Tag: NC State

Sep 22, 2023; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Anthony Colandrea (10) scrambles from North Carolina State Wolfpack defensive lineman Noah Potter (97) during the fourth quarter at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

NC State-UVA opener moved from Brazil to Charlottesville

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The season-opening football game between North Carolina State and Virginia will no longer be played in Brazil.

Both ACC schools announced Wednesday that the contest will be held on Aug. 29 in Charlottesville, Va.

Billed as the first college football game played in South America, it originally was scheduled to take place at Nilton Santos Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

The decision to relocate came after an “extensive review with the operational partners and international stakeholders” involved in the game, according to a press release.

“This change follows communication from Athlete Advantage, which informed the ACC and participating schools that the event could not be conducted,” the release said.

Fans who purchased tickets or travel packages will receive refunds.

–Field Level Media

Dec 18, 2021; New Orleans, LA, USA; Detailed view of the 50 yard line before the game between the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns and the Marshall Thundering Herd at the 2021 New Orleans Bowl at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

QB Gunner Rivers, Philip’s son, commits to NC State

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Quarterback Gunner Rivers, a highly regarded prospect in the high school Class of 2027, will follow the path of his father, Philip, and play for North Carolina State.

A consensus four-star prospect, Gunner Rivers is ranked by Rivals as the No. 12 quarterback in his class and by ESPN as the No. 11 pocket passer. Both sites have him among the 150 best prospects in the Class of 2027.

Gunner Rivers is entering his senior season at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Ala., where the head coach is his father. He started as QB for the team as a freshman, sophomore and junior, guiding St. Michael to three state championships.

He threw for 3,176 yards last season with 46 touchdowns with five interceptions, according to the Raleigh (N.C.) News & Observer and CBS Sports. However, ESPN put Rivers’ 2025 yardage total at 2,813.

Miami, Georgia, Auburn, Missouri, Boston College and South Carolina also had interest in Gunner Rivers, per various reports.

Philip Rivers, 44, was a four-year starter for NC State from 2000-03. He ranked second in the nation with 4,491 passing yards in 2003, and he finished seventh in Heisman Trophy voting that year.

Selected fourth overall in the 2004 draft, Philip Rivers spent 16 seasons with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers before playing for Indianapolis in 2020. He was out of the NFL for four years before he came out of retirement in December and started three games for the Colts.

Philip Rivers owns a 134-109 career record as an NFL starter and ranks sixth in NFL history in touchdown passes (425), eighth in passing yards (63,984) ninth in pass completions (5,335) and 10th in pass attempts (8,226).

–Field Level Media

QB CJ Bailey returning to NC State for 2026 season

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Quarterback CJ Bailey is returning to NC State for his junior season in 2026, he announced Friday on social media.

“Back with the Pack,” he posted on Instagram, ending speculation he could enter the transfer portal on Friday.

The two-year starter would have been one of the top signal-callers on the market if he had opted to leave Raleigh.

Bailey completed 68.8% of his passes for 3,105 yards with 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 13 games for the Wolfpack (8-5, 4-4 ACC) in 2025. He rushed for 215 yards and six scores.

Bailey ended the season with 221 passing yards and three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) in a 31-7 victory against Memphis in the Gasparilla Bowl on Dec. 19 in Tampa, Fla.

The 6-foot-6 sophomore from Miami, Fla., has thrown for 5,518 yards and 42 touchdowns with 19 interceptions in 25 career games. He has added 494 yards and 11 scores on the ground.

–Field Level Media

North Carolina State powers past Memphis 31-7 at Gasparilla Bowl

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CJ Bailey threw for two touchdowns and ran for another as North Carolina State had an efficient first half in a 31-7 victory against Memphis in the Gasparilla Bowl on Friday afternoon in Tampa.

Bailey was 14-for-25 passing for 221 yards. Teammate Jayden Scott rushed for 108 yards on 19 carries to help the Wolfpack (8-5) end the season on a three-game winning streak.

