NC State tops Boston College 24-8 to gain bowl eligibility

No Matt Dayes, no problem for N.C. State.

At least for one game, the Wolfpack didn’t need its leading rusher. Jaylen Samuels and Reggie Gallaspy each rushed for a touchdown in N.C. State’s 24-8 win at Boston College on Saturday afternoon.

N.C. State’s defense did the rest. The Wolfpack (6-3, 2-3 ACC) sacked Boston College quarterback John Fadule five times and intercepted him three times to win its first ACC game at Alumni Stadium.

Boston College (3-7, 0-7) had won the previous five ACC games in Chestnut Hill. The Wolfpack went into Saturday’s game without Dayes, who’s out for the season with a foot injury, and facing the country’s top-ranked rushing defense.

The Wolfpack took a run-by-committee approach against the Eagles. Samuels had a 5-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter and Gallaspy had a 35-yard score in the third quarter.

Quarterback Jacoby Brissett also hit receiver Maurice Trowell on an 83-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter to give the Wolfpack a 7-0 lead.

Boston College, which has scored only six offensive touchdowns in seven ACC games, couldn’t get anything going against N.C. State’s defense.

Fadule, the fourth-string walk-on, completed his first four passes but was unable to buy enough time behind Boston College’s line and wasn’t accurate enough to dig the Eagles out of a 14-0 halftime deficit.

The Eagles finished with 28 rushing yards on 34 carries.

Turning point

Boston College had some success moving the ball on its last drive of the first quarter but had to punt after a chop block penalty. On N.C. State’s first play of the second quarter, Brissett hit Trowell for an 83-yard touchdown to take a 7-0 lead.

Three who mattered

Mike Rose: The senior defensive end had a sack and 4.5 tackles for loss for the Wolfpack defense.

Jaylen Samuels: Filling in for the injured Matt Dayes, Samuels rushed seven times for 32 yards and caught seven passes for 38 yards.

A.J. Cole: The Wolfpack punter continued his outstanding freshman season with nine punts for 392 yards and four that were downed inside the 20-yard line.

Three key numbers

6 Wins on the season makes N.C. State bowl eligible for the fifth time in six years.

4 N.C. State road wins this season, including its first ACC win at Boston College since the Eagles joined the league in 2005.

-23 Boston College’s offensive output on the first nine plays of the second half.

Highlight reel

N.C. State defensive tackle Monty Nelson sacked Boston College quarterback John Fadule at the Boston College 23-yard line and the ball popped up in the air to N.C. State defensive tackle Eurndraus Bryant. Bryant, who’s 6-1 and 350 pounds, was rumbling towards the end zone when he fumbled the ball back to the Eagles at the 9-yard line.

This story was originally published November 7, 2015 at 3:50 PM with the headline "NC State tops Boston College 24-8 to gain bowl eligibility."