another late lead disappear, and Bailey was heading back onto the field with the game tied.

He said there was no panic.

“Everybody relax,” Bailey recalled telling his teammates on the sideline. “Just calm down. We got this, bro. One play at a time.”

He gathered the offense together before it returned to the field.

“We've all been in positions before like this,” Bailey said. “We just had to keep a level head.” 

Then NC State did exactly that.

The Wolfpack went 75 yards in nine plays and took 4:33 off the clock.

And when NC State needed someone to finish the drive, it turned to Scott.

The running back bounced outside and raced 16 yards into the end zone.

NC State 38, App State 31.

Scott finished with 148 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries, leading a Wolfpack rushing attack that accumulated 206 yards. App State managed only 62 yards on the ground. 

Doeren called Scott a “workhorse.”

“He's got a second gear that can run away from people, but he's low to the ground,” Doeren said. “He's patient and explosive.” 

Bailey was even more appreciative of having Scott behind him.

“It's very relieving,” Bailey said. “It takes a lot of stress off of me as well.”

He also directed credit toward an offensive line that allowed NC State to lean on its ground game when it mattered most.

“It starts with y'all,” Bailey said of the message to the linemen. “It don't start with me. It starts with y'all up front.” 

App State still had 5:08 to answer.

The Mountaineers moved near midfield but soon faced third-and-two.

Singleton's pass fell incomplete.

On fourth-and-two, Jackson Vick broke up another attempt across the middle.

NC State took over at the App State 33 with 3:59 remaining.

The Wolfpack didn't immediately settle for a kick. They kept the football for more than two minutes before Vinesett connected from 35 yards, finally giving NC State some breathing room at 41-31.

App State made one final push and moved inside the Wolfpack 25. Needing two scores, the Mountaineers attempted a 42-yard field goal on fourth-and-one with 47 seconds left.

London missed.

This time, Bailey could finish the night in victory formation.

Two teams leave Raleigh with something to remember

The final numbers reflected two very different offensive approaches.

NC State established control on the ground, rushing 46 times for 206 yards while Bailey completed 24 of 33 passes for 253 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Ten Wolfpack players caught passes.

App State relied heavily on Singleton's arm. He completed 26 of 38 attempts for 317 yards and two touchdowns without throwing an interception. Pickett finished with 97 receiving yards, Branch had 87 and Fugitt added 63. 

The Mountaineers leave Raleigh at 3-1 knowing they were capable of climbing out of a 21-point hole against an ACC opponent.

They also leave knowing the comeback wasn't enough.

“Our kids fought hard,” Loggains said. “I'm really proud of their resiliency, but you're not going to beat a team like that making self-inflicted things.” 

App State now gets an open week before beginning Sun Belt play at home against Old Dominion on Oct. 10. NC State remains home to face Louisville next Saturday.

For the Wolfpack, though, Saturday night's significance went beyond getting back to .500.

Seven days earlier, NC State had walked off a field in Nashville after seeing a victory disappear on the final play.

Against App State, another comfortable lead vanished.

The Mountaineers kept coming. They forced the turnover. They recovered the onside kick. They erased 21 points and silenced much of a sold-out Carter-Finley Stadium.

NC State had every reason to remember what happened a week earlier.

Instead, Bailey gathered his teammates.

The offensive line went to work.

Scott carried the Wolfpack back into the end zone.

The defense got the stop.

And after a week spent talking about how to finish a football game, NC State finally got the opportunity to show it could.

This time, the Wolfpack finished.

DURHAM – Shaw had a choice.

Kick the extra point and keep playing.

Or end it.

The Bears chose the latter.

After Livingstone scored first in overtime Saturday afternoon, Shaw answered with an Alexander Marsh touchdown pass to Jeffrey McDonald Jr. and then kept its offense on the field. Fabian Diggs powered in the two-point conversion, giving the Bears a dramatic 28-27 victory over their in-state CIAA rival at Durham County Memorial Stadium.

Shaw improved to 4-1 overall and 2-1 in CIAA play, while Livingstone fell to 2-3 and 2-2. 

The finish provided a fitting conclusion to an afternoon in which neither team could pull away.

Livingstone struck first when Javen Parker finished a 65-yard drive with a four-yard touchdown run late in the opening quarter.