Memphis (8-5), which looked like a contender for a spot in the College Football Playoff through the first few months of the season, lost its final four games. The Tigers played the bowl game under interim coach Reggie Howard after coach Ryan Silverfield took the Arkansas job.

Dual-threat quarterback Brendon Lewis finished 14-for-25 for 106 passing yards with a touchdown and an interception and gained 51 rushing yards on 11 carries for Memphis.

NC State played without running back Hollywood Smothers after it was revealed late in the week that he would enter the transfer portal. All of the game’s points were scored before halftime, as the Wolfpack had the highest-scoring half for any team in Gasparilla Bowl history.

The Wolfpack began the game with a 75-yard drive that ended with Bailey’s 14-yard touchdown run.

Later in the first quarter, NC State went 67 yards on four plays, and Bailey tossed a 31-yard touchdown pass to Wesley Grimes.

NC State’s defense set up the next scoring opportunity. Caden Fordham returned an interception, which came off a deflected pass, 55 yards to the Memphis 3-yard line. Will Wilson scored on a 1-yard run on a direct snap.

Memphis had a chance to get on the board, but a 10-play possession ended on Gianni Spetic’s missed field goal from 56 yards out.

The Wolfpack stretched the margin to 24-0 on Kanoah Vinesett’s season-long 51-yard field goal.

The Tigers responded with a 75-yard drive, with Lewis throwing to Jamari Hawkins on a 28-yard touchdown play.

Teddy Hoffmann got free down the left sideline and Bailey hooked up with him for a 40-yard touchdown with 1:28 left in the first half.

NC State only outgained Memphis 337-303 on the day, as the Tigers threatened but turned the ball over on downs twice in the fourth quarter.

–Field Level Media

Nov 15, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; NC State Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey (11) looks for a passing option against the Miami Hurricanes during the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

NC State pursues strong finish vs. Memphis in Gasparilla Bowl

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North Carolina State has momentum going into the Gasparilla Bowl, and would like to build more before the offseason.

The Wolfpack will take on a Memphis team in transition on Friday afternoon in the bowl matchup in Tampa, Fla.

“It helps in the offseason, like, we won three out of the last four, and we’d love to finish four out of five,” North Carolina State coach Dave Doeren said. “It gives you a little momentum. And for a coach and a player, when you lose a game, you don’t get rid of that feeling until you play the next game, and that’s a long ways from now.”

The Wolfpack (7-5) won their final two games of the regular season against non-bowl teams Florida State and North Carolina.

Memphis (8-4) has a three-game losing streak following a winless November. So the Tigers went from a contender for a spot in the College Football Playoff to trying to find a positive ending in a pre-Christmas bowl.

Memphis interim coach Reggie Howard, who spent this season as cornerbacks coach, has been in charge since the last day of November after Ryan Silverfield left to take the head-coaching job at Arkansas.

Meanwhile, North Carolina State quarterback CJ Bailey hasn’t committed to the team beyond this week’s game.

“I plan to go home and talk to my mom and my dad,” he said of any decisions. “Just relax and enjoy my time off.”

But before that, Bailey has a plan.

“I’ve never won a bowl game before — I need one,” he said. “I need a win, and the program needs a win. We need to try to find a way to bounce back from all those losses we had, and it’s going to start from right here.”

Wolfpack running back Hollywood Smothers will be among Howard’s concerns.

“The kid is a home run guy. Great speed, track speed,” Howard said. “You’ve got to worry about that guy.

Already, it’s a different lead-up to the bowl for the Wolfpack. Playing in a pre-Christmas event has created a need to juggle some logistics.

“Playing earlier is a different thing for us,” Doeren said. “So it’s really expedited. … It’s almost like a bye week and then a game getting ready.”

Then there’s the uncertainty of preparing for a team with an interim coach who’ll be in his first game directing the Tigers.

“There’s going to be wrinkles,” Doeren said. “You have to expect that, but you have to also expect that they can’t change their systems completely.”

