SportsDirect Inc. staff
Sep 20, 2014
North Carolina State 42, Presbyterian 0: Jacoby Brissett threw for 195 yards and three touchdowns as the host Wolfpack overcame a wobbly start before pulling away from the Blue Hose.
Matt Dayes rushed for 86 yards and a touchdown and caught four passes for 44 yards and another score as North Carolina State (4-0) won its first four games for the first time since 2010. Shadrach Thornton ran for 54 yards and a score as the Wolfpack amassed 265 rushing yards on 31 carries.
Heys McMath finished 14-of-25 for 130 yards for Presbyterian (2-2), which trailed 21-0 at the half despite controlling the ball for over 20 minutes. Darrell Bridges led the ground game with 72 yards on 17 carries.
North Carolina State was clinging to a 7-0 lead until Brissett connected with Marquez Valdes-Scantling on an 18-yard scoring strike with 1:58 left in the first half. The Wolfpack recovered a fumble on the ensuing possession and needed one play to cash in on Brissett's 27-yard scoring pass to Dayes to make it 21-0.
A pair of big plays in the third quarter turned it into a rout. Brissett and Bryan Underwood hooked up on a 65-yard scoring pass on the first play of the second half before Dayes broke loose for a 68-yard TD run nine minutes later for a 35-0 cushion.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Dayes has registered at least 100 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown in each of the first four games to help the Wolfpack roll up at least 40 points in three straight games in one season for the first time in school history. ... The Blue Hose have dropped three straight to ACC opponents by a combined 132-10. ... North Carolina State allowed 252 total yards in posting its first shutout since blanking rival North Carolina 13-0 on Nov. 5, 2011.