Key play breakdown: Wide receiver or QB1?

An inside look at how the most important play of State's 16-10 win against Syracuse on Thursday.

Timing, it's been said, is everything. It sure turned out that way for the NC State football team on Thursday. 

With his team struggling to get into the end zone yet again and time running out in the first half, coach Dave Doeren decided during a timeout that it was a good time to call a trick play on first-and-10 from the Syracuse 32.

He was right. The play, on which wide receiver Thayer Thomas threw a touchdown pass to wide open running back Trent Pennix caught Syracuse completly off guard, turning a precarious 6-0 lead into a 13-0 halftime cushion.

Here's a look at how the play unfolded:

With quarterback Bailey Hockman under center, receiver Tabari Hines comes in motion to the field side, joining tellow receivers Thayer Thomas and Emeka Emezie to set up what appears to be a bubble screen.

The Syracuse linebacker slides over with Hines, giving the Orange what they believe is a four-on-three mismatch as Hines and Emezie get ready to block for Thomas once he catches the backward pass from Hockman that's currently in the air.

The defenders quickly realize that Thomas is going to throw the ball and start retreating, but Thomas fools them again by taking a glance down the near hashmark as running back Pennix leaks out unnoticed on the far sice (just off the hashmark at the green field goal range line).

By the time Thomas turns to his left and cocks to throw, Syracuse's entire defense is out of position or on its heels. ...

... leaving Pennix so wide open that he has time to stop and wait for the underthrown pass to get to him. The play worked so well that Hockman said he began running down the field with his arms in the air yelling "touchdown!" even before Pennix caught the ball.

With no one within 10 yards of him when he made the catch, Pennix was easily about to beat Syracuse's Evan Foster for the Wolfpack's only touchdown of the game and what turned out to be the decisive points in the pivotal victory.

The touchdown pass was the second this season Thomas has thrown, ranking him second on the team, only one behind leader Matthew McKay.