Tag: NC State Wolfpack

Nov 2, 2024; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; North Carolina Tarheels head coach Mack Brown during warmups before a game against the Florida State Seminoles at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Myers-Imagn Images

North Carolina hosts NC State in Mack Brown’s home finale

Posted on | by Field Level Media

In most cases, a regular-season finale between two teams with a combined 11 wins wouldn’t be too compelling.

That’s hardly the case on Saturday in Chapel Hill, N.C., where North Carolina’s Mack Brown coaches his final home game against rival North Carolina State.

The university announced Tuesday that Brown, 73, will not return next season, despite Brown telling reporters on Monday he planned to be back in 2025.

“While this was not the perfect time and way in which I imagined going out, no time will ever be the perfect time,” Brown said in a statement. “We’ve had the chance to coach and mentor some great young men, and we’ll miss having the opportunity to do that in the future. … We want to send these seniors out right and I hope our fans will show up Saturday to do the same.”

In addition to the emotionally charged atmosphere at Kenan Stadium for the host Tar Heels (6-5, 3-4 Atlantic Coast Conference), the Wolfpack (5-6, 2-5) desperately need a victory to become bowl eligible.

A loss to North Carolina would mark just the third losing season for the Wolfpack since Dave Doeren took over in 2013. NC State is coming off a 30-29 defeat at Georgia Tech in which the Yellow Jackets regained the lead with 22 seconds left on an 18-yard run by Aaron Philo.

True freshman CJ Bailey has completed 63.7 percent of his passes for 1,941 yards and 12 touchdowns with eight interceptions. Bailey has also rushed for 201 yards and five touchdowns.

With three straight wins over the Tar Heels, Doeren knows how significant a fourth would be, especially considering it would send the Wolfpack to a bowl game and end Brown’s tenure on a sour note.

“I’m a little different,” Doeren said. “I guess I don’t treat it as a normal game. … It’s something that matters deeply. Not just to Dave Doeren. It matters a lot to the former players. It matters a lot to the alumni, to the donors, to the administration. It’s not that the other games don’t matter. They do, but this one runs deeper.”

–Field Level Media

Nov 9, 2024; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils wide receiver Que'Sean Brown (14) makes the catch against the North Carolina State Wolfpack during the first half at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Duke scores touchdowns, NC State settles for field goals in Blue Devils’ win

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Maalik Murphy threw for two touchdowns and ran for another as Duke snapped a two-game losing streak by winning 29-19 at North Carolina State on Saturday in Raleigh, N.C.

Duke (7-3, 3-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) handled the task defensively by holding the Wolfpack without a touchdown until the fourth quarter.

Todd Pelino kicked two long field goals for the Blue Devils, who have defeated NC State in back-to-back seasons.

Kanoah Vinesett kicked four field goals for NC State (5-5, 2-4), which played in its home finale. The Wolfpack was coming off victories against ACC newcomers Cal and Stanford but couldn’t pull off another triumph against a longtime neighboring foe.

Murphy was 22 of 31 for 245 yards in the air, but Duke gained just 31 rushing yards.

The Blue Devils managed 276 yards of total offense, barely outgaining NC State’s 268.

Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey was 16 of 39 for 184 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Murphy broke a tie in the third quarter with a 3-yard touchdown run for a 19-12 edge. Then he connected with Sahmir Hagans for a 9-yard touchdown pass to complete the first possession of the fourth quarter.

NC State finally got going and Bailey pass to Wesley Grimes for a 16-yard touchdown on fourth-and-8 as the Wolfpack closed within 26-19 with 9:01 remaining in regulation.

The teams traded punts before Duke chewed up almost four minutes from the clock to set up Pelino’s 49-yarder for the final points.

Duke started strong by scoring in a variety of ways. The first points came on a safety when Bailey was sacked by Wesley Williams and Aaron Hall in the end zone.

Pelino kicked a 50-yard field goal and then Murphy hooked up with Jordan Moore for a 45-yard touchdown play as the Blue Devils built a 12-0 lead.

