# 2012 NC State Wolfpack football team

The 2012 NC State Wolfpack football team represented North Carolina State University in the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Wolfpack were led by sixth year head coach Tom O'Brien and played their home games at Carter–Finley Stadium. They were members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Wolfpack participated in the Music City Bowl and were defeated by Vanderbilt, 38–24.
On November 25, the university announced that it had fired O'Brien as head coach of the Wolfpack after failing to live up the expectations during his six years at the position.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 31 | 7:30 pm | vs. Tennessee* | Georgia DomeAtlanta, GA (Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game) | ESPNU | L 21–35 | 55,529 |
| September 8 | 12:00 pm | at Connecticut* | Rentschler FieldEast Hartford, CT | Big East Network | W 10–7 | 34,202 |
| September 15 | 6:00 pm | South Alabama* | Carter–Finley StadiumRaleigh, NC | ESPN3 | W 31–7 | 54,132 |
| September 22 | 6:00 pm | No. 10 (FCS) The Citadel* | Carter–Finley StadiumRaleigh, NC | ESPN3 | W 52–14 | 55,145 |
| September 29 | 12:00 pm | at Miami (FL) | Sun Life StadiumMiami Gardens, FL | ESPNU | L 37–44 | 38,510 |
| October 6 | 8:00 pm | No. 3 Florida State | Carter–Finley StadiumRaleigh, NC | ESPN2 | W 17–16 | 54,962 |
| October 20 | 3:30 pm | at Maryland | Byrd StadiumCollege Park, MD | ESPNU | W 20–18 | 40,217 |
| October 27 | 12:30 pm | at North Carolina | Kenan Memorial StadiumChapel Hill, NC (rivalry) | ACCN | L 35–43 | 62,000 |
| November 3 | 12:30 pm | Virginia | Carter–Finley StadiumRaleigh, NC | ACCN | L 6–33 | 54,812 |
| November 10 | 3:00 pm | Wake Forest | Carter–Finley StadiumRaleigh, NC (rivalry) | ACCRSN | W 37–6 | 52,567 |
| November 17 | 3:30 pm | at No. 11 Clemson | Memorial StadiumClemson, SC (Textile Bowl) | ABC/ESPN2 | L 48–62 | 77,831 |
| November 24 | 3:00 pm | Boston College | Carter–Finley StadiumRaleigh, NC | ESPN3 | W 27–10 | 53,020 |
| December 31 | 12:00 pm | at Vanderbilt* | LP FieldNashville, TN (Music City Bowl) | ESPN | L 24–38 | 55,801 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time |||||||

## Season summary
### Miami (FL)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| NC State | 7 | 7 | 7 | 16 | 37 |
| Miami (FL) | 23 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 44 |
at Sun Life Stadium • Miami Gardens, Florida
* Date: September 29
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Partly cloudy • 87 °F (31 °C) • Wind SE 8 miles per hour (13 km/h; 7.0 kn)
* Game attendance: 38,510
* Referee: Pat Garvey
* Box Score
Game information :
NC State
Mike Glennon 24/42, 440 Yds, 4 TD, 2 INT
Tony Creecy 19 Rush, 120 Yds, TD
Tobais Palmer 5 Rec, 94 Yds
Miami (FL)
Stephen Morris 26/49, 566 Yds, 5 TD, INT
Duke Johnson 12 Rush, 39 Yds, TD
Phillip Dorsett 7 Rec, 191 Yds, 2 TD :
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | NCST | MIA |
| 1 | 9:29 | 3 | 68 | 0:42 | NC State | Tony Creecy 1-yard touchdown run, Niklas Sade kick good | 7 | 0 |
| 1 | 8:40 | 3 | 75 | 0:49 | Miami (FL) | Allen Hurns 14-yard touchdown reception from Stephen Morris, Jake Wieclaw kick good | 7 | 7 |
| 2 | 8:28 | | | | Miami (FL) | Mike Glennon tackled in end zone for a safety by Jelani Hamilton | 7 | 9 |
| 1 | 6:52 | 5 | 74 | 1:36 | Miami (FL) | Phillip Dorsett 24-yard touchdown reception from Stephen Morris, Jake Wieclaw kick good | 7 | 16 |
| 1 | 4:18 | 3 | 84 | 1:12 | Miami (FL) | Rashawn Scott 76-yard touchdown reception from Stephen Morris, Jake Wieclaw kick good | 7 | 23 |
| 2 | 14:56 | 3 | 80 | 0:19 | NC State | Tony Creecy 7-yard touchdown reception from Mike Glennon, Niklas Sade kick good | 14 | 23 |
| 3 | 8:14 | 13 | 74 | 6:46 | NC State | Bryan Underwood 4-yard touchdown reception from Mike Glennon, Niklas Sade kick good | 21 | 23 |
| 3 | 0:54 | 10 | 90 | 3:24 | Miami (FL) | Duke Johnson 4-yard touchdown run, Jake Wieclaw kick good | 21 | 30 |
| 4 | 10:23 | 13 | 97 | 5:31 | NC State | Bryan Underwood 28-yard touchdown reception from Mike Glennon, Niklas Sade kick no good | 27 | 30 |
| 4 | 8:00 | 7 | 76 | 2:23 | Miami (FL) | Rashawn Scott 13-yard touchdown reception from Stephen Morris, Jake Wieclaw kick good | 27 | 37 |
| 4 | 5:43 | 6 | 78 | 2:17 | NC State | Rashard Smith 6-yard touchdown reception from Mike Glennon, Niklas Sade kick good | 34 | 37 |
| 4 | 1:58 | 8 | 41 | 2:10 | NC State | 50-yard field goal by Niklas Sade | 37 | 37 |
| 4 | 0:19 | 3 | 61 | 0:29 | Miami (FL) | Phillip Dorsett 62-yard touchdown reception from Stephen Morris, Jake Wieclaw kick good | 37 | 44 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 37 | 44 |

