CLEMSON, SC – North Carolina appeared to be on the verge of delivering the decisive blow.

Instead, the game changed completely after a lengthy fourth-quarter stoppage.

The Tar Heels led Clemson 17-15 and had driven to the Tigers' 7-yard line when officials halted play with 8:11 remaining Saturday at Memorial Stadium. When the game resumed, North Carolina managed only a field goal, and Clemson answered with two late touchdowns to rally for a 28-20 victory.

The comeback completed a dramatic reversal for a Clemson team that had trailed 17-3 in the second quarter.

North Carolina controlled the opening half, using a productive rushing attack and a defense that repeatedly frustrated the Tigers. Clemson slowly chipped away at the deficit, however, pulling within two before the stoppage and then taking control down the stretch.

The official game file lists the contest as lasting 5 hours, 48 minutes, with 78,332 in attendance at Memorial Stadium.

North Carolina finished with 349 total yards, including 214 rushing, while Clemson amassed 401 yards. The Tigers produced 186 yards on the ground and 215 through the air. 

Tar Heels strike first

North Carolina set the tone early.

After forcing Clemson to punt on its opening possession, the Tar Heels went 47 yards in six plays, with Demon June scoring on a 3-yard run to give UNC a 7-0 lead with 10:50 remaining in the first quarter.

Clemson answered with a 49-yard Nolan Hauser field goal, but North Carolina responded again.

Billy Edwards Jr. found Benjamin Hall for a 15-yard touchdown to cap a 10-play, 75-yard drive, pushing the lead to 14-3 late in the opening quarter.

Aeron Burrell added a 33-yard field goal midway through the second, giving North Carolina a 17-3 advantage.

The Tar Heels also had an opportunity to make the margin even larger. Burrell missed a 47-yard field goal at the end of the first quarter, while Clemson spent much of the first half struggling to finish drives.

The Tigers finally mounted a sustained response just before halftime.

Clemson marched 88 yards in 18 plays, but North Carolina's defense held inside the 5-yard line. Hauser kicked a 21-yard field goal as time expired, cutting the margin to 17-6.

Clemson claws back

The second half quickly became a different game.

North Carolina turned the ball over on consecutive possessions early in the third quarter.

First, Clemson quarterback Tait Reynolds was intercepted by Gregory Smith III near the North Carolina goal line, but the Tar Heels immediately gave the ball back when June fumbled on the ensuing play.

Clemson converted that opportunity into another Hauser field goal, trimming the deficit to 17-9.

The Tigers then put together their best drive of the game to that point.

Starting at their own 8-yard line, Clemson went 92 yards in seven plays. Reynolds connected with Christian Bentancur for a 27-yard touchdown with 4:21 remaining in the third quarter.

The score made it 17-15.

Clemson had scored 12 unanswered points.

North Carolina, though, responded.

The Tar Heels put together a methodical fourth-quarter drive and reached the Clemson 7-yard line with 8:11 remaining.

Then everything stopped.

With UNC still leading 17-15 and in position to extend the margin, officials halted play. The stoppage came at perhaps the most consequential moment of the afternoon: Clemson had seized the momentum, but North Carolina had finally answered with a drive of its own and had a chance to make it a two-score game.

When play eventually resumed, Clemson's defense prevented a touchdown.

Burrell kicked a 22-yard field goal with 6:34 remaining, capping a 12-play, 60-yard drive and giving North Carolina a 20-15 lead.

That would be the Tar Heels' final score.

Clemson takes over late

Clemson needed only 85 seconds to respond.

Gideon Davidson powered the Tigers down the field and scored on an 8-yard run with 5:01 remaining, giving Clemson its first lead of the afternoon, 21-20.

Davidson finished with 105 yards on 16 carries, including a 45-yard run, while Reynolds completed 20 of 29 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown. 

North Carolina could not answer.

Clemson then put the game away with one final explosive play.

Facing third-and-10 from the North Carolina 34 with just over a minute remaining, Tyler Brown broke free for a 34-yard touchdown run. Hauser's extra point made it 28-20 with exactly one minute left.

What had been a 20-15 North Carolina lead with fewer than seven minutes remaining had become an eight-point Clemson advantage.

North Carolina's ground game carries the offense

The loss overshadowed a strong performance by North Carolina running back Benjamin Hall.

Hall rushed for 130 yards on 18 carries, averaging more than seven yards per attempt. He also caught the Tar Heels' only touchdown pass, a 15-yard reception from Edwards in the first quarter.

June added 57 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries, while North Carolina collectively ran for 214 yards on 39 attempts.

