NC State Football

The Holiday Bowl was officially canceled Wednesday after UCLA withdrew from the NC State matchup Tuesday because of COVID-19 issues.  

Per Fox Sports and The Athletic's Bruce Feldman, UCLA had just two available interior defensive linemen and a "converted linebacker as the backup nose guard," though the Bruins were still going to play before reportedly having more COVID-19 issues pop up Tuesday.

It's the latest bowl game to be canceled because of COVID-19 concerns. The Arizona Bowl (Boise State vs. Central Michigan), Military Bowl (Boston College vs. East Carolina), Wasabi Fenway Bowl (Virginia vs. SMU) and Hawai'i Bowl (Hawai'i vs. Memphis) were also canceled. 

A number of other bowl games have had to pivot to different matchups amid the pandemic. The Sun Bowl scooped up Central Michigan to face Washington State after Miami withdrew from the game, while the Gator Bowl added Rutgers to take on Wake Forest after Texas A&M pulled out. 

The cancellation is a major disappointment for both UCLA and NC State. The 8-4 Bruins had their first winning season under Chip Kelly and were heading to their first bowl game since 2017. 

The 9-3 Wolfpack, meanwhile, finished the season ranked 18th and were looking for their first 10-win season since 2002. 

Postseason heartbreak for COVID-19 reasons has become an unfortunate storyline for NC State this year. The school's baseball team had to pull out of the College Baseball World Series because of COVID-19 protocols in June, just a game away from reaching the final. 

North Carolina State safety Khalid Martin was stretchered off the field during a road game against Virginia Tech on Saturday after suffering a reported hip injury, per the ACC Network (h/t Michael Niziolek of the Roanoke Times).

Martin, who was taken to Montgomery Regional Hospital in Blacksburg, Virginia, is reportedly conscious.

Martin did not get up following a third-quarter play in which he suffered a head-to-head collision, per WRAL's Kacy Hintz.

Norm Wood of the Daily Press covered the scene on the field after that moment.

"Ambulance on the field for N.C. State safety Khalid Martin, who doesn't appear to have moved his legs. Extremely frightening situation. Almost all players for both teams taking a knee as they observe from a distance.

"Medical personnel have N.C. State safety Khalid Martin tied down to a backboard. They lifted him up a few inches and slid the board under him, taking great care not to move his legs and keep his body stationary. He still hasn't moved his legs.

"N.C. State players gather in a tight circle to pray as teammate Khalid Martin is strapped to a backboard with his neck secured in a heavy brace. As he's lifted into an ambulance parked at the 45-yard line, fans clap.

"N.C. State safety Khalid Martin appeared to be holding someone's hand—medical personnel member or coach...not sure—with his own left hand while he was on the ground, but didn't appear to move any other part of his body."

N.C. State provided an official update after the game:

Martin is a redshirt freshman who hails from Tobaccoville, North Carolina.

Although the coronavirus pandemic has been on the forefront of everyone's mind lately, North Carolina State head coach Dave Doeren has greater concerns heading into the college football season. 

"I don't mean this in a way that I'm not respecting COVID—because there are so many precautions for that—but I'm more worried about heat illness and season-ending injuries than I am about a virus, that in most cases in our guys' age group, is three to five days," Doeren said Tuesday, per Josh Graham of WSJS Sports Hub.

North Carolina State began its fall camp on Aug. 3 while preparing for an 11-game 2020 season. All ACC teams will play 10 conference games and one non-conference game, beginning on Sept. 7.

Season-ending injuries could be damaging for a team, especially after longer layoffs between training sessions compared to past years. Heat-related issues are also a significant concern, especially after Maryland offensive lineman Jordan McNair died after collapsing during a football workout in May 2018.

COVID-19 still remains an issue, especially with student-athletes returning to campus.

While older adults are certainly more at-risk, there have still been over 200 coronavirus deaths of people 15-24 years old in the United States, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Indiana offensive lineman Brady Feeney has also suffered serious effects from COVID-19, as his mother detailed Monday:

Even if many football players are able to recover within a few days, Doeren shouldn't overlook the potentially damaging disease or the potential for infected players to spread the disease to others in more vulnerable groups.

Savion Jackson, a 4-star defensive end from Clayton, North Carolina, committed to NC State on Wednesday, according to Michael Clark of 247Sports, choosing the Wolfpack over South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia Tech and Clemson.

