Scott's TD run helps NC State shake off blown lead, Vanderbilt loss by beating Appalachian State

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Duke Scott bounced outside to the left for the go-ahead 16-yard touchdown run with 5:08 left that helped N.C. State overcome a blown 21-point lead and beat Appalachian State 41-31 on Saturday night.

Scott ran for 148 yards and two TDs for the Wolfpack (2-2), coming on a night when N.C. State was trying to regroup from a shocking loss at Vanderbilt. That game saw the Wolfpack go from on the verge of a road win to losing on a last-second fumble that was recovered for a score.

As N.C. State nickelback Jackson Vick said: “We really needed this one.”

“This team just battled all week,” coach Dave Doeren said. "With a lot of negativity outside of our program, they just insulated themselves and blocked the noise and I'm proud of them for that.”

The Wolfpack initially appeared headed for a smooth recovery by scoring touchdowns on four of six first-half drives to lead 28-7. But the Mountaineers (3-1) rallied with back-to-back TD drives — around a surprise onside-kick recovery — to tie it at 31-all on Gavin Barber's 9-yard scoring catch with 9:41 left.

After Scott put N.C. State up 38-31, Vick broke up a fourth-down pass with 3:59 left, then the Wolfpack added Kanoah Vinesett's 35-yard field goal to make it a two-possession game. Still, Doeren's squad couldn't feel relaxed until James London's 42-yard field goal went wide left with 45 seconds left.

Malachi Singleton threw for 317 yards and two touchdowns while also running for a score to lead Appalachian State. But the Mountaineers couldn't run the ball, rushing for 62 yards on 22 carries for the game.

“I think our guys believe and I think they've got a lot of fight in them,” Appalachian State coach Dowell Loggains said.

“I'm super proud of the team, they got put in a tough spot, they battled, they fought. So I'm really pleased with that part of it. But we came here to try to win the football game and we didn’t get that done.”

The takeaway

Appalachian State: The Mountaineers arrived with their first 3-0 mark since starting 7-0 in 2019, and they're in the midst of playing their first five games in their home state of North Carolina. They had won their last two games by a combined five points against Charlotte and East Carolina, then gave N.C. State a scare after climbing out of a big hole.

N.C. State: So much about Saturday was moving past last week's disaster. That included quarterback CJ Bailey, who lost the fumble that turned a road win into an improbable loss. Bailey scored on a 5-yard keeper around the left side to cap the Wolfpack's first drive. He had two TD throws by halftime — the last being the 17-yard connection with Keenan Jackson for the 28-7 lead shortly before the break — but cooled with just 88 yards passing after halftime.

“It was just a very level-headed mindset,” Bailey said of the team's response to Appalachian State's comeback.

The deciding drive

The drive that put the Wolfpack ahead for good started with Bailey hitting Jackson for a 19-yard pass to the right side. But from there, it was a physical and tone-setting push with eight straight runs between Scott and Davion Gause.

“It's easy for people on the outside to panic,” Doeren said, "but I have a lot of trust in these players and I knew that they would come through.”

Up next

Appalachian State: The Mountaineers have an open week before hosting Old Dominion on Oct. 10.

N.C. State: No. 16 Louisville visits the Wolfpack next Saturday.

___

Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here. Visit the Top 25 here and see AP’s full college football coverage here