No. 13 NC State survives last-second upset bid by East Carolina in season opener

GREENVILLE, N.C. — East Carolina's Owen Daffer missed a 41-yard field goal wide right with nine seconds remaining in the fourth quarter as No. 13 North Carolina State survived for a 21-20 win Saturday.

Daffer previously missed an extra point that would've tied the score at 21 and could not come up with the winning kick.

The Wolfpack led by 14 points at halftime, had two goal-line chances denied in the second half but held on for the season-opening win.

Despite taking a 21-7 lead at halftime behind two offensive scores and a blocked punt in the end zone, NC State struggled to move the ball in the second half behind preseason ACC player of the year quarterback Devin Leary.

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ECU orchestrated a 12-play, 79-yard drive, ending in a 1-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Holton Ahlers to tight end Shane Calhoun, to cut the lead to 21-14 with 5:17 left in the third quarter.

The Wolfpack wasted two chances to score in the fourth quarter: Jordan Houston fumbled on the goal line and ECU denied four straight running plays from Demie Sumo-Karngbaye on the subsequent possession.

Devin Leary, who threw five interceptions all of last year, threw his first pick of the season with under five minutes remaining, putting ECU in scoring position.

Payton Wilson injury

The ever-present injury bug hit NC State in the first game of the year with linebacker Payton Wilson leaving the game in the first quarter after suffering an upper-body injury.

Wilson missed all but two games last season after suffering a shoulder injury that required season-ending surgery. He had 108 tackles, 3.5 sacks and two interceptions in 2020 but has struggled to stay on the field.

He returned to the sideline in the second half wearing street clothes.

Tight end Trent Pennix also left the game after a hit on the first possession in the third quarter with a left wrist injury.

Touchdown milestone for Thayer Thomas

Thomas' first-quarter touchdown, a 12-yard connection with Leary that tied the score at 7-7, moved the senior into a second-place tie for the most career touchdowns in program history.

Thomas tied Jerricho Cotchery with 21 touchdowns. Torry Holt holds the record with 31.

Thomas finished with a team-high four catches for 58 yards, including a 14-yard reception on 3rd and 14 during a pivotal third-quarter drive.

David Thompson is an award-winning reporter for the USA Today Network covering NC State and Duke athletics. He can be reached at dthompson1@gannett.com or on Twitter at @daveth89.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: NC State survives upset bid after East Carolina misses field goal