The Wolfpack expect a heavy dose of Memphis quarterback Brendon Lewis, who has 15 touchdown passes this season, with six interceptions. Lewis, who scored nine TDs on the ground, and teammate Sutton Smith both have more than 600 rushing yards.

“This guy runs the ball a lot, QB draws and zone read, avoid, keeps and things, and he’s their leading rusher,” Doeren said. “If you take his sack yardage out, he’s 860 yards rushing.”

Lewis made it through an injury-riddled season. His top target is Cortez Braham Jr., who has 889 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. Reserve quarterback Arrington Maiden is heading to the transfer portal.

While Memphis and NC State meet for the first time, they have a common 2025 opponent. Both teams faced East Carolina this season, with North Carolina State defeating the Pirates in the opener and Memphis falling in a mid-November road game.

Memphis is in a bowl for the 12th consecutive season, the longest streak among non-Power 4 conference teams.

North Carolina State will look to pull even in its bowl record, which is 17-18. The other time the Wolfpack played in Raymond James Stadium, the site of Friday’s game, was as a visiting team against South Florida in a 2014 victory.

–Field Level Media

NC State, Virginia to open 2026 in first FBS game in Brazil

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Virginia and North Carolina State will kick off next season with the first-ever FBS game in Brazil, organizers announced Monday.

The Cavaliers and Wolfpack will clash on Aug. 29, 2026 at 47,000-seat Nilton Santos Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. The game will air on ESPN.

The contest was organized by the NIL firm Athlete Advantage in partnership with Brasil Sports Business.

Although both schools are in the Atlantic Coast Conference, this is the second leg of a non-conference home-and-home series that had been scheduled to take place in Charlottesville, Va.

NC State (7-5, 4-4 ACC) earned a 35-31 victory against Virginia on Sept. 6 in Raleigh, N.C. It was one of just two losses this season for the 18th-ranked Cavaliers (10-2, 7-1) as they enter Saturday’s ACC championship game against Duke in Charlotte.

College football games also are scheduled to take place on foreign soil next season in Dublin, Ireland (North Carolina vs. TCU on Aug. 29) and London (Arizona State vs. Kansas on Sept. 19).

–Field Level Media

Florida State, NC State battle for bowl eligibility

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There will be quite a bit at stake — just not at the top of the Atlantic Coast Conference standings — when Florida State and North Carolina State meet Friday night in Raleigh, N.C.

Instead, the winner will achieve bowl eligibility with time running out in the season.

Florida State (5-5, 2-5), which will finish the regular season at Florida on Nov. 29, is winless in three road games this season.

“This year we have not been good enough (in road games),” Seminoles coach Mike Norvell said. “We are looking at every component. There are some modifications that we’re implementing throughout this week and continuing to push so (that) come Friday night on a short week, our best is going to show up.”

To complicate matters, Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh generally has been a difficult venue for Florida State.

“It’s a hostile place to play,” Norvell said.

North Carolina State (5-5, 2-4) has lost three of its last four games, giving up more than 35 points in four consecutive games.

“We got all kinds of injuries, and so guys got to duct tape it up and play for each other,” Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren said.

North Carolina State is trying to recover from Saturday’s 41-7 loss at then-No. 15 Miami.

“They’re coming off a game that’s very uncharacteristic of how they’ve played,” Norvell said.

Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey will look for a bounce-back outing after throwing two interceptions and accounting for a season-low 120 passing yards in the Miami game — which marked the only time this year he didn’t throw for a touchdown.

Florida State has won two of its last three games, including last week’s 34-14 triumph against Virginia Tech. But the Seminoles will be without cornerback Ja’Bril Rawls for the rest of the season because of an undisclosed injury. This means true freshman cornerback Shamar Arnoux will have heightened responsibilities.

“He’s got the right mindset,” Norvell said. “I do think he’s really capable. He’s going to grow up right there in front of our eyes this week.”