### Clemson

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| NC State | 21 | 3 | 14 | 10 | 48 |
| Clemson | 13 | 28 | 21 | 0 | 62 |
at Memorial Stadium • Clemson, South Carolina
* Date: November 17
* Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Sunny • 57 °F (14 °C) • Wind E 9 miles per hour (14 km/h; 7.8 kn)
* Game attendance: 76,000
* Referee: J. Magallanes
* Box Score
Game information :
NC State
Mike Glennon 29/53, 493 Yds, 5 TD, INT
Shadrach Thornton 21 Rush, 114 Yds, TD
Tobais Palmer 7 Rec, 219 Yds, 3 TD
Clemson
Tajh Boyd 30/44, 426 Yds, 5 TD, 2 INT
Andre Ellington 22 Rush, 124 Yds
Sammy Watkins 11 Rec, 110 Yds, TD :
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | NCST | CLEM |
| 1 | 12:56 | 9 | 46 | 2:04 | Clemson | 46-yard field goal by Chandler Catanzaro | 0 | 3 |
| 1 | 9:54 | 9 | 66 | 2:21 | Clemson | Tajh Boyd 4-yard touchdown run, Chandler Catanzaro kick good | 0 | 10 |
| 1 | 7:31 | 6 | 25 | 1:35 | Clemson | 43-yard field goal by Chandler Catanzaro | 0 | 13 |
| 1 | 7:13 | 1 | 77 | 0:13 | NC State | Tobais Palmer 77-yard touchdown reception from Mike Glennon, Niklas Sade kick good | 7 | 13 |
| 1 | 6:19 | 1 | 49 | 0:09 | NC State | Tobais Palmer 49-yard touchdown reception from Mike Glennon, Niklas Sade kick good | 14 | 13 |
| 1 | 1:36 | 9 | 81 | 2:49 | NC State | Rashard Smith 18-yard touchdown reception from Mike Glennon, Niklas Sade kick good | 21 | 13 |
| 2 | 14:17 | 5 | 19 | 1:24 | NC State | 32-yard field goal by Niklas Sade | 24 | 13 |
| 2 | 12:52 | 8 | 78 | 1:21 | Clemson | Brandon Ford 7-yard touchdown reception from Tajh Boyd, 2-point pass failed | 24 | 19 |
| 2 | 10:28 | 4 | 59 | 0:33 | Clemson | Sammy Watkins 27-yard touchdown reception from Tajh Boyd, 2-point pass good | 24 | 27 |
| 2 | 2:22 | 5 | 80 | 1:23 | Clemson | DeAndre Hopkins 62-yard touchdown reception from Tajh Boyd, Chandler Catanzaro kick good | 24 | 34 |
| 2 | 1:14 | 4 | 32 | 0:53 | Clemson | Tajh Boyd 9-yard touchdown run, Chandler Catanzaro kick good | 24 | 41 |
| 3 | 11:00 | 4 | 68 | 1:02 | Clemson | Martavis Bryant 40-yard touchdown reception from Tajh Boyd, Chandler Catanzaro kick good | 24 | 48 |
| 3 | 4:13 | 10 | 74 | 2:58 | Clemson | Tajh Boyd 9-yard touchdown run, Chandler Catanzaro kick good | 24 | 55 |
| 3 | 3:55 | 1 | 16 | 0:06 | NC State | Shadrach Thornton 16-yard touchdown run, Niklas Sade kick good | 31 | 55 |
| 3 | 2:38 | 1 | 6 | 0:06 | NC State | Mario Carter 6-yard touchdown reception from Mike Glennon, Niklas Sade kick good | 38 | 55 |
| 3 | 1:39 | 3 | 75 | 0:59 | Clemson | Brandon Ford 69-yard touchdown reception from Tajh Boyd, Chandler Catanzaro kick good | 38 | 62 |
| 4 | 14:20 | 10 | 56 | 2:11 | NC State | Tobais Palmer 29-yard touchdown reception from Mike Glennon, Niklas Sade kick good | 45 | 62 |
| 4 | 7:35 | 13 | 63 | 3:22 | NC State | 40-yard field goal by Niklas Sade | 48 | 62 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 48 | 62 |