The passing game was much less effective.

Edwards completed 13 of 30 passes for 135 yards, one touchdown and one interception, while taking three sacks. Jordan Shipp led UNC with six catches for 68 yards. 

Clemson was more balanced.

Bryant Wesco Jr. finished with five receptions for 77 yards, while Bentancur caught two passes for 35 yards and the third-quarter touchdown. 

The Tigers also got nine points from Hauser, who made all three of his field-goal attempts, including kicks from 49, 21 and 22 yards.

For North Carolina, the result will be defined by the opportunity that slipped away.

The Tar Heels led by 14 in the first half. They still led by two entering the final stages. And when play stopped with 8:11 remaining, they were seven yards away from potentially putting Clemson in a much deeper hole.

Instead, UNC settled for three.

Clemson answered with 13.

And by the time the marathon afternoon finally ended, a game North Carolina had controlled for most of the day belonged to the Tigers.

WINSTON-SALEM – Wake Forest introduced the “Rushing Deacon” to the world Friday morning, a new football-specific take on its familiar mascot meant to celebrate the program’s history while giving Demon Deacon fans something new to rally around.

By Friday night, Wake Forest could have used some of that rush.

No. 5 Miami controlled much of the first half behind a nearly flawless performance from quarterback Darian Mensah, built a 24-7 halftime lead and held off a second-half Wake Forest push for a 33-20 victory before a sold-out crowd of 32,147 at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium.

The final margin, though, does not entirely capture the difference between the Wake Forest team that went to the locker room and the one that came back out.

“We didn’t give them enough to cheer about until midway through the third quarter,” Wake Forest coach Jake Dickert said. “I’m proud of our guys. They refused to die. They did what I think good teams do; they kept playing, they kept fighting, they kept believing.”

For a while, Miami gave Wake Forest precious little opportunity to do any of those things.

Mensah completed all 20 of his passes in the first half and extended his streak to 24 consecutive completions before finally throwing incomplete. He finished 30-of-34 for 220 yards and three touchdowns, completing 88.2 percent of his passes. Miami did not turn the ball over.

It was an exercise in efficiency more than explosiveness.

Miami struck first when Mensah found JoJo Moore for a nine-yard touchdown with 7:20 remaining in the opening quarter. Wake Forest answered, putting together an 11-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Gio Lopez finding Keshawn Johnson for a 10-yard score.

For a moment, with 1:22 left in the first quarter, it was 7-7 and the packed stadium had exactly the kind of game it came to see.

Then Miami took control.

Mensah connected with Elija Lofton for a 21-yard touchdown early in the second quarter, and Mark Fletcher Jr. added a 17-yard scoring run less than five minutes later. Carter Weinberg’s 27-yard field goal on the final play of the half sent the Hurricanes to the locker room leading 24-7.

The numbers behind that halftime score were just as striking. Miami possessed the ball for 10:46 of the second quarter compared with only 4:14 for Wake Forest, and the Demon Deacons endured a stretch of four consecutive three-and-outs.

Miami stretched the lead to 31-7 when Mensah found Malachi Toney for a two-yard touchdown with 8:56 remaining in the third quarter.

At that point, the game appeared headed toward a rout.

Wake Forest refused to let it become one.

Deacons finally find a spark

Lopez and the Wake Forest offense began finding room against a Miami defense that had controlled the game.

A 10-play, 75-yard drive ended with Lopez finding redshirt freshman Jack Foley for a 23-yard touchdown with 4:06 left in the third quarter. The two-point conversion failed, but the Deacons had life.

Then came the play that gave a sold-out Allegacy Stadium reason to believe.

Early in the fourth quarter, Lopez hit Foley for 49 yards, Wake Forest’s longest play of the night. Two plays later, he found Carlos Hernandez for a 17-yard touchdown.

Suddenly, a game Miami had led 31-7 was 31-20 with 14:56 still to play.

“What changed in the third quarter?” Dickert said afterward. “Because the defensive calls didn’t change, the offensive calls didn’t change. Our execution and our tackling in space and some other fundamental things we did better.”

The comeback never got closer.

Miami’s defense closed the door, and the Hurricanes added an unusual final two points when Wake Forest conceded a safety with 13:11 remaining, producing the 33-20 final.

Wake Forest actually finished with more passing yards than Miami, 312-220, and was not far behind in total offense, 378-334 in Miami’s favor. But the difference on the ground was considerable: the Hurricanes rushed for 158 yards while holding Wake Forest to just 22. Miami also possessed the football for 33:24.