NC State came back in pieces with second-quarter field goals of 30, 28 and 37 yards. The last of those was a gift following a Duke fumble and with just one second left in the half, making the score 12-9.

Vinesett was good from 25 yards out to tie the score early in the third quarter.

–Field Level Media

Nov 2, 2024; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack quarter back CJ Bailey (16) drops the ball back for a pass during the second quarter against Stanford Cardinals at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

NC State racks up 527 yards, demolishes Stanford 59-28

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Jordan Waters and Hollywood Smothers each rushed for two touchdowns and 100 yards apiece as North Carolina State rolled to a 59-28 home victory over Stanford on Saturday afternoon in Raleigh, N.C.

NC State (5-4, 2-3 ACC) has won consecutive games for the first time this season, while Stanford (2-7, 1-5) lost its sixth in a row.

Smothers reached a career-high 100 yards rushing on 16 carries, while Waters totaled 115 yards on just five touches. One of Waters’ two touchdown runs came on a 94-yard breakaway in the third quarter, which followed Smothers’ 52-yard sprint to the end zone. It was a banner day for NC State’s running game, which piled up a season-high 281 yards.

Complementing the ground attack was the steady play of true freshman CJ Bailey, as he completed 18-of-20 passes for 234 yards and three touchdowns. KC Concepcion caught and ran for touchdowns, totaling 46 yards on total offense on seven touches, as the Wolfpack totaled 527 offensive yards.

Stanford was paced by Ashton Daniels, who threw for 70 yards while completing 6-of-8 attempts and rushed for a game-high 129 yards and two touchdowns.

NC State scored touchdowns on four of its five first-half possessions — settling for a field goal on the other — helping it jump out to a 31-14 lead at the break. The Wolfpack kept clicking on offense in the second half, with touchdowns on each of their first four possessions after intermission.

Stanford was a combined 4-of-12 on third and fourth downs, while NC State was 7-of-11.

It was the Wolfpack’s highest scoring total of the season.

Defensively, NC State came up with three sacks, 13 tackles for losses and two turnovers.

–Field Level Media

Oct 12, 2024; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack quarter back CJ Bailey (16) looks for an opening during the second half at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

NC State seeks bounce-back performance vs. Cal

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Coming off back-to-back losses at home for the first time since 2019, North Carolina State will look to pick up a win on the road when it heads to the West Coast for the first time this season in the new-look Atlantic Coast Conference to face California on Saturday afternoon in Berkeley, Calif.

NC State (3-4, 0-3 ACC) is still searching for its first conference win. The Wolfpack have failed to live up to expectations after being picked to finish fourth in the ACC preseason poll, garnering eight first-place votes. Heading into this game against the Golden Bears (3-3, 0-3), the Wolfpack seem to be in jeopardy of letting their season go off the rails.

The Wolfpack are coming off a home loss to Syracuse, in which they lost by just one score and lost the turnover battle 3-0.

“When you’re used to it, when you start taking that stuff for granted, sometimes the football gods come back and remind you how hard it really is to win a game,” NC State coach Dave Doeren said this week. “We can’t take winning for granted. We can’t take how to win for granted, the precious details, the value of field position and turnover margin.”

After Coastal Carolina transfer quarterback Grayson McCall suffered his second head injury in the past 12 months in NC State’s loss to Wake Forest on Oct. 5, true freshman CJ Bailey has taken the reins. Statistically, he had his best game yet against Syracuse, completing 17 of 24 throws for a season-high 329 yards and two touchdowns. But he also fumbled once and threw an interception.

NC State turns the ball over 1.9 times per game, which is the most in the ACC.

Cal has lost three games in a row, but by a combined eight points. The Bears lost on the road at Florida State by five, home to Miami by one in a controversial ending, and most recently at Pittsburgh by two. Two of Cal’s losses were also to AP-ranked opponents.

In Cal coach Justin Wilcox’s opinion, the team’s problem lately has been protecting its quarterback. The Bears have allowed 24 sacks through six games, which is the second-worst mark in FBS, tied with Colorado and trailing only South Carolina.

