NC State survives Appalachian State comeback, wins 41–31

NC State looked comfortable with a 28–7 lead late in the first half Saturday. Appalachian State erased it, tying the game at 31 in the fourth quarter, before Jayden Scott’s 16-yard touchdown run sent the Wolfpack back in front. NC State held on 41–31 in Raleigh, a game whose final margin hides how close the comeback came to being complete. The ESPN final summary shows Scott rushing for 148 yards and two touchdowns.

The Wolfpack began with an efficient offensive stretch. Quarterback CJ Bailey scored on a 5-yard run, Scott added a 9-yard touchdown, and Bailey threw second-quarter scoring passes to Ashton Locklear and Keenan Jackson. Jackson’s 17-yard catch gave NC State a three-touchdown advantage. Appalachian State got a Malachi Singleton rushing score and a James London field goal before halftime, then kept pressing after the break.

Jaquari Lewis’ 2-yard run moved the Mountaineers closer in the third quarter. After a Kanoah Vinesett field goal for NC State, Singleton threw two fourth-quarter touchdowns, first to Sam Pickett III from 18 yards and then to Gavin Barber from nine. The second reception made it 31–31 with 9:41 remaining. Appalachian State had recovered an onside kick during the surge, giving its comeback a possession the Wolfpack had not planned to concede.

Scott’s decisive run came with 5:08 left. NC State’s response was built on the ground: after a Bailey completion to Jackson, the Wolfpack kept feeding Scott and Davion Gause until Scott reached the edge for the go-ahead touchdown. Jackson Vick then broke up a fourth-down pass, and Vinesett added a 35-yard field goal. The ESPN scoring and play summary records the sequence that turned a tie into a two-possession margin.

Appalachian State still moved the ball, particularly through Singleton, who threw for 317 yards and two touchdowns. Its rushing game was less productive: the Mountaineers gained 62 yards on 22 carries, while NC State finished with 459 total yards to App State’s 379. Those team totals help explain why NC State could return to its running game when it most needed a long, physical drive.

The result brings NC State to 2–2 and drops previously unbeaten Appalachian State to 3–1. NC State entered after a painful late loss at Vanderbilt, which its official game report documented. Saturday offered another late stress test. This time the Wolfpack produced the closing touchdown and defensive stop instead of letting the final minute decide against it.