The Deacons also hurt themselves with 13 penalties for 137 yards, compared with seven penalties for 75 yards for Miami. Several came at particularly damaging moments on special teams.

“Obviously penalties were a big deal, especially on special teams,” Dickert said. “We had some fields flipped, some momentum surged, and obviously those were taken away in those kinds of deals.”

Lopez produces despite little running game

With Wake Forest unable to establish much on the ground, much of the offensive burden fell on Lopez.

He responded by completing 29 of 46 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. Through his first three games as a Demon Deacon, Lopez has now thrown for 887 yards with seven touchdowns and one interception while completing 62.9 percent of his passes.

His biggest target Friday was Foley.

The redshirt freshman entered the night without a performance remotely like this one and left with career highs of six receptions and 118 yards, including the 23-yard touchdown and 49-yard fourth-quarter reception.

Hernandez remained Lopez’s most frequent target, catching 10 passes for 69 yards and the fourth-quarter touchdown. Lopez completed passes to 11 different receivers.

Miami countered with Toney, who caught all 12 passes thrown his way for 114 yards and a touchdown. Fletcher supplied the balance on the ground with 85 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.

A new Deacon, and a different kind of night in Winston-Salem

The result spoiled what was otherwise a notable night for Wake Forest football.

Hours before kickoff, the university unveiled its new Rushing Deacon, a football-themed Demon Deacon caricature designed for apparel, headwear and other football merchandise. It follows the golf-themed “Swinging Deacon” introduced earlier this year and is part of a broader effort to create sport-specific Wake Forest artwork.

The logo itself will not win football games, of course. But its debut fit the larger scene Friday night.

This was Wake Forest’s first home game against Miami since 2009, and the Deacons played it in front of a sellout crowd.

Dickert noticed.

“Our game day atmosphere was the best since I’ve been here,” he said. “I appreciate everyone sticking it out.”

That crowd watched Wake Forest fall behind by 24 points against the nation’s fifth-ranked team. It also watched the Deacons score twice in less than five minutes of game time and give themselves opportunities to make things uncomfortable in the fourth quarter.

There are no points in the standings for that.

Dickert wasn’t interested in pretending otherwise.

“We don’t celebrate losses around here,” he said. “We have to get our learns, and we have to be a better football team next week.”

For Wake Forest, that might be the lasting takeaway from Friday night.

The Rushing Deacon is new. The energy surrounding the program felt different. And for a stretch in the second half against one of the nation’s highest-ranked teams, Wake Forest showed what it wants the football attached to that new logo to look like.

But Miami also provided a reminder of how small the margin becomes against the country’s best teams.

The Deacons eventually found theirs.

They just found it too late.

GREENSBORO – Guilford College football endured two lightning delays, heavy rain and nearly five hours of action Saturday night before holding off Methodist University 20-17 at Appenzeller Field at the Armfield Athletic Center.

The victory moved Guilford to 1-1 on the season and gave the Quakers their fourth straight win over Methodist and 10th victory in the last 11 meetings between the programs. Methodist fell to 0-2.

The game featured 711 yards of total offense, with Guilford holding a narrow 368-343 advantage. The Quakers did most of their damage on the ground, rushing for 226 yards compared with 118 for Methodist. The Monarchs had the advantage through the air, 225-142, while Methodist won the turnover battle 2-1.

Guilford's biggest plays came from its running game and helped make the difference.

Evan Sullivan led all rushers with 103 yards on 11 carries, including a 72-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Maurice Andrews added 55 yards and a 37-yard touchdown on 11 carries, while Malik Woodard rushed five times for 41 yards.

The 72-yard run was Guilford's second touchdown of at least 70 yards. Earlier in the game, quarterback Tristan Gabrels connected with Shane Shapiro on Guilford's first offensive play. Shapiro broke through the Methodist defense and raced 80 yards for a touchdown.

Shapiro finished with three receptions for 96 yards, leading all receivers. Gabrels completed 11 of 24 passes for 142 yards and a touchdown, but Methodist intercepted him twice.

Methodist quarterback Asa Windham completed 13 of 29 passes for 225 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. It was a career-high in passing yards for Windham and his first multi-touchdown game as a Monarch.

Chris Clark led Methodist on the ground with 96 yards on 20 carries. Juels Huntley added 47 yards on five carries. Colin Fay led Methodist's receivers with 58 yards, while Tanner Zill and Toby Cates Jr. each recorded a touchdown reception.

Methodist moved the ball on its opening possession. Clark picked up a first down before Windham connected with Fay for a 44-yard completion that moved the Monarchs to the Guilford 17-yard line. The drive stalled, however, and Ethan Emery's 35-yard field goal attempt went wide right.

