Football, WVU Sports

HOW THEY SCORED: West Virginia 44, N.C. State 27

First quarter

WVU TOUCHDOWN: Sam James 20-yard pass from Austin Kendall (9:06), West Virginia leads, 7-0.

Following a missed field goal by North Carolina State, West Virginia needed just five plays to march 66 yards, with three plays going for 12 yards or longer.

Sean Ryan had the play of the first half, when he hauled in a pass from Kendall behind the line of scrimmage and looked to complete a double-pass, but instead reversed field and turned it into a 24-yard run.

N.C. STATE TOUCHDOWN: Thayer Thomas 8-yard pass from Matthew McKay (4:49), game is tied, 7-7.

The Wolfpack answered with a 10-play, 75-yard drive that saw McKay complete 3-of-5 passes and Zonovan McKnight added a 26-yard run. N.C. State only faced one third down on the entire drive, which was the play that went for the TD.

WVU TOUCHDOWN: Kennedy McKoy 23-yard run (3:54), West Virginia leads, 14-7.

James came up big again with a 51-yard reception to begin the drive and McKoy came up with the Mountaineers first rushing touchdown of the season.

WVU needed only four plays to go 75 yards on the drive.

Second quarter

N.C. STATE TOUCHDOWN: Jordan Houston 1-yard run (12:11), game is tied, 14-14.

The Wolfpack tied the game with a methodical 12-play, 80-yard drive. Ricky Person Jr. rushed five times for 37 yards to begin the drive and McKay then completed 3-of-4 passes for 26 yards that kept the chains moving and set up Houston for the short run.

N.C. STATE TOUCHDOWN: Cary Angeline 18-yard pass from McKay (3:13), N.C. State leads, 21-14.

This drive was all about McKay, who went 5-for-5 on the drive for 80 yards and he also added a 14-yard run.

N.C. State covered 92 yards in seven plays on the drive.

WVU TOUCHDOWN: George Campbell 13-yard pass from Kendall (:34), game is tied, 21-21.

The Mountaineers ended the first half with a 9-play, 75-yard drive that saw Campbell haul in his third touchdown catch of the season.

The Mountaineers did not face a single third down the entire drive and Kendall showed off his legs on a 6-yard scramble. He also completed 5-of-5 passes for 49 yards.

Third quarter

WVU FIELD GOAL: Evan Staley 23-yard kick (10:42), West Virginia leads, 24-21.

An 89-yard drive came up just short of the end zone and Staley gave the Mountaineers the lead with a short kick.

James and Ryan both had big moments for the Mountaineers.

James had two catches for 30 yards and also rushed for seven yards. Ryan caught two passes for 26 yards.

WVU TOUCHDOWN: McKoy 5-yard run (6:24), West Virginia leads, 31-21.

Following a blocked punt by West Virginia’s Logan Thimons, who was unblocked right up the middle, the Mountaineers took over at the Wolfpack 12.

After an incomplete pass, WVU simply went with McKoy for two runs over the left side for the touchdown.

N.C. STATE FIELD GOAL: Christopher Dunn 41-yard kick (2:14), West Virginia leads, 31-24.

The Mountaineers came up with a big third-down stop and forced an incomplete pass by McKay.

Dunn was down the middle on his kick, after missing from 51-yards in the first half.

N.C. STATE FIELD GOAL: Dunn 37-yard kick (:10), West Virginia leads, 31-27.

The Wolfpack got the ball right back after a bad interception thrown by Kendall set N.C. State up at the WVU 21, but the Mountaineers defense responded by stuffing a run and then a screen pass on third down.

Fourth quarter

WVU TOUCHDOWN: Ali Jenning 9-yard pass from Kendall (12:24), West Virginia leads, 38-27.

The Mountaineers created a two-score advantage when Kendall found Jennings on a quick slant for Kendall’s third scoring pass of the game.

The drive covered 75 yards and was helped with a pass interference penalty by N.C. State.

Kendall made up for his interception by coming up with a 25-yard run — the longest rush of the season for the Mountaineers.

WVU TOUCHDOWN: Leddie Brown 3-yard run (3:04), West Virginia leads, 44-27.

The WVU defense came up with a fourth-down stop and then the Mountaineers sealed the game with four consecutive running plays by Brown.

WVU elected to take a knee on the extra-point attempt.