Kickoff for NC State vs. Western Carolina delayed due to inclement weather

Kickoff for Thursday’s NC State vs. Western Carolina game has been delayed to 7:32 p.m. ET, the program announced. Inclement weather moved into the area and meant fans had to leave the stadium due to lightning.

Shortly before 6 p.m. ET, lightning struck within eight miles of Carter-Finley Stadium, according to The Wolfpacker’s Ethan McDowell. That meant fans had to leave the stands, and the game will also be delayed at least 32 minutes as a result.

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Grayson McCall will make his NC State debut Thursday night after transferring from Coastal Carolina, highlighting a new era in Raleigh. The Wolfpack went 9-4 a season ago with Brennan Armstrong and MJ Morris under center, and it will now be McCall’s show.

An update on today's pregame festivities: There was a lightning strike within 8 miles of the stadium, so fans are exiting Carter-Finley Stadium now.

65 minutes until kickoff, so it's possible the game could be delayed.

Pregame updates: https://t.co/uyv1SjTeSW pic.twitter.com/8v9AqPGeZs

— Ethan McDowell (@ethanmmcdowell) August 29, 2024

As for what his new quarterback brings to the offense, Dave Doeren pointed out the amount of experience McCall has over four full seasons at Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers were among the best teams in the Sun Belt during that time, and he’ll try to have the same success at NC State.

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“He’s a winner,” Doeren said at ACC Media Days. “He’s won multiple, multiple championships. Player of the year three times. 10,000-yard passer. He’s also a local guy that didn’t get recruited by the ACC coming out of high school. So, this is a year for him to show what kind of player he is.”

McCall spent five total seasons with Coastal Carolina, but took a redshirt as a true freshman. All told, he threw for 10,005 yards and 88 touchdowns. Now, he’ll play with a chip on his shoulder, Doeren said.

“Right away. the conversation – ‘Coach I want to come home and show the rest of the schools that they missed.’ Just how he goes about his work. The thing that you notice is he’s ready for practice. When he steps on the field, he’s ready,” Doeren said.

“When you get into scrimmages and move the ball situations, there’s another thing that happens and he really understands how to compete and raise his level of play. When you watch his career, some of his best games were in the biggest games. He’s done that a lot.”