Ben Finley, Akron Football News: Draft Scout Player News

11/25/22 - QB Ben Finley, rJr/2026, Akron

Ben Finley threw for 271 yards and two touchdowns in his first career start, and North Carolina State held on to beat Drake Maye and No. 17 North Carolina 30-27 on Friday when Noah Burnette duck-hooked a 35-yard field goal try in the second overtime. Maye connected with Antoine Green from 4 yards out on the final play of regulation to tie the game at 24-all, but N.C. State (8-4, 4-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) kept the ACC Coastal Division champion Tar Heels (9-3, 6-2) out of the end zone in the first overtime. Burnette - who also missed from 27 yards in the fourth quarter - made a 26-yarder in the first OT and the Wolfpack tied it on Christopher Dunn's 31-yarder. Dunn was good from 21 yards in the second overtime and N.C. State, which never trailed, held on to hand North Carolina its second straight loss.

Devin Carter had six receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown for the Wolfpack, who snapped a two-game skid and pulled out a thrilling victory over their in-state rival for the second straight year. Carter caught Finley's back-shoulder pass just outside the end zone and backed in for a 26-yard touchdown with 3:54 remaining in regulation for the Wolfpack's first points of the second half. Finley became N.C. State's fourth starting quarterback in a seven-game span. He completed 27 of 40 passes for 271 yards. The Tar Heels and freshman sensation Maye closed the regular season with dispiriting one-score losses to Georgia Tech and the Wolfpack ahead of the ACC title game clash with No. 8 Clemson next Saturday. Maye finished 29 of 49 for 233 yards, one interception and the tying TD toss on fourth-and-goal to Green, which followed an apparent touchdown catch by John Copenhaver that was overturned on a replay review. - North Carolina State/AP College Football

rJr/2026