NC State knocks off No. 21 Liberty with late field goal block
One thing about N.C. State linebacker Vi Jones, he can block some kicks.
The USC transfer blocked his third kick of the season, this time a Liberty field goal attempt with 1:18 remaining in the game and the Wolfpack nursing a one-point lead.
N.C. State’s Bam Knight scored the go-ahead touchdown with 6:53 remaining and the defense forced three turnovers to beat its second ranked opponent this season, 15-14, over the No. 21 Flames.
On a night when the offense struggled, the defense stepped up and saved the day. Liberty quarterback Malik Willis came into the game with just one interception this season, but threw three. The Wolfpack defense also got a safety in the third quarter.
N.C. State improves to 6-3 overall and Liberty drops to 8-1. Knight finished with 96 yards and two touchdowns.
Isaac Duffy INT: NC State 15, Liberty 14
The N.C. State defense picked off Malik Willis for a third time, this time an Isaac Duffy pick at the 42-yard line.
Bam Knight TD run: NC State 15, Liberty 14
N.C. State took advantage of an Aydan White interception and went back in front with a 4-yard run from Bam Knight, his second touchdown run of the evening.
Liberty 14, NC State 9: End of third quarter
The Flames took their first lead of the game in the third quarter and faced a fourth and one heading into the fourth and final 15 minutes. The Wolfpack offense continued to struggle in the third quarter, picking up just 53 yards.
Isaiah Moore gets two for the Pack: Liberty 14, NC State 9
Isaiah Moore tackled Gabe Fuster in the endzone, resulting in a safety for the Pack.
Malik Willis to Jerome Jackson: Liberty 14, NC State
Liberty took its first lead of the night when Malik Willis found tight end Jerome Jackson all alone in the back of the end zone for a six-yard TD play.
NC State 7, Liberty 7: Halftime
So much for a shoot out. N.C. State and Liberty combined for 14 points and two turnovers in the first half of play Saturday night. The Wolfpack gained 210 yards to Liberty’s 129, but the Wolfpack collected seven flags for 69 yards. The Flames covered 84 yards in 10 plays to score its first TD right before the end of the second quarter.
Malik Willis to Noah Frith: NC State 7, Liberty 7
Malik Willis threw his first touchdown of the day, hitting Noah Frith for a 12-yard strike right before the half.
Cedric Stone interception: NC State 7, Liberty 0
Bailey Hockman threw his seventh interception of the season to end a promising State offensive drive. Liberty’s Cedric Stone picked off the Hockman pass near the end zone.
Tanner Ingle ejected: NC State 7, Liberty 0
N.C. State safety Tanner Ingle was disqualified for the second time this season after a targeting call in the second quarter. Jakeen Harris picked off a pass and the targeting was called after the interception.
Bam Knight touchdown run: NC State 7, Liberty 0
N.C. State sophomore running back Bam Knight scored a 19-yard touchdown in the second quarter to give the Wolfpack a 7-0 lead. N.C. State went on a six-play, 69-yard drive for the first score of the night.
NC State 0, Liberty 0: End of first quarter
The two high-powered offenses were each kept off the scoreboard in the opening quarter. The Wolfpack missed a 37-yard field goal on its opening drive. Liberty moved into scoring territory after a 21-yard run from Malik Willis, but was held out of the endzone.
WHAT CHANNEL IS THE NC STATE-LIBERTY GAME ON?
The Wolfpack and Flames will kick off at 7:30 p.m. Saturday on Fox Sports South in North Carolina. The game will be on regional sports networks in other parts of the country. The game can be streamed using the Fox Sports Go app or on FoxSportsGo.com with a valid cable or satellite subscription.
NC STATE VS. LIBERTY BETTING INFORMATION
As of Saturday morning, the Wolfpack was a 3.5-point favorite over the Flames. The over/under is 65.5.
This story was originally published November 21, 2020 at 8:15 PM.