Shaw finally answered midway through the second when Marsh found Cobie Bates for a 54-yard touchdown. A missed extra point left the Blue Bears ahead, and Jason Zapata's 44-yard field goal later sent Livingstone into halftime leading 10-6.

Shaw emerged from halftime with an answer.

Trey Thorpe capped a 69-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown run to give the Bears their first lead, 12-10. But Livingstone responded with perhaps its biggest play of regulation.

Facing third-and-two, Tikey Hayes broke loose for a 55-yard touchdown, putting the Blue Bears back in front 17-12.

That lead lasted less than two minutes.

Thorpe ripped off a 48-yard run on Shaw's ensuing possession, and Jerry Eaton eventually scored from two yards out. Marsh connected with McDonald on the two-point conversion to make it 20-17. 

Livingstone had one more answer.

The Blue Bears put together an 11-play drive early in the fourth quarter and appeared to score when Andrew McClain reached the end zone, but a holding penalty wiped out the touchdown. Livingstone ultimately settled for Zapata's 41-yard field goal to tie the game at 20 with 8:37 remaining. 

Neither team scored again in regulation.

Livingstone got the football first in overtime and methodically worked its way toward the goal line before Maliq Staten scored from one yard out. Zapata's extra point gave the Blue Bears a 27-20 advantage.

Shaw needed considerably less time.

The Bears scored in only two plays, with Marsh finding McDonald for a 13-yard touchdown.

Then came the decision.

Rather than kick to extend the game, Shaw put the offense back on the field needing two yards to win it.

Diggs got them.

His successful two-point conversion ended the game immediately and set off a Shaw celebration after nearly four hours of football.

The statistics reflected just how evenly matched the two North Carolina programs were.

Livingstone actually outgained Shaw 448-431 and ran 85 offensive plays to the Bears' 59. The Blue Bears also held the football for more than 34 minutes and converted 11 of 20 third downs.

Shaw, however, was far more explosive, averaging 7.3 yards per play compared with Livingstone's 5.3. 

Thorpe led the Bears with 120 rushing yards and a touchdown on 19 carries, while Marsh completed 16 of 25 passes for 256 yards and two touchdowns. Bates turned his two receptions into 101 yards and a score. 

Hayes led Livingstone with 90 rushing yards, including his 55-yard touchdown, while Brandon Edinburgh Jr. threw for 231 yards.

For 60 minutes, there was almost nothing separating the two teams.

So when Shaw finally had an opportunity to decide the game with one play from two yards away, the Bears didn't leave the outcome for another overtime.

They went for two.

And they got it.

GREENSBORO – Brevard and Guilford had never met on the football field before Saturday night.

Their first meeting quickly became a showcase for the Tornados.

Brevard scored touchdowns on its first two possessions, forced four turnovers and never punted, overwhelming Guilford 59-0 at the Armfield Athletic Center to complete an undefeated run through non-conference play.

The Tornados improved to 3-0 while Guilford fell to 1-2 in the first football matchup between the two North Carolina Division III programs.

Brevard controlled virtually every phase.

The Tornados outgained Guilford 486-173, rushed for 298 yards and accumulated 26 first downs to Guilford's 10. Brevard possessed the football for nearly 37 minutes, while its defense kept the Quakers from reaching the red zone.

And Brevard never had to punt.

Messiah Ramseur opened the scoring with an 18-yard touchdown run before Zion Fauntleroy-McDaniel's 21-yard score made it 14-0 less than seven minutes into the game.

Guilford responded with its best opportunity of the first half, driving 50 yards to the Brevard 25. But the Tornados stopped Shane Shapiro two yards short on fourth-and-seven, and the Quakers came away empty.

The game then unraveled rapidly for Guilford midway through the second quarter.

Christian Conley found Mason Miles for a 43-yard touchdown to make it 21-0 with 8:12 remaining.

Fifty-six seconds later, Abdulmalik Sholanke sacked Tristan Gabrels and forced a fumble. Brevard recovered at the Guilford 26, and Conley found Miles for another touchdown on the very next play.

Then came another Guilford fumble.

Brelon Martin forced the turnover, Isaiah Brown recovered and returned it to the 2, and a facemask penalty moved the football to the 1. Conley scored on the next snap.

In 69 seconds of game time, Brevard scored three touchdowns and turned a 14-0 game into a 35-0 rout.