Guilford answered immediately.

On the Quakers' first offensive play, Gabrels found Shapiro on a short completion. Shapiro broke multiple tackles and turned the catch into an 80-yard touchdown, putting Guilford ahead 7-0.

After the teams traded punts, Methodist responded with its first touchdown of the season. Windham found Zill for a 45-yard touchdown, tying the game at 7-7 late in the opening quarter.

Guilford regained the lead on the opening play of the second quarter. Andrews took the handoff and raced 37 yards for a touchdown, putting the Quakers ahead 14-7.

Methodist's defense answered with points of its own. Michael Morrison and Carlos Mendez combined to bring down a Guilford ball carrier in the end zone for a safety, cutting the Quakers' lead to 14-9.

The score remained unchanged through halftime.

The second half became increasingly difficult to navigate as lightning and heavy rain repeatedly interrupted the game.

Guilford moved deep into Methodist territory on a third-quarter drive, reaching the Methodist 5-yard line before Gabrels was intercepted by Anthony Smith on a tipped pass. The interception came just before the first lightning delay, which lasted 49 minutes.

When play resumed, heavy rain moved into the area. Neither team scored during the remainder of the third quarter as the conditions and repeated stoppages disrupted both offenses.

Guilford's defense continued to create pressure against Windham. The Quakers recorded seven sacks, tying for the seventh-most in program history.

Owen Whelan led Guilford with 13 tackles, including a sack and two tackles for loss. Garrett Wilson recorded 10 tackles and 1.5 sacks, while Simeon Reid added two sacks and three tackles for loss. Ben Finkelstein had eight tackles and intercepted Windham for the second straight week.

Methodist's Wesley Folsom led all Monarch defenders with 10 tackles, including six solo stops. Smith and Bryan Graham each recorded an interception, with both players picking up their first collegiate interceptions.

After Methodist was forced to punt early in the fourth quarter, Guilford needed just one play to extend its lead.

Sullivan broke through the middle of the Methodist defense and raced 72 yards for a touchdown. Methodist blocked the ensuing extra point, leaving the Quakers ahead 20-9.

The Monarchs were unable to answer immediately, and another defensive stop by Guilford led to the game's second lightning delay. The second stoppage lasted about an hour.

When play resumed, Guilford again threatened to add to its lead, but Gabrels was intercepted by Bryan Graham in the end zone.

Methodist finally found its opening late in the fourth quarter.

The Monarchs put together a 91-yard, 10-play drive, with Windham connecting with Phernete Workman for 17 yards and Tyrone Atkinson Jr. for 31 yards to move the ball into Guilford territory.

Three plays later, Windham found Cates Jr. for a 28-yard touchdown with 1:12 remaining. Methodist went for two, and Atkinson Jr. made the catch to cut Guilford's lead to 20-17.

Methodist attempted an onside kick, but Guilford recovered.

The Quakers could not pick up a first down, giving Methodist one final opportunity. The Monarchs took possession with six seconds remaining and attempted to keep the game alive with laterals, but the final play ended before Methodist could move into field-goal range.

Guilford escaped with the 20-17 victory. 

WINSTON-SALEM – Johnson C. Smith continued its recent control of the rivalry Saturday, defeating Winston-Salem State 31-6 at Bowman-Gray Stadium.

The Golden Bulls scored in each of the final three quarters and pulled away with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to earn their fourth straight win over the Rams.

The victory also marked another turn in a series that had been controlled by Winston-Salem State for more than a decade. WSSU had won each meeting from 2010 through 2022, with the exception of 2020, when the teams did not play. Johnson C. Smith has now won the last four meetings.

The Golden Bulls improved to 2-1 overall and 1-0 in conference play. Winston-Salem State fell to 0-3 and 0-1.

Neither team found the end zone during a scoreless first quarter, but Johnson C. Smith controlled much of the action on the ground. The Golden Bulls finished with 257 rushing yards on 41 attempts, averaging 6.3 yards per carry.

Fabian Duncan led the way with 164 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. Kamarro Edmonds added 72 yards on 10 attempts, giving Johnson C. Smith a consistent running game throughout the afternoon.

The Golden Bulls finally broke through early in the second quarter.

After driving 55 yards on 14 plays, Johnson C. Smith settled for a 15-yard field goal from Alexis Rosario-Beltran with 13:49 remaining in the half. The kick gave the Golden Bulls a 3-0 lead.

Winston-Salem State struggled to generate offense and was unable to answer.

