NC State overcomes rain-soaked conditions to take down Notre Dame

In a rain-soaked showdown featuring lightning delays, a voluntary halftime evacuation and flash flood warnings in the surrounding area, the NC State Wolfpack pulled off arguably their most high-profile win in the Dave Doeren era.

Though it’s impossible to ignore the effects of Hurricane Matthew — Notre Dame’s high-flying offense, led by productive quarterback DeShone Kizer, was grounded by the rain, managing just 113 total yards and just one third-down conversion in 15 attempts — Doeren’s team clearly dealt with the conditions better, winning 10-3 after returning a fourth-quarter blocked punt for the go-ahead score.

“We controlled the controllables. We didn’t let the variables that we don’t control get in our (way) today,” Doeren said after his team improved to 4-1. “ … We’ve said all along we can beat anybody if we don’t beat ourselves. Our guys got a lot of heart. They’re tough. I love them to death. Really proud of them.”

It was an ugly win, to be sure, but also a pivotal one for the Wolfpack. Doeren's pride was not misplaced.

The game featured 10 fumbles, multiple botched snaps (including the final offensive play of the game for the Fighting Irish) and special teams gaffes for days. Kizer, who entered the day as one of the nation's top-rated signal-callers, missed on 17 of his 26 attempts and finished with 54 yards and redzone interception. The Wolfpack's passing game was similarly grounded, but Matthew Dayes' 126-yard rushing performance paced a more efficient offensive approach.

It was Notre Dame’s lowest-scoring game in the Brian Kelly era.

And in a game that came down to which team makes the crucial mistake, NC State prevailed.

”It was unbelievable,” Doeren said of his defense’s effort. “It didn’t matter what happened. Put the ball down. Let us play. Let’s go get it. They got big hearts, man.”

NC State joins in-state rival Duke in beating a struggling Fighting Irish program in 2016, but it wasn’t long ago that this Wolfpack program was under the microscope. In Week 2, the Wolfpack were dropped by East Carolina (again) and desperately needed to find positives to build on. How about a three-game winning streak to answer the bell? Since their lone loss, the Wolfpack have disrupted Wake Forest’s undefeated season and upended Kizer & Co.

The schedule is still relatively relentless. The Wolfpack’s reward for beating Notre Dame will be consecutive road dates with Clemson and Louisville before taking on Florida State, Miami and North Carolina in the final five weeks of the season. It’s a gauntlet of ranked opponents.

All of a sudden, though, bowl eligibility does not look nearly as farfetched as it did at the end of September.