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NC State upsets North Carolina, spoils final regular season game of Mack Brown era
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NC State got the last laugh of the Mack Brown era.
The Wolfpack defeated North Carolina with a last-second touchdown on Saturday night, 35-30. Daylan Smothers scored the game-winner with just 25 seconds remaining.
This marks NC State’s 4th consecutive win over North Carolina. It’s also especially meaningful given that it clinches postseason eligibility for the Wolfpack. NC State entered this game with a 5-6 record.
Of course, this is also the final regular season game of Brown’s tenure in Chapel Hill. North Carolina announced earlier this week that it has fired Brown and will be moving in a different direction for the 2025 season.
Brown, 73, was already the oldest active college football head coach. He was in the midst of his second stint at North Carolina and is the winningest coach in the program’s history.
As for Saturday night’s game, it was a back-and-forth affair that included 3 lead-changes in the 3rd quarter. NC State did just enough to overcome a historic day from North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton, who finished with well over 200 all-purpose yards.
NC State has won 7 of the last 9 games in this series.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
