In 1944, State hired former Appalachian State head coach Beattie Feathers as the Wolfpack head football coach. Feathers, a former star at Tennessee and the first NFL running back to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, compiled a 37–38–8 record in eight seasons, the program's most successful coaching tenure yet. In Feathers' second season, Wolfpack defensive player Howard "Touchdown" Turner returned an interception 105 yards against Duke, a record that still stands as the longest play in Wolfpack history. The 1946 season began with wins over Duke and Clemson, earning the program their first appearance in the UPI poll (19th). The next year, NC State reached their first ever bowl game, the second annual Gator Bowl. The team lost to Oklahoma, 34–13, and finished the season at 8–3, the highest win total since finishing 9–1 in 1927. 1947 saw the Wolfpack finish 5–3–1. That season was followed by a 3–6–1 campaign in 1948, a 3–7 mark in 1949 and a 5–4–1 record in 1950. The Wolfpack's first ever nationally televised game was played in 1950. State defeated eighth-ranked Maryland 16–13 in College Park. The game aired on the now-defunct Dumont Television Network. After a 3–7 campaign in 1951, Feathers was relieved of his duties as head coach.