“We can’t get sacked so much. Everybody’s involved in that,” Wilcox said. “We’ve got to throw the ball on time, we have to protect the quarterback up front. The quarterback, there are times we can make better decisions.”

That quarterback is Fernando Mendoza, who has a completion percentage of 66.5 percent and is averaging 8.1 passing yards per attempt, both of which rank in the top 10 in the ACC.

Saturday’s game will be the first meeting between NC State and Cal in football.

–Field Level Media

Oct 5, 2024; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons defensive lineman Justin Cody (11) and players tackle North Carolina State Wolfpack wide receiver Kevin Concepcion (10) during the first half of the game against at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Demond Claiborne (3 TDs), Wake Forest rally past NC State

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Demond Claiborne’s third touchdown of the game came on a 3-yard run with 1:01 remaining and Wake Forest rallied from a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit to beat host North Carolina State 34-30 in an Atlantic Coast Conference game Saturday afternoon at Raleigh, N.C.

Wake Forest (2-3, 1-1 ACC) converted two fourth-down plays on the 13-play, 65-yard winning drive, ending a three-game losing streak.

CJ Bailey threw for 272 yards and two touchdowns in a backup role, but NC State (3-3) remained without back-to-back victories this year.

NC State quarterback Grayson McCall left in the first quarter after a scary hit that resulted in him strapped to a board and carted off the field. He raised his hand slightly to acknowledge the crowd as he was leaving the field.

Hank Bachmeier threw for two touchdowns and 154 yards for Wake Forest. Clairborne gained 136 yards on 20 carries with two rushing touchdowns and a TD catch.

Bailey was intercepted by Branson Combs on the first play after Wake Forest went ahead in the fourth.

Wake Forst committed turnovers on its first two second-half possessions, but the Wolfpack failed to capitalize. The Demon Deacons went up 20-16 on Matthew Dennis’ 41-yard field goal in the third quarter.

NC State’s Kendrick Raphael ran 20 yards for a go-ahead touchdown later in the third. Less than two minutes into the fourth, Bailey’s 22-yard pass to Justin Joly gave the Wolfpack a two-possession lead for the first time.

McCall, in his first game after a 2 1/2-game injury absence, exited after absorbing a vicious hit as he scrambled on the Wolfpack’s first possession. Multiple Demon Deacons converged on McCall, with his helmet and the fumble popping loose. Wake Forest’s Evan Slocum made an 88-yard return on the fumble to the Wolfpack 2-yard line as NC State medical staff rushed onto the field to tend to McCall.

McCall is in his first Wolfpack season after a record-setting career with Coastal Carolina, where he experienced a history of concussions.

Wake Forest converted the game’s first turnover into Claiborne’s 3-yard touchdown catch from Bachmeier and a 10-0 lead.

NC State recovered to take the lead with two 35-yard field goals from Kanoah Vinesett and Bailey’s 9-yard pass to Keenan Jackson.

The Demon Deacons were back in front on Horatio Fields’ 23-yard touchdown grab from Bachmeier and held a 17-16 halftime lead.

–Field Level Media

Nov 4, 2023; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren encourages his team as they warm up prior to a game against the Miami Hurricanes at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

NC State looks to ride momentum vs. struggling Wake Forest

Posted on | by Field Level Media

North Carolina State has done some heavy lifting in the past couple of weeks, and there’s little room for a slip-up.

The Wolfpack visit struggling Wake Forest in an Atlantic Coast Conference game Saturday at Winston-Salem, N.C.

NC State (6-3, 3-2) has won back-to-back home games against Clemson and Miami, and those victories have allowed the Wolfpack to stay in the race for the second spot in the ACC championship game. (Florida State is in first place in the conference at 7-0.)

“Looking forward to what’s next,” coach Dave Doeren said. “We put ourselves in a good position with three games to play.”

Wake Forest (4-5, 1-5) must win two of its final three games to reach bowl eligibility. This is the Demon Deacons’ home finale before trips to Notre Dame and Syracuse.

The Demon Deacons have lost five of their last six. Wake Forest never trailed until the final play in a 24-21 loss last Thursday at Duke.

