RALEIGH, N.C. _ N.C. State will go into its game against old rival North Carolina off a comeback victory over Duke, but possibly without quarterback Devin Leary.
The Pack overcame a host of mistakes Saturday to fight past the Blue Devils 31-20 at Carter-Finley Stadium, and will head to Chapel Hill to face the Tar Heels with a 4-1 record, with three straight victories.
But Leary's injury put a pall over the Pack's win. The sophomore quarterback was injured on a third-quarter run, his left leg pinned under him as he attempted to slide and was hit by Duke's Lummie Young IV.
Leary was taken off the field with a cast on his leg although he later returned to the Wolfpack sideline on crutches. Young was called for targeting and ejected.
Bailey Hockman replaced Leary and led the Pack to a 28-20 lead _ on a spectacular catch by receiver Thayer Thomas to start the fourth quarter. Duke defensive back Jalen Alexander had the ball go through his hands in the left corner of the end zone and Thomas somehow pinned the ball to his helmet with his right hand for a 9-yard score.
Christopher Dunn's 39-yard field goal with 3:31 left in the fourth pushed the Pack ahead by 11 as N.C. State's defense held Duke scoreless in the second half.
Before Leary's injury, it was anything but easy for the Pack, which made enough mistakes to make life miserable for coach Dave Doeren. There was a blocked punt and any number of penalties _ eight in the first half _ and several were undisciplined.
But linebacker Payton Wilson had a pair of interceptions for the Pack, both timely. The first came inside the NCSU 10 with Duke looking to take a two-touchdown lead early in the game, and the second in third quarter before Leary's injury.
The Pack took a 21-20 lead in rapid fashion after Wilson's second pick, scoring five plays as Leary hooked up on passes to Bam Knight for 20 yards, Emeka Emezie for 36 and then tight end Cary Angeline for 4 and the score.
Leary, who was 14 of 24 passing for 194 yards, was injured on the next Wolfpack series. In came Hockman, the Pack starter early in the season when Leary was being held out because of COVID-19 protocols.
The Pack trailed 10-0 and 17-7 in the first half. The biggest play for Duke was a blocked punt, Dorian Mausi grabbing the ball and scoring from 32 yards for the game's first points.
The Pack answered Duke's block with one of its own by Vi Jones, the second in two weeks by the junior. Max Fisher scooped the ball and scored.
Jordan Houston scored the Wolfpack's first TD on a short run, on a drive that had Emezie grab a loose ball out of the air after Thomas couldn't secure it.
The Pack also had a player ejected for targeting _ defensive back Jakeen Harris in the first half. It was that kind of game, hard-hitting and at times overly aggressive.
Duke (1-5) came into the game with 19 turnovers, the most in FBS, and had more Saturday. Quarterback Chase Brice had three passes picked off, the third by the Pack's Jaylon Scott in the fourth quarter.
Duke rushed for 363 yards in its 38-24 win at Syracuse last week but the running game wasn't as stout against an improving Wolfpack defense. N.C. State again had a goal-line stand, as it did against Pitt and Virginia.
Duke wide receiver Jake Bobo scored on an 8-yard pass in the second quarter and Charlie Ham ended the first half with a field goal as Duke led 20-14.
Duke lost starting center Will Taylor in the game and had other players banged up in a bruising game, the first between the Pack and Blue Devils since 2013.