The Tornados' defense made sure there would be no second-half comeback.

Guilford drove into Brevard territory to begin the third quarter, but DJ Stevenson intercepted Gabrels on fourth down and returned it 88 yards for a touchdown.

On Guilford's next possession, Sylas Scruggs intercepted Gabrels again.

Fauntleroy-McDaniel eventually converted that takeaway into an 11-yard touchdown run, and Chase Patalano's four-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Barnett made it 56-0 before the third quarter ended.

Brevard finished with four rushing touchdowns and three through the air. Conley threw for 137 yards and two scores, while Patalano completed all four of his attempts for 51 yards and another touchdown.

Williford and Reed each rushed for 73 yards, while Fauntleroy-McDaniel added 60 yards and two touchdowns. Miles caught only two passes, but both went for touchdowns totaling 69 yards.

There were few bright spots for Guilford, although Shapiro remained productive with eight catches for 93 yards — accounting for more than half of the Quakers' total offense. Evan Sullivan added 46 rushing yards.

But Brevard's defense dictated the night, recording three sacks and nine tackles for loss while forcing two fumbles and intercepting two passes. Guilford finished 2-of-10 on third down and 0-of-3 on fourth down.

Spencer Crum's 25-yard field goal provided the final points.

Brevard's 59 points were its most since 2017, while the 59-point margin was its largest since becoming an NCAA Division III program.

More importantly, the Tornados leave non-conference play at 3-0.

They didn't punt once. They didn't allow Guilford into the red zone. And in the first football meeting between the two North Carolina schools, Brevard left no doubt about which team controlled the night.

HAMPTON, VA – For one half, Campbell's first game as a nationally ranked football program wasn't going according to plan.

Then came the third quarter.

No. 22 Campbell turned a 13-13 halftime tie into a 44-13 runaway with a stunning 31-point third quarter Saturday night, overwhelming Hampton 44-20 at Darling Stadium and making the Camels' first game with a number beside their name a memorable one.

Campbell improved to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in CAA play in the 200th game in program history.

But before the celebration came a first half filled with opportunities for Hampton.

Campbell fumbled away the opening kickoff, giving the Pirates possession at the Camels' 35. Hampton converted the mistake into a 37-yard Brett Starling field goal and an early 3-0 lead.

The Camels answered quickly. Kamden Sixkiller found Connor Adair for a 28-yard touchdown to put Campbell ahead 6-3, but another Campbell fumble late in the opening quarter set Hampton up at the CU 20. Gracen Goldsmith scored four plays later to put the Pirates back in front.

Campbell responded again when Sixkiller connected with Chinua Ezeigbo for a 34-yard touchdown midway through the second quarter.

Hampton then threatened to take control just before halftime, driving 78 yards to the Campbell 1. But the Camels' defense kept the Pirates out of the end zone, forcing them to settle for a 19-yard field goal and a 13-13 tie.

It proved to be Hampton's last chance to keep pace.

Campbell's first five possessions of the second half produced points.

The first was an 82-yard march capped by De'Von Thomas' two-yard touchdown run. After the defense forced a Hampton punt, Campbell went 45 yards for another score, this time with Sixkiller finding Thomas from 29 yards out.

Kaleb Robison's 24-yard field goal made it 30-13.

Then the Campbell defense joined the avalanche.

AJ Benton recovered a Hampton fumble, giving the Camels possession at the Pirates' 22. Three plays later, Sixkiller connected with freshman Christian Campbell for a six-yard touchdown.

Six seconds of game time later, Gavin Harris intercepted Tre'Von Taylor.

It took Campbell exactly one offensive play to capitalize.

Sixkiller hit Ezeigbo for a 64-yard touchdown, and a game tied at halftime had suddenly become a 44-13 rout. Campbell's five third-quarter scoring drives covered 82, 45, 34, 22 and 64 yards.

Sixkiller was at the center of nearly everything.

The Campbell quarterback completed 24 of 31 passes for 308 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions. He also led the Camels with 73 rushing yards on only five carries. It marked his fourth 300-yard passing performance through Campbell's first five games.

Ezeigbo made the most of his opportunities, catching only two passes but turning them into 98 yards and two touchdowns. Twelve different Campbell players caught a pass as the Camels finished with 534 yards of offense – 337 through the air and 197 on the ground.

