Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at NC State Wolfpack

Scott, Bailey power NC State to 48-36 upset of No. 8 Georgia Tech for Yellow Jackets' 1st loss

“It was awesome,” the redshirt freshman said, down to taking pictures with jubilant field-storming fans.

And Wolfpack fans had every reason to savor Saturday night's 48-36 win over No. 8 Georgia Tech. It marked the Yellow Jackets' first loss, coming with them driving toward a berth in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game and a possible trip to the College Football Playoff. And it came with the Wolfpack leaning on multiple players like Scott being pressed into leading roles due to injuries.

“Resiliency is what this place is about,” Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren said. “It’s why I’ve always loved N.C. State. It’s definitely a part of my DNA.

"The harder it gets, sometimes I think the better we are.”

Scott was the star, running for a career-best 196 yards in place of injured league rushing leader Hollywood Smothers (101.3). CJ Bailey threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns while running for another for the Wolfpack (5-4, 2/3 ACC), which rode a crisp offensive showing from the opening possession to the program's first win against a top-10 opponent in more than four years.

Georgia Tech (8-1, 5-1) entered with its first 8-0 start since 1966 and joined No. 15 Virginia as the only teams unbeaten in ACC play.

In an unusual twist, N.C. State has beaten both. The Wolfpack handed the Cavaliers their lone loss in September, though that was in a nonconference matchup added outside the league’s scheduling model and doesn’t count in the ACC standings.

N.C. State posted 583 total yards and scored on eight of 10 drives, with six going for TDs.

“They lined up and physically kicked our (butt) in a lot of ways,” Georgia Tech coach Brent Key said. “It is what it is. That’s on me. I take responsibility for it.”

Haynes King threw for 408 yards and two scores while running for 103 yards and two more touchdowns for Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets had 559 yards but settled for three field goals and also had a missed kick. The game's lone turnover came on the final play, when Caden Fordham intercepted King’s desperation throw to the end zone to trigger the Wolfpack's on-field victory party.

The takeaway Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets compounded their defensive troubles with shaky red-zone play. They twice settled for third-quarter field goals after driving into the red zone. One even came after the Yellow Jackets committed a false-start penalty when going for it on a fourth-and-goal from the Wolfpack's 1 — a problem considering they were struggling to keep up and led for all of 3:24 of second-quarter game time.

"We get the ball down to the 1-yard line, we've got to be able to put it in offensively," Key said. "Those mistakes were self-defeating mistakes."

N.C. State: The Wolfpack’s last win against a top-10 opponent had come in double overtime against then-No. 9 Clemson in September 2021, which was the only one in 13 tries under Doeren (now in his 13th year). This is the highest-ranked opponent N.C. State has beaten since taking down then-No. 3 Florida State in 2012.

Scott's huge night Scott entered having run 47 times for 235 yards in his brief career. He nearly matched that in a 24-carry workhorse performance. That included a 69-yarder to set up a third-quarter TD, then getting loose around the left side for a 30-yard score with 4:07 left to effectively seal this one.

It had home fans roaring “Duuuuuuuke!” after several of his gains.

“The line just blocked so well,” he said. “It’s kind of like, the holes were there and I just had to hit them.”

He said it “We have three games remaining, and everything that we have wanted to do it still in front of us. It's our choice and our decision how we respond to this outcome.” — Key.

Reversal This marked a reversal from a meeting with similar circumstances nearly 23 years ago to the day.

In that 2002 game, the Philip Rivers-led Wolfpack held a 9-0 record and a No. 10 national ranking entering a visit from Georgia Tech. But the Yellow Jackets, just 5-3 at the time, derailed the Wolfpack’s perfect season with a 24-17 win in Raleigh that started a three-game skid for N.C. State.

Up next Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets have an open week before visiting Boston College on Nov. 15.

N.C. State: There’s an open week before No. 10 Miami hosts the Wolfpack on Nov. 15.