“You’ve got to emphasize the positive, fix the negative,” Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson said. “I’m glad we have an extra day or two. That one hurts. That one really stings, but that’s the job.”

The Demon Deacons have experienced offensive doldrums and dealt with injuries at quarterback. Inconsistencies surfaced at Duke.

“We had some turnovers in the second half, which is a shame because that was one of the better offensive performances that we’ve had in quite a while,” Clawson said. “But we couldn’t finish drives, we didn’t convert short yardage, we missed a couple of field goals.”

Mitch Griffis led the way for Wake with 241 yards passing, completing 16 of 19 throws.

NC State, meanwhile, has been stingy on defense in its last two games. The 20-6 victory against Miami last Saturday followed a 24-17 win over Clemson.

“If we stay on that page, if everybody has that mentality of ‘I want to make every single play,’ you can’t go wrong,” Wolfpack linebacker Payton Wilson said. “Everybody’s flying to the ball. Everybody’s doing their job and not pressing.”

NC State should be on full alert, having lost in its past three trips to Winston-Salem.

“It’s a rivalry game,” Clawson said. “It’s in November. You want to play with emotion, but you don’t want to play emotional.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 28, 2023; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack linebacker Payton Wilson (11) celebrates after scoring a touchdown on an interception during the second half against the Clemson Tigers at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

NC State looking to maintain momentum vs. Miami

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Miami and North Carolina State have shared disappointments this season, yet both remain in contention in the Atlantic Coast Conference entering Saturday’s meeting in Raleigh, N.C.

The visiting Hurricanes (6-2, 2-2 ACC) have won two in a row, needing overtime in each of those home outings to outlast Clemson and Virginia.

“Our team, by now, should feel that there is not a situation that we can’t overcome,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. “It was good to see all that pay off. The validation, the hard work. Never looking back, always going forward.”

NC State (5-3, 2-2) defeated Clemson last week, a solid showing after an open week on the schedule. The Wolfpack have vowed to stay together after taking some midseason criticism.

“It just made us stronger as a whole,” Wolfpack freshman receiver KC Concepcion said.

NC State coach Dave Doeren has 100 wins between Northern Illinois and NC State combined. His 77 wins with the Wolfpack are tied with Earle Edwards (1954-70) for the most in school history.

“I’d like to own it singular and not tied,” Doeren said.

NC State is still trying to sort out issues on offense, but there have been encouraging signs. The only two turnovers in the Clemson game were committed by the Tigers.

“Plus-two in turnover margin, that’s how you win games,” Doeren said. “We did not turn the ball over on offense and had some explosive plays. There’s definitely positives.”

MJ Morris has started the past three games at quarterback, with the Wolfpack going 2-1.

NC State linebacker Payton Wilson picked up another ACC weekly honor as the top linebacker for last week. He’s a bit dinged up, Doeren said, but should be fine for the Miami game.

“I think Payton is playing better than anybody in college football,” Doeren said of the ACC leader in tackles. Wilson also returned an interception for a touchdown against Clemson.

Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. has been dubbed the ACC’s top defensive lineman the past two weeks and three times this season. The Hurricanes registered 10 tackles for loss, with six sacks, in the 29-26 win against Virginia.

–Field Level Media

Oct 21, 2023; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes linebacker Corey Flagg Jr. (11) tackles Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) to win the game in over time at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports

Clemson hoping to get ‘over the hump’ at NC State

Posted on | by Field Level Media

These have been perplexing times for Clemson, but that’s no reason for on-the-fly changes before the next game.

The Tigers will visit North Carolina State for Saturday afternoon’s Atlantic Coast Conference matchup in Raleigh, N.C.

“Just got to get over the hump,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “We just can’t quite seem to put it together.”

Clemson (4-3, 2-3) suffered a double-overtime loss to Miami last Saturday in a game that likely pushed the Tigers out of the league championship picture.

But despite some uneven play from quarterback Cade Klubnik, the Tigers are sticking with him. On the last snap of the Miami game, he deviated from the called play, and it turned out badly.

