What they’re saying after NC State’s win over Western Carolina

By Noah Fleischman

No. 24 NC State opened the 2024 season with a 38-21 win over Western Carolina on Thursday night at Carter-Finley Stadium. While it was not the cleanest of games for the Wolfpack, NC State found a way to pull away from the Catamounts in the fourth quarter.

Here is what those who covered the game are saying about the Pack’s win of the season.

Ethan McDowell, The Wolfpacker — How NC State flipped the fourth quarter script vs. Western Carolina

“NC State flipped the script in the fourth quarter, rewriting the course of a game that kept a nervous energy reverberating through Carter-Finley Stadium. The Wolfpack trailed by four points after 45 minutes and led by 17 by the final whistle — a strong finish from a team that enjoyed very few fireworks early.

Over the first three quarters of the 38-21 win over Western Carolina, NC State threw a costly interception, committed 4 key penalties for 40 yards, gave up 232 yards to an FCS opponent and put itself in a position to potentially lose its season opener for the first time since 2017.

The Pack did not let that happen. NC State relied on its stars and, after resetting during the halftime break, the team kicked off a much-needed rally. Head coach Dave Doeren watched his team come alive in the fourth quarter.

“I was proud of our guys for that,” he said.”

Noah Fleischman, The Wolfpacker — NC State WR Kevin ‘KC’ Concepcion has career-best night in season-opening win

“In his debut season with NC State, wide receiver Kevin “KC” Concepcion turned into the Wolfpack’s key offensive weapon by Week 4. He logged one of the Pack’s best campaigns from a true freshman in program history, and he continued that trend into the 2024 campaign. 

The reigning ACC Rookie of the Year was eager to build off his 71 receptions (program freshman record), 839 yards and 10 touchdowns (program freshman record) going into his sophomore season. And what he showed against Western Carolina in the No. 24 Pack’s 38-31 season-opening win seems like Concepcion is well on his way to accomplishing what he set out to do — take another step in his play. 

Concepcion had 10 targets in the first half alone, quickly becoming graduate quarterback Grayson McCall’s favorite wideout t. Concepcion, who had 80 yards and 2 touchdowns by halftime, finished with 9 catches for 121 yards and a career-best 3 scores against the Catamounts. 

“My mindset is if nobody else is going to do it, then it might as well be me,” said Concepcion, who was On3’s True Freshman of the Year for offense last season. “That’s what helped me, but my teammates also talking to me, giving me confidence throughout the game and me giving them confidence throughout the game.”

Jadyn Watson-Fisher, News & Observer — NC State’s defense ‘woke up’ in fourth quarter to help defeat Western Carolina

“N.C. State entered the season opener knowing Western Carolina could pull off an upset. Linebacker Devon Betty said as much last week. 

“Just because they’re (from) a lower conference, they could still whoop us if they come in here with the right mindset,” Betty said. 

And the Catamounts (0-1) almost did. 

They took a three-point lead into the fourth quarter, before the Wolfpack (1-0) rallied for a 21-point shutout. N.C. State beat its in-state FCS opponent, 38-21, to escape the season opener unscathed. 

“I think we just started off slow,” linebacker Davin Vann said.

Andrew Carter, News & Observer — NC State avoids catastrophe against Western Carolina, but the luster is off the Wolfpack

For all the demon-exorcizing N.C. State has accomplished throughout the past six months — the ACC championship in men’s basketball; the dual appearances in the Final Four(s); the baseball team’s trip to Omaha and the College World Series — its football team did its best Thursday night to restore that long-standing, enduring curse only known as N.C. State … Stuff. 

And you thought it’d go away, just like that? 

Forget, for a moment, that the Wolfpack prevailed with an uncomfortable 38-21 victory against Western Carolina, an FCS opponent of the Southern Conference from up-the-mountain Cullowhee, and remember what it was like at Carter-Finley Stadium entering the fourth quarter. For one thing, the Catamounts were leading, 21-17. 

For another, this place was more mortuary than football stadium, with 50,000 or so red-clad spectators (save a tiny and jubilant sliver of purple on one end) trying to figure out what exactly they were watching. As part of the regular experience here, State went into its usual “into-the-fourth-quarter” light show.

Brian Murphy, WRAL — No blowout, no apologies from NC State after win against Western Carolina

In a season with so much promise — or, at least, potential promise — for No. 24 NC State, the opener against Western Carolina loomed as nothing more than a warm-up, a speed bump en route to grander things.

For three quarters Thursday night, the Catamounts — near 5-touchdown underdogs — presented a much bigger problem for NC State. They were a roadblock, an impediment that needed to be dealt with much more than rolled over.

“We were expecting a blowout,” said NC State star receiver KC Concepcion. “But every single game is not going to be a blowout. We saw things that we have to work on. We saw things that we can fix. We also saw some things that were going good.”

The Wolfpack scored 21 unanswered in the fourth quarter to earn the 38-21 victory at Carter-Finley Stadium.

Rodd Baxley, The Fayetteville Observer — Should NC State football be worried after comeback win vs Western Carolina?

KC Concepcion says the N.C. State football coaches had a message for the Wolfpack in the locker room on Thursday night. 

“We have a whole bunch of work to do. Obviously, we were expecting a blowout, but not every single game is going to be a blowout,” Concepcion said after a 38-21 victory against FCS opponent Western Carolina. 

A 33 ½-point favorite, according to oddsmakers, the Wolfpack trailed entering the fourth quarter before rallying with a 21-point flurry keyed by Concepcion and running back Jordan Waters. 

Concepcion finished with 3 touchdowns and Waters found the end zone twice in the fourth quarter as N.C. State avoided an opening-night disaster at Carter-Finley Stadium.”

Aaron Beard, Associated Press — Concepcion, Waters help No. 24 NC State push past FCS foe Western Carolina 38-21 to open season

Kevin Concepcion looked every bit like the big-play star No. 24 N.C. State needs him to be. Good thing, too, considering the Wolfpack had a heck of a time pushing their way past a Football Championship Subdivision opponent to open a season with high expectations.

Concepcion slithered free from contact and broke loose to the right for a 35-yard catch-and-run touchdown — his third score of the night — to help N.C. State finally take the lead for good and beat Western Carolina 38-21 on Thursday night.

“I would just say my mindset,” Concepcion said of what was working best. “If nobody else is going to do it, then it might as well be me.”

The sophomore whose rise helped fuel last year’s second-half surge had a diving 17-yard scoring catch over the middle in the first quarter along with a 5-yard catch-and-run to the left pylon in the second. He finished with 9 catches and 121 yards as a highlight in what was at times a slog for N.C. State — and other times an unexpectedly tense test against the 19th-ranked team from the FCS coaches poll.”