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The Wolfpack reboundfrom two tough losses against high-ranked teams with a 17-14 victory over Boston College.
Jaylen Samuels added an 8-yard scoring run for the Wolfpack (7-3, 5-1 Atlantic Coast Conference). They had lost to third-ranked Notre Dame and No. 4 Clemson, respectively, the previous two weeks.
With wins in their last two ACC games, they have a chance to reach a program first.
''It's always nice to get a winning taste back,'' North Carolina State coach Dave Doeren said. ''Our goal at the end of the week was to try to get to seven wins in the ACC, which has never been done. It's a great goal, a lofty goal.''
Quarterback Ryan Finley completed 13 of 32 passes for 146 yards for NC State.
''It was hard coming up here in this cold weather,'' Samuels said of a game-time temperature of 27 degrees. ''We knew it was going to be tough to play these guys, they're tough, physical.''
Hines injured his ankle early in the Notre Dame game and was limited in the loss to Clemson.
''Not only did we have him, but we had him back healthy,'' said Doeren, who called him a ''difference maker.''
AJ Dillon carried 36 times for 196 yards, going over 1,000 yards to set a school-freshman record for rushing yards for the Eagles (5-5, 3-4), who had their three-game winning streak stopped.
Thadd Smith had a 12-yard TD run for the Eagles, who lost starting quarterback Anthony Brown with a right leg injury early in the second quarter after he crumpled to the ground in pain when he was untouched on a cut. His right knee appeared to buckle.
''It didn't look good,'' BC coach Steve Addazio said. ''What does that mean? Obviously he's going to have some testing done to try to figure out exactly what he did.''
BC led 14-10 after Smith's run, but Hines went down the right sideline for the game-winning score.
The Eagles had a chance to tie it with just under five minutes to play, but a bad snap spoiled their chance for a 39-yard field goal attempt. Holder Jeff Smith rolled out and fired an incomplete pass near the goal line.
BC had linebacker Kyle Bletzer recovered a lateral from Samuels at the Wolfpack 23 before Smith scored on a jet-sweep four plays later.
Kyle Bambard's 41-yard field goal with three seconds left in the opening half gave NC State a 10-7 edge after Tyrone Riley blocked a punt.
BC had moved ahead on Dillon's 66-yard score, but the Wolfpack marched 87 yards in 11 plays on the ensuing drive to tie it on Samuels' run.
Jameis Winston did his part even though Florida State had to fight the entire way to stay unbeaten at North Carolina State. Winston threw for 365 yards and four touchdowns to help FSU rally from 17 down. Jameis did account for three turnovers so it wasn't a Heisman performance, nevertheless the Seminoles offense click on all cyliners with their leader under the helm.
The Seminole defense could not figure out Jacoby Brissett the North Carolina State quarterback as he was impressive in the first half leading the Wolfpack into the lockeroom with a 24-21 lead.
"When's the last time the offense and defense actually clicked on the same note?" Winston said. "I don't know. We've got so much potential. We've got so much to look for. I'm telling you, that's the most exciting part."
Winston directed four straight second-half touchdown drives to finally put the reigning national champions in control.
Rashad Greene hauled in 11 passes for 125 yards and the go-ahead score for the Seminoles, while Karlos Williams ran for three scores -- the last with 2:07 left to seal it.
On a night when both teams topped 500 total yards, Winston and the Seminoles won on the same field where they suffered their last league loss two years ago.
"We can take a punch and stand up and compete," coach Jimbo Fisher said. "Now I'd rather start blocking and dodging some and playing, but there's something to that now. I'm going to tell you what: that takes time. That's a culture. That's the way you think, the way you believe in each other and there's a lot of inner trust in that locker room."
It was a frustrating finish for NC State considering its promising start. Brissett connected with freshman Bo Hines for a 54-yard touchdown pass just 18 seconds into the game.
Brissett later came up with a jaw-dropping play, ducking under the grasp of a Seminoles defender in the pocket then staying on his feet to break away from another near the sideline to throw an 8-yard scoring pass to Johnathan Alston for a 24-7 lead with 2:06 left in the opening period.
It marked the first time in program history that FSU had given up 24 points in the opening quarter, though the Seminoles closed to within 24-21 by halftime.
The Seminoles have a lot of work to do before I would consider them the favorite for another championship, but who has more talent?
The Florida State Seminoles seems to have taken the NC State lightly as the Wolfpack jumped on the Seminoles early and have a 24-21 halftime Lead.
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In the ACC Battles game of the week the (3-0) Florida State Seminoles take on a hungry (4-0) NC State Wolfpack team who's looking to knock off the defending national champions.
Jameis Winston the Seminoles quarterback who was suspended for last weeks scare against Clemson -- as backup Sean Maguire led Florida State to an overtime victory. Jameis will probably have a little rust getting back under center for this week, but the Seminoles have many weapons that the Wolfpack will need to account for.
On paper the Seminoles look like the favorite but what NC State has working for them is history. Florida state has not fared well in Carter-Finley Stadium -- in its past eight visits to Raleigh, North Carolina, the Seminoles exited with five losses.
In FSU’s past three losses in Raleigh, it has blown a double-digit halftime lead. The Seminoles' offense registered just 177 yards in the 2002 loss, and their seven points in a 1998 loss were the fewest they have scored in more than a decade.
In each of those losses, the Seminoles were ranked; NC State was not. So, ya know, historically, the table has been set once again. Despite a 4-0 start, NC State is unranked in 2014.
