Tag: NC State Wolfpack

Bill Belichick’s first UNC season wraps up at rival NC State

Posted on | by Field Level Media

There’s generally enough going on when North Carolina and North Carolina State meet on the football field.

Throw in the fact that Bill Belichick will be coaching the Tar Heels and that adds another element for Saturday night’s game in Raleigh, N.C.

NC State (6-5, 3-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) has reached bowl eligibility, while North Carolina (4-7, 2-5) will end the season with a sub-.500 record.

When Belichick was coach and general manager with the NFL’s New England Patriots, he made visits to NC State’s pro day. He probably won’t be welcomed quite as kindly by fans on this trip, though Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren said it’s a good twist.

“It’s great having Coach Belichick in the conference,” Doeren said. “I love coaching and the chess match of the game, and I look forward to the competition.”

NC State will play its final home game of the season. Don’t expect the Wolfpack to hold anything back when it comes to expanding the playbook.

“We have plays ready, and if the opportunity presents itself — whether it’s going for it on fourth down or running something different — we’ll do it,” Doeren said.

Belichick said he expects similar intensity to last week’s game vs. Duke, though the Tar Heels will be on the road this week.

“It’s every play, you can’t afford any plays off against this group,” Belichick said of the Wolfpack. “Or they’re going to get you on it, because they just keep coming at you.”

NC State linebacker Caden Fordham leads all players from power conferences with 118 tackles. He didn’t finish the 2024 season because of a knee injury.

“When players care that much and then get injured, you hope they have a big bounce-back year,” Doeren said. “He has.”

North Carolina is coming off losses to in-state foes Wake Forest and Duke. The Tar Heels committed 12 penalties that cost them 103 yards against the Blue Devils.

“We just have to do a better job of keeping our boys playing football and not doing things after the play,” Belichick said.

Doeren holds an 8-4 record vs. the Tar Heels. The Wolfpack have a four-game winning streak in the series.

–Field Level Media

Nov 1, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack quarter back CJ Bailey (11) scores a touchdown against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the first quarter at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

NC State racks up 583 yards while handing No. 8 Georgia Tech its first loss

Posted on | by Field Level Media

CJ Bailey threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns, adding another score on the ground as North Carolina State posted a 48-36 upset of visiting No. 8 Georgia Tech on Saturday in Atlantic Coast Conference play.

Jayden Scott rushed for a career-high 196 yards and a touchdown for NC State (5-4, 2-3 in ACC), which handed Georgia Tech its first loss. The Wolfpack outgained the Yellow Jackets 583-559 in total offense to notch their first win over a ranked opponent since they beat No. 17 North Carolina in 2022.

Haynes King threw for 408 yards, two touchdowns and an interception for the Yellow Jackets (8-1, 5-1), adding 103 rushing yards and two scores on the ground. Georgia Tech allowed its most points since a 48-23 loss to Ole Miss in 2023.

Trailing by seven at halftime, Georgia Tech cut its deficit to four on Aidan Birr’s 23-yard field goal. The Wolfpack answered in just over a minute, as Will Wilson’s 1-yard rushing score gave NC State a 31-20 lead with seven minutes left in the third.

Birr’s 29-yard field goal pulled the Yellow Jackets within eight with 4:52 remaining in the third.

Then Bailey eluded a defender to find Teddy Hoffmann for a 55-yard touchdown strike on NC State’s next possession, before King got the score back with his 3-yard rushing score to cut the Wolfpack lead to 38-30 entering the fourth.

After Kanoah Vinesett’s 37-yard field goal put NC State ahead by 11, the Wolfpack defense forced Georgia Tech’s only punt of the game.

Scott’s 30-yard touchdown rush gave the Wolfpack an 18-point lead, but King’s 16-yard touchdown pass to Zion Taylor kept hope alive at the 2:22 mark. Georgia Tech’s failed onside kick attempt sealed NC State’s victory.

The Wolfpack opened the game with Bailey’s 5-yard touchdown pass to Cody Hardy.

King’s 50-yard pass to Jordan Allen on Georgia Tech’s ensuing drive was followed with King’s 12-yard rushing score to knot the score with 6:49 remaining in the opening quarter.

Bailey answered with an 11-yard rushing score to stamp a 78-yard drive at the 1:59 mark of the first.

After Birr’s 43-yarder cut Georgia Tech’s deficit to four, King’s 2-yard touchdown pass to J.T. Byrne gave the Yellow Jackets a 17-14 lead with 6:25 left in the first half.

NC State regained the lead on the ensuing drive, as Hardy recovered Wilson’s fumble in the end zone. Birr missed a 54-yarder before Vinesett’s 34-yard field goal as time expired to give the Wolfpack a seven-point halftime lead.

–Field Level Media

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

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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