After slow start, No. 24 NC State pulls away in opener

Grayson McCall threw for 318 yards and three touchdowns as No. 24 North Carolina State held off an upset bid from FCS foe Western Carolina to win 31-21 on Thursday night in Raleigh, N.C.

McCall, the three-time Sun Belt Player of the Year who transferred to NC State (1-0) from Coastal Carolina this offseason, completed 26 of 40 passes and threw one interception in his debut for the Wolfpack. His favorite target was reigning ACC Rookie of the Year Kevin Concepcion, who caught nine passes for 121 yards and all three of McCall's touchdowns.

Jordan Waters, who came to NC State this offseason from rival Duke, paced the Wolfpack's rushing attack with 123 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries.

For Western Carolina (0-1) -- which is now 0-8 all-time against the Wolfpack -- Cole Gonzales threw for 211 yards and two scores while rushing for a team-high 75 yards. Branson Adams accounted for the Catamounts' lone rushing score, a 17-yard scamper in the third quarter that gave Western Carolina a 21-17 lead with 4:36 left in the third quarter.

NC State responded with three unanswered touchdowns in the fourth quarter, however, with McCall finding Concepcion on a 35-yard strike, followed by Waters' pair of scores -- one of them a 50-yard rumble to close out the scoring with 1:50 to play.

The Wolfpack fell behind early due to sloppy all-around play in the first half. NC State fumbled twice (but recovered both times), struggled tackling and running the ball, saw linebacker Caden Fordham ejected for targeting, and had a costly interception thrown by McCall.

With six minutes left in the first quarter, Ken Moore Jr. intercepted a McCall pass and returned it 51 yards to the NC State 8-yard line. Gonzales hit Jake Young for a touchdown on the following play for the game's first score.

The Wolfpack answered with Concepcion's first touchdown, a 17-yard grab, to tie the game. The teams again traded touchdowns on the following two possessions -- each a 75-yard drive. Gonzales found AJ Colombo from 12 yards out to make it 14-7 with 5 seconds left in the first quarter, with Concepcion's 5-yard scoring catch tying it with 12 minutes left in the half.

The game stayed tied at 14-14 through the end of the half.

The second half, however, was all Wolfpack, as NC State tallied 91 more total yards -- 92 on the ground -- and outscored Western Carolina 24-7.

Next up for NC State is No. 15 Tennessee in Charlotte on Sept. 7.

--Field Level Media