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NC State came out with little intensity on Saturday, which is no shocker given the opponent and the relatively sparse crowd, which had little energy on a cold afternoon. So the game stayed in doubt for a while; the defense was solid in the opening quarter, but the offense wasn't able to solve BC's zone coverages (oddly enough).
The game turned in the second quarter when the Eagles started to turn the ball over. Chase Rettig was intercepted by Brandan Bishop to set the Pack up inside the BC 40, and the offense was able to convert that into a touchdown. Late in the second quarter, David Amerson received a gift in the form of a tipped pass and returned it for an easy 56-yard score.
After Boston College scored a TD to narrow its deficit to 14-10 in the third quarter, State answered with its best drive of the day, which extended the lead to 20-10. Chase Rettig threw an interception on the very next play from scrimmage, and the Pack cashed in immediately after that, effectively ending the game.
NC State's secondary did an outstanding job on Alex Amidon, who was limited to just three catches. Rettig completed just 16 of 45 pass attempts and was often under pressure or getting clobbered by an NC State defensive lineman. While the rush defense left a lot to be desired, it was the Pack D that made the big plays the team needed while the offense was listlessly going through the motions. Those interceptions changed the direction of the game and helped State avert a potential debacle.