"I was just searching for grass": Inside Andrew Pellicciotta's 100-yard touchdown
Andrew Pellicciotta turned an NC State field goal try into a 100-yard kick-six, helping Duke cruise to a 41-3 victory.
On Saturday, November 7, Duke faced an unusual situation in their football game against NC State. With only one second left in the first half, NC State attempted a 50-yard field goal but missed it in the wind. Andrew Pellicciotta, Duke's defensive back, was waiting in the end zone, ready for a unique opportunity to make a play. Pellicciotta's 100-yard touchdown return proved to be one of the most memorable plays of Duke's 41-3 victory at Carter-Finley Stadium.
Coach Manny Diaz recognized the chance as soon as NC State's field-goal unit lined up, stating, "We knew it was into the wind." Pellicciotta, who had missed the last two games due to injury, said, "I was just searching for grass." He ran through traffic, reversing the field twice, and felt he was running out of gas as he reached the 15-yard line.
Despite the challenges, Pellicciotta celebrated his second touchdown of the season and became the first Duke player since 2013 to record both a defensive touchdown and a special teams touchdown in the same season.
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