Kicker Steven Hauschka nailed a 42-yard field goal Saturday afternoon at the Orange
Bowl giving the Wolfpack a 19-16 overtime win.
After Miami tied the game at 16 on a 27-yard field goal by Daren Daly that barely
squeaked through the right upright with 19 seconds left, the Wolfpack won the coin
toss and chose to play defense first.
Miami picked up a first down before stalling and were forced to attempt another
27-yard field goal. This time, Daly missed it wide left and the Pack was left with a
chance to win it.
After two running plays that went for nothing up the middle, Daniel Evans took a
shot to the end zone which fell incomplete.
Hauschka split the uprights and the Pack players stormed the field in celebration.
“I approached the kick like I normally do,” Hauschka said. “I just had to slow
down because everything happens a lot faster than it does in practice. The other kid
missed it and I saw the opportunity there. I was just happy to be in the situation.
I’ve never had a chance to win a game like that with a kick.”
Hauschka’s leg though is what essentially won the game for North Carolina State.
He made up for a miss from 29 yards out midway through the second.
After the ‘Canes jumped on top with five minutes to play in the first half 10-0
following an 84-yard touchdown pass from Kirby Freeman to Darnell Jenkins, the Pack
responded with a nine-play, 66-yard drive cutting the margin to 10-7 going into the
break following a one-yard touchdown run by Evans.
“We didn’t read our keys,” safety DaJuan Morgan said of the deep touchdown
pass. “I was playing safety in the cover two and I was supposed to be deep. I came
and bit on the play-action pass, so they snuck one over our heads and capitalized on
our mistakes.”
The ‘Canes were able to push the lead back to 13-7 following a 33-yard field goal
by Daly with 1:07 to play in the third, but Hauschka hit a 31-yard field goal with
14:17 left to cut the lead back to three.
Following a Miami punt, the Pack moved the ball right down the field before stalling
at the 18-yard line where Hauschka hit a 35-yard field tying the game with 9:52 to
play.
An interception by Jeremy Gray, the third by the Wolfpack defense, gave N.C. State
the ball at Miami’s 40-yard line with 7:36 left. After a completion to Jamelle
Eugene gave N.C. State a first down at the Miami 25, Evans threw three incomplete
passes forcing a 47-yard field goal attempt.
Hauschka nailed it giving the Pack their first lead of the game.
But Miami responded doing what it had been able to do the entire game, run the ball.
The ‘Canes ran the ball 16 consecutive times gutting the Pack defense all the way
down to the ten-yard line, but Miami decided to pass it on second and third downs
from the ten-yard line. Both fade passes were defended well and fell incomplete.
Overall, the Pack defense made Freeman look miserable as he was 1 for 14 for 84
yards and three interceptions.
That set up Daly’s game-tying field goal with 19 seconds left.
Numerous players were making trips to their home state, including Eugene, defensive
end Willie Young, wide receive Jon Dunlap, linebacker James Martin II and safety
Miguel Scott. Eugene finished with 27 carries for 89 yards and six catches for 42
yards. Dunlap had six catches for 41 yards while Scott picked up an interception.
“It was a sweet victory,” Morgan said. “We fought to the end, which makes it
all so much sweeter. We got the win.”