The defense did its part as well, holding Hampton to 62 rushing yards while recording nine tackles for loss, two sacks and two interceptions. Campbell forced three turnovers after halftime after committing two of its own before the break.

Hampton added a fourth-quarter touchdown, but by then the result had long since been decided.

Campbell's first half looked nothing like the debut a newly ranked program might have envisioned.

Its third quarter looked exactly like one.

LOUISVILLE, KY – Louisville had one more chance.

Then another.

And still, Wake Forest wouldn't go away.

The Demon Deacons went on the road Saturday and knocked off No. 16 Louisville, 30-27, surviving two potential game-tying field goal attempts in the final three minutes and blocking the last one with 15 seconds remaining to secure their biggest victory of the young season.

For a Wake Forest team coming off a 33-20 loss to No. 5 Miami, Saturday offered an immediate opportunity to prove it belonged in the conversation with the ACC's top teams.

The Demon Deacons took it.

Wake improved to 3-1 overall and 1-1 in ACC play, handing Louisville its second loss of the season.

Carlos Hernandez led the way offensively with a career afternoon, catching nine passes for 194 yards and a touchdown. He accounted for all but 31 of Gio Lopez's 225 passing yards, including a 77-yard touchdown in the second quarter that immediately answered a Louisville score.

That became the theme of the afternoon.

Louisville took a 7-3 lead late in the first quarter. Wake answered with a Ty Clark III touchdown.

The Cardinals went back ahead 14-10. Less than two minutes later, Lopez found Hernandez for 77 yards and another Wake lead.

After Somad Eaddy intercepted Louisville quarterback Lincoln Kienholz, Clark scored his second touchdown to stretch the advantage to 24-14. Louisville responded with a 61-yard touchdown just before halftime, but Wake still carried a 24-21 lead into the locker room.

The second half became a fight for every point.

Louisville tied the game twice in the third quarter. Both times Wake answered with a Connor Calvert field goal.

Calvert's third field goal, a 32-yarder with 6:20 remaining, gave Wake a 30-27 lead.

Six minutes against a ranked Louisville team felt like an eternity.

The Cardinals marched 50 yards on 10 plays and appeared poised to tie the game, but Carson Hilbert pushed a 42-yard attempt wide left with 2:29 remaining.

Wake had its chance to finish the job.

It couldn't.

The Demon Deacons managed seven yards on three plays and burned only 35 seconds before punting the ball right back to Louisville with 1:54 remaining.

Once again, the Cardinals had life. Once again, Wake's defense had to answer.

Louisville advanced to the Wake 40 before the Demon Deacons pushed the Cardinals into fourth-and-20. With 18 seconds remaining, Louisville sent Nick Keller onto the field to attempt a 57-yarder.

This time, Wake didn't wait to see whether the kick would sail through.

Gabe Kirschke blocked it.

Devin Cook recovered the football at the Louisville 46. Fifteen seconds later, Wake Forest was celebrating a ranked road victory.

It was a fitting ending for a defense that spent the afternoon making Louisville work. The Cardinals threw for 324 yards but managed just 75 rushing yards on 38 attempts. Wake recorded nine tackles for loss and four sacks, with Kirschke collecting two sacks before providing the biggest special-teams play of the afternoon.

Wake wasn't perfect. The Demon Deacons converted only 2-of-10 third downs, committed 10 penalties and couldn't put the game away when Louisville's first missed field goal gave them the opportunity.

They just wouldn't quit.

A week after falling short against No. 5 Miami, Wake Forest walked into Louisville and found itself in another fight with one of the ACC's ranked teams.

This time, when the game came down to one final play, the Demon Deacons made it.

CHARLOTTE – For 24 seconds, everything about Charlotte’s night seemed to change.

The 49ers had struggled to move the football. Louisiana had controlled possession. And with the Ragin’ Cajuns threatening to turn a 10-point advantage into an even larger halftime deficit, Charlotte appeared in danger of letting the game get away.

Then the defense provided the spark the offense had been unable to find.

Jaylon Johnson scooped up a Louisiana fumble and raced 54 yards for a touchdown with 24 seconds remaining in the second quarter. Suddenly, a game that felt as though it could have been 17-0 at halftime was 10-7.