“Got to go with him, that’s just where we’re at,” Swinney said when asked of any potential QB changes.

North Carolina State (4-3, 1-2) already made a change at quarterback, moving MJ Morris ahead of Brennan Armstrong earlier this month. The Wolfpack are 1-1 with Morris atop the depth chart.

“We took a step back in that Duke game with self-inflicted things,” North Carolina State coach Dave Doeren said of a 24-3 loss at then-No. 17 Duke on Oct. 14.

The Wolfpack had last week off and are looking for their first league win since beating Virginia on Sept. 22.

“One thing as a coach that you hope for is that they’ll just keep fighting,” Doeren said. “This team has never shown that it won’t.”

This is a far cry from last season’s clash, when North Carolina State and Clemson were both ranked in the top 10.

Clemson has defeated the Wolfpack in nine of the last 10 meetings. North Carolina State won a double-overtime game two years ago at home.

The Tigers are expected to be without receiver Antonio Williams, who suffered a toe injury against the Hurricanes. Defensive end Xavier Thomas has rejoined workouts after sitting out because of a team-issued suspension last weekend.

Wolfpack linebacker Payton Wilson is averaging an ACC-leading 11.6 tackles per game.

Doeren, who has a 76-57 record in 11 seasons with the Wolfpack, is one victory away from tying Earle Edwards (1954-70) for the most wins in program history.

–Field Level Media

Sep 30, 2023; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarterback Riley Leonard (13) is forced to run during the second quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

No. 17 Duke hopes to have Riley Leonard vs. NC State

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The quarterback topic is running hot when it comes to Saturday night’s Atlantic Coast Conference game between visiting North Carolina State and No. 17 Duke in Durham, N.C.

The Wolfpack (4-2, 1-1) have broken in a new starter, while the Blue Devils (4-1, 1-0) are hoping for a clean bill of health for their QB1.

Duke has been off since a devastating Sept. 30 loss to Notre Dame, with Blue Devils quarterback Riley Leonard hurt in the final minute and his status in question because of a high ankle sprain.

“We have to prepare for him, first of all, until we find out he’s not playing,” North Carolina State coach Dave Doeren said. “We’ve heard a lot of different things.”

Duke coach Mike Elko said Leonard is day-to-day and made good strides in recovering during the team’s open week. But certainly the Blue Devils are preparing backup Henry Belin IV to be ready for action.

By Monday, Leonard was “moving around and throwing the ball,” Elko said. “We’ll see what happens this weekend. I do think the outlook for him is really positive for the rest of the season. We’ll see when we can get him back.”

This will be the first meeting between the teams since 2020 and the Wolfpack’s first visit to Duke’s campus since 2013.

“Haven’t been to Duke in a long time so look forward to playing them in their stadium,” Doeren said. “I know our guys are excited. They’re coming off a bye week, so we expect them to be pretty rested compared to us.”

The Blue Devils should be full of energy.

“When you get that (open) week after Week 5, you get healthy and kind of head into this backstretch of the season with a fresh team, and I think we were able to accomplish that,” Elko said.

North Carolina State’s MJ Morris made his first start of the season in last week’s 48-41 win against visiting Marshall, throwing for 265 yards and four touchdowns, with three interceptions.

“You don’t win a lot of games with three turnovers,” Doeren said. “Something we have to do better, particularly getting ready for this next game this week. I do expect him to grow and improve each week. The challenge changes each week as well, but the game does slow down the more you play it.”

Morris replaced graduate transfer Brennan Armstrong in the first-string spot, but the Wolfpack are still working to smooth out inconsistencies.

Duke’s defense has been solid, with its first-string unit not allowing a second-half touchdown until the Notre Dame game.

Doeren said the Blue Devils won’t be easy to push around.

“We have to do a great job of taking care of the football,” he said. “Protecting it, protecting the runners with blocking and the quarterback with protection. It’s going to be a great challenge. Their front does a really good job, their line stunts with their four-man rush packages, and different things that they do.”

The Wolfpack will be without safety Rakeim Ashford, who is out for the season after suffering a knee injury in the win against Marshall.

–Field Level Media