The Rams had one of their better opportunities later in the second quarter when Johnson C. Smith's Fabian Duncan fumbled at the Winston-Salem State 18-yard line. Sofiyan Oumarou recovered for the Rams, but WSSU managed only three plays before punting.

Johnson C. Smith took advantage of another opportunity on its next possession.

Starting at the Winston-Salem State 47-yard line, the Golden Bulls moved into scoring position behind Duncan's running. A 31-yard touchdown pass from Damien Mazil to Brian Lane with 3:44 left in the second quarter extended the lead to 10-0.

Lane finished with two receptions for 101 yards and two touchdowns. His second catch produced the biggest play of the afternoon.

Winston-Salem State entered halftime trailing 10-0, and the Rams continued to have trouble moving the ball after the break.

WSSU managed only 191 total yards for the game, including 103 rushing yards and 88 passing yards. The Rams completed 12 of 24 passes and threw one interception.

Johnson C. Smith added to its lead in the third quarter.

After a Winston-Salem State drive ended with an interception by Jamaris Stevens, the Golden Bulls needed only two plays to reach the end zone. Duncan broke loose for a 14-yard touchdown run with 4:11 remaining in the quarter, putting Johnson C. Smith ahead 17-0.

Stevens made one of the key defensive plays of the game when he intercepted Winston-Salem State quarterback Deiondre Goldston and returned the ball 57 yards to the Rams' 33-yard line.

The Golden Bulls could not turn that possession into points, but their defense continued to limit Winston-Salem State's opportunities.

Johnson C. Smith entered the fourth quarter with a 17-0 advantage and quickly made it a four-score game.

With 11:59 remaining, Mazil connected with Lane for a 70-yard touchdown. The play took just one snap and pushed the Golden Bulls' lead to 24-0.

Mazil completed 12 of 27 passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns without throwing an interception. Johnson C. Smith finished with 468 yards of total offense, compared with 191 for Winston-Salem State.

The Rams finally broke through on their next possession.

Winston-Salem State put together its longest scoring drive of the game, moving 89 yards on 14 plays. Jayvion Danzy finished the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run with 4:30 remaining.

Danzy was the Rams' leading rusher, carrying 16 times for 63 yards and the touchdown. Winston-Salem State's offense, however, could not produce another score after cutting the deficit to 24-6.

Johnson C. Smith answered with another long scoring drive.

The Golden Bulls took over at the Winston-Salem State 50-yard line following the onside kickoff and moved 50 yards in six plays. Parker McQuarrie completed a 17-yard pass to Reggie Brigman to help set up the final score.

Christian Rutledge then finished the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run with 2:45 remaining. Rosario-Beltran added the extra point to make it 31-6.

Johnson C. Smith finished with 24 first downs and averaged 6.7 yards per play. The Golden Bulls also held a significant advantage in rushing production, gaining 257 yards compared with 103 for Winston-Salem State.

The Rams did hold a slight advantage in time of possession, 31:54 to 28:06, but Johnson C. Smith made more of its offensive opportunities. The Golden Bulls converted six of 12 third downs and scored three touchdowns and one field goal in five trips to the red zone.

For Winston-Salem State, the loss extends a difficult start to the season. The Rams are now 0-3 after opening the CIAA season against Johnson C. Smith, while the Golden Bulls move further into conference play with momentum and another win in one of the state's longstanding HBCU rivalries.

More importantly for Johnson C. Smith, Saturday's result extends a streak that has changed the recent direction of the series.

Winston-Salem State had owned the rivalry throughout the 2010s and into the early 2020s, winning every meeting from 2010 through 2022 except for the canceled 2020 matchup. Johnson C. Smith has now answered with four consecutive victories.

The latest one was never particularly close after halftime. The Golden Bulls used their running game, two touchdown connections between Mazil and Lane, and a defense that created turnovers to build a 31-0 lead before Winston-Salem State finally got on the scoreboard.

Johnson C. Smith now has another win to add to its recent run in the series, while Winston-Salem State will look to regroup at 0-3.

DURHAM – NC Central held off a late North Carolina A&T comeback attempt Saturday, defeating the Aggies 30-22 in the latest chapter of the Aggie-Eagle Classic at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium in Durham.

The Eagles controlled much of the game behind a powerful rushing attack and a big performance from running back Plez Lawrence, who rushed for 210 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries. Lawrence broke loose for a 73-yard touchdown in the second quarter and added two other rushing scores as NC Central built a 30-14 advantage through three quarters.

North Carolina A&T, however, refused to go quietly.

