RALEIGH, NC (WTVD) — KC Concepcion picked up where he left off after his sensational freshman season, helping No. 24 NC State avoid a major upset against FCS rival Western Carolina on Thursday night.

Concepcion caught three touchdown passes and had more than 100 receiving yards, helping the out-of-sync Wolfpack to a 38-21 victory over the struggling Catamounts.

In the season opener for both teams, NC State’s offense showed flashes of the potential fans have dreamed of at the skill positions. But for most of the night, new quarterback Grayson McCall looked inaccurate and the offense seemed disjointed.

“I thought we played a little sloppy, a lot of things still need to be cleaned up,” McCall said. “But I’m happy we came away with a win.”

Concepcion saved the Pack, however, catching scoring passes in the first, second and fourth quarters. His final score, a slick 35-yard catch-and-run, gave the Wolfpack the lead 24-21.

Concepcion finished with nine catches and 121 yards

The Catamounts, ranked 19th in the FCS preseason poll, struck first, intercepting McCall and returning an 8-yard touchdown pass for an early 7-0 lead.

The teams were tied at 14 at halftime and the Catamounts led 21-17 going into the final quarter, putting them within striking distance of a shocking upset. But Concepcion’s highlight-reel effort put the Wolfpack ahead for good

Jordan Waters, a transfer from nearby Duke, shook off his rocky debut by passing multiple tacklers for a 7-yard touchdown to give NC State a 31-21 lead with 6:33 left.

Waters then finished it off with a 50-yard scoring sprint with 1:50 left on the clock, which resulted in a 123-yard rushing day, while McCall managed 318 yards in his first game in red for the Wolfpack.

Cole Gonzales threw for 211 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Catamounts.

NC State has plenty of work to do, with a key game against No. 15 Tennessee on Sept. 7 in Charlotte.

The Associated Press contributed.