NC State Shuts Out East Tennessee State, 34-0
NC State's Lamont Reid  returns the opening kickoff 90 yards for the game's first score.

NC State's Lamont Reid returns the opening kickoff 90 yards for the game's first score.

By DAVID DROSCHAK
AP Sports Writer

RALEIGH, N.C. - Greg Golden ran for two touchdowns and Lamont Reid returned the opening kickoff 90 yards for a score as No. 25 North Carolina State beat Division I-AA East Tennessee State 34-0 Saturday night.

The Wolfpack improved to 2-0 for the third time in as many seasons under coach Chuck Amato, while the Buccaneers were shut out in their second straight season opener.

Golden, coming off a subpar game in the opener after switching from defensive back to tailback, scored on runs of 3 and 14 yards as N.C. State took a 21-0 halftime lead.

Meanwhile, Philip Rivers, who had three touchdown passes and two rushing scores in the Wolfpack's 34-14 win last weekend over New Mexico, was 10-for-12 for 145 yards before being replaced by backup Jay Davis late in the third quarter.

Rivers become the 17th player in Atlantic Coast Conference history to throw for at least 6,000 yards. He's played only 24 games.

The fans had just settled into their seats on a rainy night when Reid took a line drive kick on one hop and broke down the right sideline untouched for a score 14 seconds into the game.

The Wolfpack then started four straight drives in East Tennessee State territory to build a three-touchdown lead at halftime.

N.C. State could have led by much more, but Rivers was intercepted at the East Tennessee State 3-yard line on his team's second series, and T.A. McLendon fumbled at the Bucs' 5 midway through the second quarter.

Runs of 9 and 13 yards by Golden set up his first score. Two series later, the sophomore ran 20 yards and then took a direct snap and ran 14 yards for the touchdown.

Not much went right for East Tennessee State early on, getting just 35 total yards on 36 plays in the opening half.

On the first series after Golden's second score, the Bucs' star receiver Cecil Moore dropped a pass at the N.C. State 35 with no defenders within 15 yards of him.

 

 

The Bucs didn't cross midfield until 5:13 was left in the half, but former Wolfpack quarterback Jatavis Sanders fumbled it away to Marcus Hudson, who also had a first-half interception.

McLendon, a freshman who was the national prep record-holder with 170 career rushing TDs, scored his first college touchdown when he bolted in from 5 yards out midway through the third quarter.

Rivers added N.C. State's fifth TD less than three minutes later, on a 4-yard scramble.