The Aggies scored with 4:20 remaining in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to eight points and then got the ball back with 2:01 left. Kevin White moved the offense deep into NC Central territory, but the Eagles defense came up with the final play it needed when Jakarri Martin II intercepted White with five seconds remaining.

The victory moved NC Central to 2-1 on the season, while North Carolina A&T fell to 0-3.

NC Central established control early.

After North Carolina A&T deferred the opening kickoff, the Eagles put together a 75-yard touchdown drive on their first possession. Nelson Layne connected with Mehki Wall for a 27-yard touchdown with 10:34 remaining in the first quarter. Riley Daniels added the extra point to give NC Central a 7-0 lead.

The Eagles added to the lead later in the quarter when Daniels converted a 37-yard field goal with 5:04 remaining, making it 10-0.

Lawrence then became the centerpiece of the NC Central offense.

After North Carolina A&T turned the ball over on a fumble in the second quarter, the Eagles needed only two plays to reach the end zone. Lawrence finished the short drive with a 14-yard touchdown run, although Daniels missed the extra point. NC Central led 16-0 with seven minutes remaining in the first half.

North Carolina A&T finally found its offense on the next possession.

White connected with Elijah Kennedy for a 51-yard touchdown with 4:33 left in the second quarter. Kennedy got behind the defense for the long touchdown, and Asher Holland converted the extra point to bring the Aggies within 16-7.

NC Central answered immediately.

The Eagles started their next possession at their own 21-yard line and appeared to have little room to work with. Instead, Lawrence broke through for a 73-yard touchdown run that pushed the lead back to 23-7 with 1:23 remaining before halftime.

North Carolina A&T responded once again.

White found Kennedy for a second touchdown just before halftime, this time on a 2-yard pass with eight seconds remaining. Holland's extra point made the score 23-14 at the break.

The Aggies had momentum going into halftime, but NC Central's defense and Lawrence's running continued to shape the game in the third quarter.

North Carolina A&T fumbled again early in the second half, giving NC Central possession at the Aggies' 45-yard line. The Eagles turned the short field into another touchdown drive, with Lawrence scoring on a 1-yard run with eight minutes remaining in the third quarter.

That touchdown completed Lawrence's three-score afternoon and gave NC Central a 30-14 lead.

North Carolina A&T struggled to sustain drives for much of the third quarter. The Aggies managed only 42 yards of offense in the period and turned the ball over on an interception during one possession.

Still, the game was not finished.

The Aggies opened the fourth quarter by stopping NC Central on fourth down at the North Carolina A&T 36-yard line. The defense gave White and the offense another opportunity, but the Aggies could not immediately turn the turnover on downs into points.

NC Central later reached the North Carolina A&T 36-yard line, but the Eagles also failed to convert on fourth down when Layne's pass fell incomplete.

That gave the Aggies another chance, and North Carolina A&T finally capitalized late in the quarter.

White led a 35-yard drive that began at the NC Central 35-yard line. After converting a fourth-and-2 earlier in the game-winning drive, the Aggies continued moving the ball into the red zone. White eventually found Anthony Rucker for a 6-yard touchdown with 4:20 remaining.

North Carolina A&T then made the decision to go for two, and White completed the conversion pass to Mark Tillman. The successful try cut NC Central's lead to 30-22.

The Eagles could not put the game away on their next possession.

NC Central gained only six yards before punting with 2:01 remaining, giving North Carolina A&T one final opportunity.

White went to work.

The Aggies started at their own 35-yard line and moved across midfield with a series of short completions and scrambles. White converted a third-and-3 with a 3-yard completion to Kennedy, then connected with Rory Jones-Amen-Hetep for six yards and Kennedy for another 14 to move the ball to the NC Central 35-yard line.

White added two scrambles, including a 6-yard run that moved the Aggies to the NC Central 24.

With 20 seconds remaining, White found Jones-Amen-Hetep for 21 yards, taking North Carolina A&T to the Eagles' 3-yard line.

NC Central called timeout with 20 seconds left.

White's next pass fell incomplete. On the following play, a 2-yard completion to Rucker was wiped out by a North Carolina A&T pass interference penalty, moving the Aggies back to the 13-yard line.

That left North Carolina A&T with one final opportunity.

With five seconds remaining, White dropped back and threw toward Michael Carlock-Williams. Eagles defensive back Jakarri Martin II stepped in front of the pass, ending the Aggies' comeback attempt and securing the 30-22 victory for NC Central.

White finished the game 21-of-44 passing for 259 yards and three touchdowns, but he also threw two interceptions. Kennedy was his leading target, finishing with seven catches for 112 yards and two touchdowns. Rory Jones-Amen-Hetep added four catches for 41 yards.

