In a thrilling, back-and-forth contest, the Wisconsin Badgers emerged victorious over the NC State Wolfpack, holding on for a 42-37 win. The game, filled with explosive plays and dramatic moments, saw Wisconsin take a commanding 28-7 lead into halftime, only to have NC State rally fiercely in the second half, scoring 23 points in a dramatic fourth-quarter surge.
The game’s key storyline revolved around two contrasting offenses. NC State, despite struggling with turnovers, posted a staggering 535 total yards of offense—an impressive 478 yards through the air. Quarterback Grayson McCall had a remarkable performance, throwing for 478 yards and two touchdowns. However, his three costly interceptions ultimately proved to be the difference, stalling several promising drives and preventing a potential comeback.
On the other side, Wisconsin's offense was more balanced. The Badgers accumulated 403 total yards, with 106 yards coming on the ground and 297 yards through the air.
The first half was all Wisconsin, as the Badgers capitalized on early turnovers and NC State's inability to sustain drives which allowed Wisconsin to stretch the lead to 28-7 at the half.
The Wolfpack seemed to be on the ropes, but they came out of the locker room with renewed energy. McCall, despite the early turnovers, showed poise and led the Wolfpack down the field on multiple occasions in the second half. The defense also stepped up, keeping the Badgers from finding the end zone in the fourth quarter.
In the fourth quarter, NC State turned up the heat. The Wolfpack scored 23 unanswered points to bring the game within one score. A failed onside kick attempt doomed the Wolfpack’s comeback bid.
While NC State’s offensive numbers were impressive, their three interceptions ultimately doomed them. McCall’s decision-making in key moments was a noticeable issue, as his picks not only killed potential scoring drives but also handed momentum to Wisconsin at critical junctures. Despite the loss, NC State's passing game was explosive, and their ability to generate yardage through the air was a positive takeaway.
The Wisconsin Badgers opened their season 31 in coach RB’s second season at the helm, and what looks to be a blowout ended up being an extremely close game.
The Wisconsin offense had an amazing complementary game with over 100 yard rushing and almost 300 yards passing on the day as quarterback Tyler Van Dyke reclaimed his starting spot for season 31. Van Dyke was on fire and so was his receiver Quincy Burrows, who didn’t see much action last year, but we’ll see a bigger role in season 31.
Burrows caught three touchdowns on the day and Wisconsin was cursing up 42-14 going into the 4th.
After an interception at the 1 yard line, it appeared to be over however a safety is what sparked the comeback for the wolf pack. They went on to score 3 straight touchdowns hitting every single big pass away as the Wisconsin defenders Just forgot how to play..
Wisconsin was able to recover an on-site kick to seal the deal 42-37, but the defense is going to have to figure things out and hold onto large leads like this.
Great game, Narcan! Way to fight and never give up.
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