–Field Level Media

No. 15 Miami rolls past NC State behind Jakobe Thomas’ defensive heroics

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Jakobe Thomas intercepted two passes and returned one for a touchdown to lead a stellar defensive effort as host Miami routed NC State, 41-7, on Saturday in Miami Gardens, Fla.

The 15th-ranked Hurricanes (8-2, 4-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) won their second in a row in their regular season home finale to keep both their hopes of reaching the ACC Championship Game and College Football Playoff alive.

Miami limited NC State (5-5, 2-4 ACC) to just 149 total yards with 75 of those coming on the Wolfpack’s final drive which resulted in their only points of the game on a CJ Bailey 10-yard touchdown run.

The Hurricanes recorded their third 500-yard game on offense, finishing with 581 total yards. The Wolfpack lost for the third time in their past four games and have lost five of their last seven following a 3-0 start.

With 3:36 left in the first quarter, Thomas jumped the route on a pass to the far sideline intended for Justin Joly from NC State quarterback CJ Bailey and raced 60 yards to the end zone to push Miami’s lead to 10-0.

On the Wolfpack’s ensuing drive, Thomas again intercepted Bailey with 1:15 left in the first after Ahmad Moten applied pressure.

Bailey was held to 17 of 30 passing for 120 yards and NC State mustered only 23 rushing yards.

Thomas has a team-leading four interceptions this season for Miami. The Wolfpack did not cross the 50-yard line until Bailey completed a pass to Terrell Anderson to the Miami 47 with 5:39 left in the fourth.

On offense, Carson Beck completed 21 of 27 passes for 291 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions to lead the Hurricanes. Freshman Malachi Toney showed off his versatility once again, hauling in a pair of touchdown passes among his five catches for 54 yards. Toney also threw a 44-yard pass on a wide receiver option to Joshisa Trader to set up CharMar Brown’s 1-yard touchdown with 11:16 left in the second quarter.

Keelan Marion led Miami in receiving with seven catches on seven targets for 96 yards. Freshman Girard Pringle made his first collegiate start and totaled 116 rushing yards on 17 carries.

–Field Level Media

No. 15 Miami hanging on to playoff hopes, faces dangerous NC State

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As No. 15 Miami tries to improve its chances of reaching both the College Football Playoff and the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game, it hosts a potentially dangerous opponent in North Carolina State in its home finale on Saturday in Miami Gardens, Fla.

The Hurricanes (7-2, 3-2 ACC) are the highest-ranked ACC team, but they have alternated wins and losses following a 5-0 start. It’s taken away any margin for error as Miami must win its final three games to have any chance of accomplishing those aforementioned goals.

The Wolfpack (5-4, 2-3) aren’t in the CFP or conference title picture, but they have proven themselves a menace to teams that still are — or aren’t, anymore, thanks to them. NC State is coming off a bye that followed an 48-36 upset win at home against previously unbeaten Georgia Tech. The Pack also have wins over Virginia (in a nonconference game) and Wake Forest this season.

“It’s just a really good growth by the football team,” NC State coach Dave Doeren said. “And with all the things we’ve been through that are well-documented, it was great to see them, you know, step up and play that way in a game of that magnitude, in a game we needed to win. And so now coming off a bye week, it was good timing, having two byes later in the season with our health, definitely going to help us at certain positions.”

The Wolfpack have been inconsistent, though, as that victory followed a 1-4 stretch with the only win coming against FCS Campbell. NC State’s CJ Bailey, who is from Miami, has been one of the consistent factors, posting the second-best passer rating (158.3) of any quarterback in the ACC. Bailey has thrown for 2,411 yards, 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Running back Hollywood Smothers leads the Wolfpack on the ground with 825 yards (6.9 yards per rush) and six touchdowns. His total yards and average per game (103.1) are best in the league.

“There’s been spurts where we’ve really played well off of each other and set up our offense or defense with special teams play,” Doeren said. “We hadn’t done it for four quarters. And then you get into a game like that and do it.”

