Stanford Edges NC State 31-28 as Warren Throws Four TDs

STANFORD, Calif. — NC State made its first visit to Stanford a long night on defense. The Wolfpack fought back from an early two-touchdown hole but could not keep pace with Cardinal quarterback Davis Warren, who threw four touchdown passes in a 31-28 Stanford win Friday night.

Warren passed for 303 yards, and Stanford piled up 477 yards of total offense to NC State’s 381. The ground game did plenty of damage too: Micah Ford ran 22 times for 150 yards, the most any back has gained against the Wolfpack this year, even though every Cardinal touchdown came on a pass.

Stanford scored on its first two drives, on an 8-yard throw to Nico Brown and a 17-yarder to Sedrick Irvin. NC State answered when sophomore Deandre Desinor slipped between two defenders and raced 58 yards for the first touchdown of his career. Will Wilson then tied it 14-14 on a 2-yard run, a play after quarterback CJ Bailey scrambled for 23 yards.

The Cardinal regained control right before the break, covering 90 yards in 1:29 and finishing with a 26-yard catch by Caden High. Stanford opened the third quarter with another long march, and Brown caught his second touchdown, from 5 yards, to make it 28-14.

NC State kept chipping. An 18-play, 86-yard drive that ate more than nine minutes ended with Wilson’s second 2-yard score on the first snap of the fourth quarter. Stanford answered with a 31-yard Emmet Kenney field goal, and Bailey hit Keenan Jackson for a 16-yard touchdown late, but the Wolfpack did not recover the onside kick that followed.

Bailey completed 17 of 30 passes for 256 yards and two scores and led the team with 59 rushing yards. Wilson’s two touchdowns gave him 18 career rushing scores, tying Scott Smith’s 1979 mark for a Wolfpack quarterback. Jackson’s catch was his sixth touchdown, tops on the team, and Desinor finished with 79 receiving yards. Defensive back Ronnie Royal III made 10 tackles, and freshman Elijah Satchell had the only NC State sack.

NC State drops to 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the ACC, while Stanford moves to 4-4 and 2-3. The Wolfpack return to Raleigh to face California in their homecoming game on Saturday, Oct. 31, with a noon kickoff on the ACC Network.

Filed under: Greensboro NC Sports News