NC State has had problems with slow starts early in the season and as it turns out, when those slow starts come against elite teams, the repercussions are far more dire. Clemson scored a pair of touchdowns in the first quarter, with little resistance to speak of, and cruised to a 41-7 win.
State appeared broken from the start after the Tigers returned the opening kickoff beyond their own 40 and then rather casually marched down the field for an opening score. NC State quickly went three-and-out, and while the defense managed a critical stop, the offense once again went nowhere.