Jerry Richardson Stadium came alive. Charlotte’s sideline erupted, with players jumping in celebration. After spending much of the half searching for anything positive offensively, the 49ers headed to the locker room with momentum and a legitimate opportunity to reset.

It didn't last.

Louisiana scored 24 unanswered points after halftime and pulled away for a 34-7 victory Saturday night, dropping Charlotte to 0-4 while improving to 3-1.

The final margin was decisive, but Charlotte’s larger problem was an offense that simply could not stay on the field.

The 49ers managed only 137 total yards and six first downs. They rushed for just 26 yards on 15 attempts and converted only one of 11 third downs. Charlotte also went 0-for-2 on fourth down and lost all three of its fumbles.

Those struggles repeatedly sent the defense back onto the field. Louisiana ran 78 plays compared with Charlotte’s 45 and possessed the football for 40:53, more than twice Charlotte’s 19:07.

For much of the first half, Charlotte’s defense kept that imbalance from becoming an insurmountable deficit.

Louisiana settled for a 29-yard Tony Sterner field goal in the first quarter before Lunch Winfield connected with Sheldon Blanco for a three-yard touchdown in the second. Johnson’s scoop-and-score then gave Charlotte life just before halftime.

But the 49ers needed their offense to build upon it.

Instead, Louisiana reasserted control.

The Ragin’ Cajuns marched 83 yards on 10 plays on their first possession of the third quarter, with JJ Garner scoring on a seven-yard run to make it 17-7. Sterner added a 44-yard field goal early in the fourth before Winfield and Anthony Reagan added rushing touchdowns to turn what had been a three-point halftime game into a rout.

Charlotte never found an offensive touchdown.

Cole Gonzales completed 9 of 16 passes for 68 yards with an interception. Conner Harrell later completed 8 of 13 for 43 yards, while Jaylen White also saw action as Charlotte searched for a spark with the game slipping away.

The running game provided little help. Henry Rutledge led Charlotte with just 14 rushing yards, and no 49er carried for more than eight yards on a single attempt.

By the fourth quarter, frustration had become audible inside Jerry Richardson Stadium. A vocal group of fans expressed displeasure with conservative play-calling as another Charlotte possession failed to produce the offensive breakthrough the 49ers had spent the night searching for.

That frustration reflected the story of the game.

Charlotte’s defense gave the 49ers an opportunity. Johnson’s touchdown gave them momentum. At halftime, despite almost everything that had gone wrong, they were still within three points.

But an offense unable to sustain drives eventually left the defense with too much to overcome.

The opportunity was there.

Charlotte simply could not stay on the field long enough to take it.

BUIES CREEK – Campbell’s fast start has carried the football program into new territory: a national ranking for the first time in its modern history.

The Fighting Camels entered the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 at No. 22 on Monday after a 42-14 victory over North Carolina A&T. Campbell also received votes in the AFCA coaches poll, placing just outside that ranking’s top 25.

Campbell is 3-1 overall and 1-0 in the Coastal Athletic Association, its best start since 2019. The Camels are unbeaten against FCS opponents and, with the win over A&T, captured their first CAA opener since joining the league in 2023. The surge follows a 2-10 season in 2025, when Campbell finished 2-6 in conference play.

The ranking followed Campbell’s most complete performance of the season. Quarterback Kamden Sixkiller completed 23 of 25 passes for 341 yards and four touchdowns, a 92% completion rate that the CAA said was the best in the FCS this season. He shared the league’s Offensive Player of the Week honor, his second CAA weekly offensive award of the season. Running back JJ Cowan produced 185 yards from scrimmage and three scores, and wide receiver Jyron Waiters added seven catches for 155 yards and two touchdowns as the Camels rolled up 574 yards of offense.

Photo Credit: Campbell Sports Media

Campbell opened the season with a 49-37 road win at ETSU and followed with a 28-19 home victory over then-No. 24 Western Carolina. The Camels have surpassed 500 yards of offense in each of their wins, and Sixkiller has thrown for at least 330 yards against all three FCS opponents. A loss at Florida is Campbell’s only setback through four games, but the wins were enough to lift the program into the national poll in the 19th season of its modern era.

The Camels return to CAA play at Hampton on Saturday, Sept. 26. They visit North Carolina Central on Oct. 3 before returning to Barker-Lane Stadium to face Towson in the Oct. 17 homecoming game.