NC Central's offense finished with 369 total yards, including 223 rushing yards. Lawrence accounted for nearly all of the Eagles' rushing production, while Layne completed 13 of 19 passes for 146 yards and one touchdown.

The Eagles also forced three North Carolina A&T turnovers, including two fumbles and two interceptions, while recording two takeaways through the air. The Aggies finished with 361 total yards and 19 first downs but could not overcome the early deficit.

For NC Central, the victory added another memorable result to one of North Carolina's biggest HBCU football rivalries.

For North Carolina A&T, the late rally showed how close the Aggies came to turning the game around. They scored eight points in the fourth quarter and drove 52 yards in the final two minutes, reaching the NC Central 3-yard line before the Eagles defense made the final play.

In the latest Aggie-Eagle Classic, NC Central had the answer when it mattered most.

GREENVILLE – Maybe the warning came before the football was even kicked.

During pregame ceremonies for East Carolina’s home opener Saturday afternoon, the ECU faithful gasped as the head of PeeDee the Pirate fell off.

For the Pirates, things did not get much easier from there.

Appalachian State erased an early deficit, built a 14-point second-half advantage and survived a furious late ECU comeback to leave a sunny Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium with a 27-24 victory.

ECU scored with just 21 seconds remaining to pull within three, but the Pirates could not recover the ensuing onside kick, allowing the Mountaineers to escape Greenville with the win.

The loss came despite ECU outgaining App State 417-384 and finishing with a 22-21 advantage in first downs. The Pirates rushed for 187 yards and passed for 230, but App State controlled the ball for nearly 36 minutes and turned three trips inside the ECU red zone into three touchdowns. 

ECU initially appeared ready to give the home crowd plenty to celebrate.

The Pirates opened the game with a 12-play, 60-yard drive before a missed 33-yard field goal, but their defense quickly gave the offense another opportunity. After forcing an App State punt, ECU marched 83 yards in eight plays, with Michael Allen scoring on a 2-yard run to give the Pirates a 7-0 lead with 4:11 remaining in the opening quarter.

App State responded with James London’s 41-yard field goal in the final minute of the quarter, and from there the afternoon began turning toward the visitors.

The Mountaineers took their first lead just 43 seconds into the second quarter. Quarterback Malachi Singleton finished an 83-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown run, putting App State ahead 10-7. 

App State struck again midway through the quarter when Jamarian Lewis scored on a 10-yard run. ECU managed only a 33-yard Noah Perez field goal before halftime, leaving the Mountaineers with a 17-10 advantage.

The Mountaineers immediately added to it after the break.

App State took the second-half kickoff and drove 80 yards in seven plays, with Treyaun Webb scoring from 13 yards out. The touchdown pushed the lead to 24-10 with 12:12 remaining in the third quarter.

ECU finally found the explosive play it needed less than two minutes later.

Quarterback Mitch Griffis connected with Jacobe Dickerson for a 61-yard touchdown, cutting the deficit to 24-17. But App State answered once again, getting a 37-yard London field goal with 3:57 remaining in the third to restore a two-score advantage at 27-17. 

From there, the game became a test of whether ECU could generate enough offense quickly enough.

The Pirates had opportunities. App State failed to score in the fourth quarter, but ECU’s first two possessions of the period ended in punts. A promising 11-play drive then reached the App State 23 before Griffis was intercepted with 2:16 remaining.

It appeared to be the final blow.

Instead, ECU got one more opportunity.

The Pirates forced another App State punt and took possession at their own 40 with 1:56 remaining. Griffis directed a nine-play, 60-yard drive and found Jonathan Hamilton for a 7-yard touchdown with 21 seconds left.

Perez’s extra point made it 27-24.

ECU’s comeback, however, needed one more possession.

It never came.

App State let the ensuing onside kick go out of bounds and ran out the final seconds, turning away the Pirates’ last attempt to steal back a game that had slipped away during the middle two quarters.

Singleton finished 19 of 27 passing for 255 yards for App State while also scoring on the ground. Lewis led the Mountaineers with 73 rushing yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. App State finished with 129 rushing yards and 255 through the air. 

Griffis completed 21 of 37 passes for 230 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for ECU. He also rushed for 52 yards, while Ashton Gray led the Pirates’ ground game with 99 yards on 16 carries. Ja’Melvin was ECU’s leading receiver with seven catches for 94 yards, while Dickerson’s lone reception produced the 61-yard third-quarter touchdown.

ECU’s defense kept the Pirates alive, holding App State scoreless throughout the fourth quarter. But the Mountaineers had already done enough damage, particularly during a stretch in which they turned a 7-3 deficit into a 24-10 advantage.