"I know so much about the program and I'm close to the people at State—the coaches and players committed there," Jackson said last week, perhaps hinting at his decision, per Clark. "I'm also comfortable there."

According to 247Sports, Jackson is the No. 2 prospect from the state of North Carolina, the No. 3 strong-side defensive end and the No. 46 recruit overall in the class of 2019.

So, what type of player did NC State just land? 247Sports provided the following scouting report:

"Jackson is explosive off the edge and already developed some nice moves. Jackson uses his hands well and does a nice job shedding blocks. He's a good pass-rusher, but also very effective against the run. Jackson changes directions fluidly and is great in pursuit. He is relentless and closes quickly on the football. He's simply a dominant football player and undoubtedly one of the top prospects in the country."

"His overall athleticism and explosiveness are what make him so good," his head coach at Clayton, Hunter Jenks, added, according to Clark. "He's 6'3" and 260 pounds right now and can power clean 300-plus pounds and run a 4-flat [second] shuttle. His explosive power is really second to none among his peers."

That has translated to production on the field. Last season, he registered 56 tackles and eight sacks in 14 games, per Jonas Pope IV of the News & Observer. The year before, he notched seven sacks.

His addition bumped NC State up to No. 25 in the recruiting site's rankings. Jackson is immediately the crown jewel of the class, however, as he'll be the Wolfpack's first 4- or 5-star recruit for 2019.

Nyheim Hines scored three of North Carolina State's six rushing touchdowns in a dominant victory over Arizona State at the Sun Bowl on Friday.

The Wolfpack built a 21-3 lead in the first half and never relented for a 52-31 win. Joe Giglio of the News and Observer broke down the rarity of the high-scoring effort:

It was a disappointing sendoff for Sun Devils coach Todd Graham, who was taking part in his final game before being replaced by Herm Edwards.

North Carolina State ended its year with a 9-4 record, its most wins since 2010, while Arizona State finished 7-6.

The last quarter featured the most fireworks.

NC State went into the fourth up 31-10 and never allowed ASU to get within two touchdowns, but there were six touchdowns scored in a wild final 15 minutes. An incredible 42 of the 83 points in the game were scored in the quarter.

The Wolfpack took a big lead by riding Hines early, with the running back scoring the first three touchdowns of the game to help build a 28-10 advantage at halftime:

He and Reggie Gallaspy II combined for 151 rushing yards and five touchdowns, with Jaylen Samuels adding a score on the ground of his own.

Quarterback Ryan Finley only had one passing touchdown, but he was as efficient as ever with 318 yards on 24-of-29 passing.

The offense moved with ease, scoring on eight of its 11 drives. The only exceptions were one punt, one fake field goal stopped at the 1-yard line and a kneel down at the end of the game.

Meanwhile, the defense performed well in its test without star defensive end Bradley Chubb, who chose to sit out in preparation for the NFL draft. The rest of the front seven kept pressure on Arizona State quarterback Manny Wilkins, who threw three interceptions after having just five all year.

The Sun Devils struggled to move the ball early except when targeting receiver N'Keal Harry. The sophomore had four catches on a first-half touchdown drive, including this highlight-reel grab:

N’Keal Harry is legit. This catch in the Sun Bowl is as good as you’ll see.

— Crooked Halery (@DavidHaleESPN) December 29, 2017

He finished off the drive with this touchdown on a fade:

Of course N'Keal Harry finishes off the drive with a TD for @FootballASU. pic.twitter.com/vINPdT6k9z

— CBS Sports CFB (@CBSSportsCFB) December 29, 2017

Harry continued to make big plays in the second half and finished with nine catches for 141 yards.

Wilkins racked up yards against the soft defense in the fourth quarter, ending up with three passing touchdowns and a rushing score.

While North Carolina State coach Dave Doeren was recently on the hot seat, he clearly has the program headed in the right direction. Meanwhile, Arizona State will hope for immediate improvement under new coach Herm Edwards. 

Another target for Tennessee football is out the window after Dave Doeren reportedly agreed on a five-year extension to stay with North Carolina State.

The team provided a statement announcing the deal, via Pack Pride:

Joe Giglio of the News and Observer reported the new five-year contract is worth $15 million, and noted the deal is worth $1 million less than Tennessee's offer. 