Miami is coming off a 38-10 win at home over Syracuse last Saturday during which quarterback Carson Beck threw for a touchdown, caught a touchdown from receiver Malachi Toney and surpassed the 10,000-yard passing career mark.

The Hurricanes’ running game managed despite the absence of top tailback Mark Fletcher Jr., who sat out with an injury. Freshman Girard Pringle Jr. stepped in and amassed a team-best 55 yards and a touchdown to help Miami seal its win over the Orange.

“I was ready and prepared,” Pringle said. “When they told me to go in there, there were no second thoughts.”

Fletcher remains doubtful for Saturday’s game, but Miami expects to have linebacker Wesley Bissainthe back and possibly receiver C.J. Daniels as well.

NC State is giving up 4.15 yards per carry this season, which ranks 12th of 17 teams in the ACC.

“We need to get more out of the run game,” Miami offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said. “(Pringle) came in and gave us a spark, and I think it’ll lift everybody up in that room.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 25, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key on the sideline against the Syracuse Orange in the fourth quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

No. 8 Georgia Tech visits NC State, seeking ninth straight win

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Closing in on more program history, No. 8 Georgia Tech will take its unbeaten record into Raleigh, N.C., against North Carolina State in Atlantic Coast Conference play on Saturday night.

A victory for Georgia Tech (8-0, 5-0) would match the program’s longest single-season winning streak since beginning 9-0 in 1966. The Yellow Jackets are 5-0 in the ACC for the first time since joining the conference in 1983.

But the records mean little to head coach Brent Key, who just wants to go 1-0 this week.

“I view it like this, to go where we want to go, and where everybody wants to go, we’re only to the halfway point,” Key said. “You want to be in a position to be able to play games in November that mean something. Challenging games against good competition, and that’s what we have in front of us.”

Fresh off a 41-16 win over Syracuse last week, the Yellow Jackets’ attack is led by Haynes King, who threw for three touchdowns and ran for a pair of scores in the victory. Leading a historic start to the season, King has thrown for 1,480 yards, seven touchdowns and just one interception while leading the ACC with 12 rushing scores on 651 rushing yards.

Although King is an outsider at the moment, Key said he believes the sixth-year quarterback should be in New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony in December.

“Find me somebody else that brings more value to a team (than King),” Key said. “I’m glad he’s on my team. I don’t have a vote, but it would be a shame if he’s not in New York, and I think he will be there.”

North Carolina State (4-4, 1-3) is playing for bowl eligibility ahead of a difficult two-week stretch. The Wolfpack have dropped four of their past five games, and the road will get tougher for head coach Dave Doeren’s group, which will host the Yellow Jackets before heading to No. 10 Miami on Nov. 15.

“Nobody’s given up. We’ve just got to play better, and it starts with me,” Doeren said. “It’s about trying to get these guys in these last four weeks, one game at a time, to play the best football they can play. They’re frustrated, they’re mad, and they want to do something about it. One thing about this sport, you put the ball down, anything can happen.”

North Carolina State’s only win since Sept. 11 was over FCS-member Campbell on Oct. 4. Last week, the Wolfpack allowed 529 yards in a 53-34 loss at Pitts. The quarterback play hasn’t been the issue in Raleigh, as sophomore CJ Bailey’s 2,071 passing yards rank third in the ACC.

“I think CJ continues to lead our football team really well,” Doeren said. “Proud of him.”

Doeren, the conference’s second-longest tenured coach behind Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, is having to address rumors of his time at North Carolina State ending as the Wolfpack try to avoid a second straight losing season.

“Wins and losses matter a lot. I understand all that,” Doeren said. “I understand the profession. It’s not pressure. It’s a privilege to get to do what I do, and at some point, if they want someone else to do it, then God bless them. But I’m going to take advantage of my opportunities, as long as I get them, and fight for these kids, because they’re going to fight for me.”

–Field Level Media