The Pirates were also unable to consistently extend drives, converting only two of 12 third downs. App State converted five of 14 and held the ball for 35:50 compared with ECU’s 23:54. The Mountaineers also produced seven points off turnovers, while ECU produced none. 

The atmosphere still had one quintessentially Greenville moment left. As the fourth quarter began, Greenville native Petey Pablo raised ECU’s “No Quarter” flag, bringing the home crowd back to life for one final push.

The Pirates nearly gave them the comeback to go with it.

Instead, App State walked away with a three-point victory on an afternoon when PeeDee’s head hitting the ground before kickoff turned out to be an unfortunately appropriate bit of foreshadowing.

RALEIGH – For nearly 90 minutes Friday night, lightning managed to do something Richmond could not: stop NC State.

Even that proved temporary.

The Wolfpack overwhelmed the Spiders from the opening minutes at Carter-Finley Stadium, weathered a lengthy lightning delay during the second quarter and returned to finish a dominant 73-0 victory Friday night.

NC State amassed 734 yards of total offense while limiting Richmond to just 110, turning a game interrupted by Mother Nature into a showcase for virtually every corner of the Wolfpack roster. NC State rushed for 428 yards, averaged 10.6 yards per offensive play and finished with 31 first downs compared with Richmond's six. 

The rout began quickly.

Davion Gause put the Wolfpack ahead with a 19-yard touchdown run less than four minutes into the game. Just 37 seconds of game time later, Jayden “Duke” Scott broke loose for a 65-yard touchdown, giving NC State a 14-0 advantage.

Scott struck again late in the opening quarter, scoring from seven yards out to make it 21-0.

The Wolfpack needed little time to extend that advantage in the second. Quarterback CJ Bailey capped a five-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown run, pushing NC State's lead to 28-0 with 11:33 remaining.

Then the game stopped.

Lightning in the area forced the teams off the field and sent the game into a delay that stretched for nearly an hour and a half. A night that had begun with NC State scoring four touchdowns in barely more than a quarter suddenly became a waiting game.

When the teams finally returned, however, the interruption had done little to change the direction of the contest.

NC State scored three more touchdowns before the second quarter ended.

Freshman quarterback Will Wilson scored on a 1-yard run with 8:30 remaining. Bailey then connected with Preston Douglas for a 15-yard touchdown with 6:23 to play, and Wilson added another 1-yard scoring run with just 24 seconds remaining.

By the time the second quarter finally ended, the Wolfpack led 49-0. 

After already spending nearly 90 minutes off the field because of the weather, the teams did not head back to the locker rooms for a conventional halftime. Instead, they took only a three-minute break before beginning the third quarter.

The unusual schedule did nothing to slow NC State.

Wilson added his third rushing touchdown of the night early in the third quarter, scoring from five yards out to make it 56-0. He later threw his first touchdown pass, finding Hunter Provience for a 3-yard score with 4:12 remaining in the period.

NC State carried a 63-0 lead into the fourth quarter.

Kanoah Vinesett added a 45-yard field goal with 6:31 remaining before Dylan McCoy provided the final points with a 51-yard touchdown run with 1:49 to play. The score completed a night in which NC State produced eight rushing touchdowns and two through the air. 

Scott led the Wolfpack rushing attack with 128 yards and two touchdowns on only nine carries, averaging 14.2 yards per attempt. McCoy added 73 yards on four carries, while Wilson rushed for 62 yards and three scores.

Bailey did most of his damage through the air, completing 13 of 17 passes for 281 yards and a touchdown. Keenan Jackson was his leading target, catching four passes for 123 yards, including a 54-yard reception. 

The Wolfpack defense was every bit as dominant.

Richmond managed only 34 rushing yards and 76 passing yards, averaged 2.2 yards per play and converted just two of 13 third-down opportunities. The Spiders never reached the red zone and punted nine times. NC State, meanwhile, scored on all eight of its trips inside the Richmond 20. 

Richmond running back Warrick Stephenson accounted for 58 of the Spiders' 34 net rushing yards, while quarterbacks Jack Callaghan and Ashten Snelsire combined to complete eight of 27 passes for 76 yards and an interception. 

The game began at 7:03 p.m. and did not end until 11:51, stretching to an elapsed time of four hours and 47 minutes. An announced crowd of 56,919 watched a contest that included a weather delay, an almost nonexistent halftime and one of the most lopsided performances possible on a football field. 

Lightning may have interrupted NC State's momentum Friday night.

It never took it away.