Per Joedy McCreary of the Associated Press, North Carolina State had been working on a new deal for the coach since earlier this season, but the discussions with Tennessee likely helped expedite the process.

Chris Low of ESPN.com reported Wednesday that Doeren would discuss the opening with the Volunteers.

The 45-year-old is in his fifth year with the Wolfpack after two years with Northern Illinois. After a 3-9 first season, his squad is set for a bowl invitation for the fourth year in a row thanks to an 8-4 overall record. Doeren also guided the team to a 6-2 conference mark, good for second place behind Clemson in the ACC's Atlantic Division.

Meanwhile, Tennessee will now have to find a new target to replace Butch Jones, who was fired earlier this month. Greg Schiano was ready to be the next head coach until fan backlash caused the school to change its mind.

Since then, top options like Mike Gundy, David Cutcliffe and others have declined interest in the job.

ESPN's Mike Greenberg mocked the coaching search:

The Volunteers will now need to look further down their list to find someone willing to take the job.

North Carolina State's defensive line got a major boost on Saturday, as 4-star defensive tackle Alim McNeill committed to the program.  

Per Jonas Pope IV of the Herald Sun, McNeil announced his decision to play for the Wolfpack after also considering offers from Virginia Tech and Michigan. 

McNeill, who attends Sanderson High in Raleigh, North Carolina, is ranked as the nation's No. 9 defensive tackle and No. 94 player overall in the class of 2018 by 247Sports. 

In his junior season, he registered 84 tackles (18 for loss), six sacks, an interception, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries, per MaxPreps.com. The ability to make that sort of impact in the interior is invaluable. 

And his head coach at Sanderson, Ben Kolstad, thinks he brings great versatility to the defensive line as well.

"[Where he plays in college] depends what scheme people are, but in a four-down front he's probably going to be a three-technique defensive tackle, and some of the 3-4 fronts he can play a little bit of everything," he told Sam Webb of Scout.com.

He also spoke highly of his character.

"He's grounded, a high-character kid, but he wants to develop and continue to grow," he said. "That's one thing he's done here since he was a freshman, get better and better, continue to grow, and work with a staff that can do that and help get the most out of him."

If NC State does just that, it could have a dynamic player on its hands.

This is turning into a banner year for the Wolfpack and head coach Dave Doeren, who has his team 6-2 and ranked No. 20 in the College Football Playoff rankings heading into Saturday's huge showdown with ACC rival Clemson. 

That success is paying early dividends in recruiting for next season. NC State now has 20 commitments in the 2018 class, with McNeil becoming the third player in that group rated as a 4-star prospect, per 247Sports. 

The NC State Wolfpack shocked the No. 12 Florida State Seminoles with a 27-21 road win at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday.

Following the Week 4 upset, Wolfpack defensive lineman Bradley Chubb, who forced and recovered a fumble during the contest, appeared to spit on the Seminoles' logo.

Two weeks ago, Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield planted the Sooners' flag on Ohio State's insignia after a 31-16 victory. He later apologized when the moment became a national talking point.

Like Mayfield, Chubb quickly realized his actions would be interpreted as disrespectful to Florida State and its players. According to college football reporter Brett McMurphy, Chubb issued an apology after the game:

NC State improved to 3-1 while dropping FSU to 0-2.     

[Twitter]

The North Carolina State Wolfpack dismissed freshman wide receiver Antoine Thompson and freshman defensive end Kevince Brown after investigating an alleged sexual assault July 21, CBS North Carolina reported Tuesday. 

Three other players received suspensions following the investigation.

The school said Thompson and Brown's dismissals weren't "regarding the allegations of sexual assault."

N.C. State athletic director Debbie Yow said Thompson and Brown are no longer enrolled at the university and that the school "reserve[s] the right to impose additional sanctions if new violations are discovered."

According to Scout, Thompson was the No. 124 wide receiver in the 2017 recruiting class and Brown was the 76th-best weak-side defensive end.

N.C. State's campus police announced July 23 it had received three reports of alleged sexual assaults that occurred at Wolf Village Apartments, a student-housing complex.

The News & Observer's Thomasi McDonald reported no arrests have been made, and the N.C. State police department has handed over the findings from its investigation over to the Wake County District Attorney's Office.

Authorities are looking into one of the cases as a second-degree forcible rape and another as a second-degree rape.