Tag: Wolfpack

QB CJ Bailey returning to NC State for 2026 season

Posted on | by Field Level Media

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

NC State again gets better of rival North Carolina

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Will Wilson ran for four touchdowns and host North Carolina State blew out rival North Carolina 42-19 in the regular-season finale Saturday night in Raleigh, N.C.

CJ Bailey threw for two touchdowns as the Wolfpack (7-5, 4-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) beat North Carolina (4-8, 2-6) for the fifth year in a row.

Bill Belichick’s first season as North Carolina’s coach ended on a three-game losing streak.

Bailey threw for 201 yards on 21-for-30 passing and rushed for a game-high 65 yards. Wilson collected 54 yards on the ground on 12 carries.

North Carolina quarterback Gio Lopez was 11 of 16 for 118 yards and a touchdown before leaving with an injury after being sacked early in the third quarter. Max Johnson, his replacement, added 54 passing yards, and Au’Tori Newkirk had 23 yards in the air with a late TD toss.

The Tar Heels were limited to 70 yards on the ground and 265 total yards to 386 (201 passing, 185 rushing) for the host squad.

The Wolfpack won its second game in a row and will await a bowl assignment. NC State was 6-1 in home games.

North Carolina couldn’t overcome 129 yards worth of penalties on 11 infractions.

North Carolina was within 28-13 after Rece Verhoff’s 29-yard field goal at the end of a 78-yard drive in the third quarter.

But NC State scored 8 seconds into the fourth quarter on Wilson’s 15-yard run. He also was in the end zone later in the quarter on a 3-yard run.

NC State went up 14-0 in the first quarter and led 28-10 at halftime, with Bailey throwing TD passes to Wesley Grimes and Justin Joly and Wilson running for a pair of touchdowns.

Bailey’s 1-yard toss to Joly came with 18 seconds left in the half to conclude a hurry-up, 11-play drive that covered 75 yards.

Lopez threw 20 yards to Jordan Shipp for North Carolina’s first-half touchdown and Verhoff kicked a 49-yard field goal. Shipp finished with a game-high 90 receiving yards on eight receptions.

–Field Level Media

N.C. State beats Florida State to become bowl eligibile

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CJ Bailey threw for two touchdowns and kept North Carolina State out of trouble for the most part while the Wolfpack defense, along with strange plays on special teams, took care of the rest in a 21-11 victory over Florida State on Friday night in Raleigh, N.C.

Bailey, who struggled last Saturday in a blowout loss at Miami, completed 18 of 25 throws for 152 yards with no interceptions as NC State (6-5, 3-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) became bowl eligible. Running back Hollywood Smothers rushed for 84 yards on 21 carries.

Florida State (5-6, 2-5) must win its regular-season finale Nov. 29 at Florida to gain bowl eligibility.

The Wolfpack held Florida State quarterback Tommy Castellanos to 203 yards on 16-for-32 passing.

With the Seminoles trailing 14-3, Castellanos connected with Duce Robinson for a 9-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, and then it really got interesting.

After NC State’s ensuing possession was halted, a bizarre play turned favorable for the Wolfpack. Punter Caden Noonkester’s punt was so short that it struck a Florida State player in the helmet, bouncing so far back toward the line of scrimmage that Noonkester recovered the ball.

Then the next possession fizzled, so the Wolfpack, still holding a 14-11 lead, punted again, with Squirrel White fumbling on the return and NC State recovering at the Florida State 16-yard line.

This time, the Wolfpack converted on Bailey’s 12-yard throw to Justin Joly in the end zone on a fourth-and-6 play with 1:47 to play.

Robinson, a standout receiver, was targeted several times by Castellanos, but they didn’t connect for a completion until the fourth quarter.

Leading 14-3, the Wolfpack looked poised to put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter by moving into Florida State territory. But a third-down sack pushed them out of field goal range, so NC State punted.

Florida State then marched 86 yards on 10 plays with Castellanos hooking up with Robinson for the team’s first touchdown of the night. Castellanos threw to Jayvan Boggs for the two-point conversion.

NC State scored late in the first quarter on Bailey’s 23-yard pass play to Terrell Anderson. The Seminoles countered in the opening minute of the second quarter on Jake Weinberg’s 46-yard field goal.

NC State controlled the ball for most of the third quarter, converting that time into points with Will Wilson’s 1-yard scoring run with 4:17 left in the frame.

–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

Posted on | by Field Level Media

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; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Mason Heintschel (6) passes against the North Carolina State Wolfpack during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Mason Heintschel tops 400 yards, Pitt cruises past NC State

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Mason Heintschel went 28 of 48 passing for 423 yards and three touchdowns to lead Pittsburgh to a 53-34 home win over N.C. State on Saturday in an ACC contest.

Cataurus Hicks caught four passes for 120 yards and a touchdown, and Kenny Johnson had seven receptions for 112 yards and a touchdown for Pitt (6-2, 4-1), which has won four straight.

CJ Bailey went 24 of 40 passing for 225 yards and three touchdowns for NC State (4-4, 1-3), which has lost four of five.

It was Pitt’s first win over NC State since the 2001 Tangerine Bowl.

Leading 24-21 in the second quarter, Pitt scored 22 unanswered points to take a 46-21 lead.

First, Pitt took a 31-21 lead with 12 seconds left in the first half on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Heintschel to Johnson.

Following a 41-yard field goal by Trey Butkowski, Pitt then went up 40-21 with 10:46 to go in the third quarter on an 84-yard touchdown pass from Heintschel to Hicks.

Butkowski hit a 35-yard field goal with 7:02 to go in the third and a 43-yard field goal with 1:55 remaining in the third to put Pitt up 46-21.

Bailey hit Teddy Hoffman for a 30-yard touchdown pass with 11:16 remaining to bring NC State to within 46-28, but Ja’Kyrian Turner scored on a 6-yard touchdown run with 6:59 left to put Pitt ahead 53-28.

Trailing 17-7 in the second quarter, NC State cut Pitt’s lead to 17-14 with 14:46 left until halftime on a 65-yard touchdown run by Hollywood Smothers.

Pitt mounted a long touchdown drive, going 90 yards in seven plays and taking a 24-14 lead with 7:15 left in the second quarter on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Heintschel to Raphael Williams Jr.

NC State cut Pitt’s lead to 24-21 with 3:20 left in the second quarter on a trick play. On a double pass, Hoffmann threw a 59-yard touchdown pass to Justin Joly.

–Field Level Media

Oct 4, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jadarian Price (24) runs for a touchdown against the Boise State Broncos during the second half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

No. 16 Notre Dame carrying momentum into NC State matchup

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No. 16 Notre Dame is coming off three straight wins and playing as well as it has all season.

Those who believe in momentum would certainly say that the Fighting Irish have it on their side.

Count Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman among the believers. He will look for Notre Dame (3-2) to maintain its momentum when it plays North Carolina State (4-2) on Saturday afternoon in South Bend, Ind.

“I think as you look back at something, you believe in momentum,” Freeman said. “You say, ‘Man, we gained some momentum.’ I believe there’s a confidence that helps with momentum that success brings you.

“But I don’t believe you can rely on momentum to achieve an outcome that you want. I believe you achieve the desired outcome by the work you put in every single day.”

The work continues as the Fighting Irish try to increase their winning streak to four games. They are coming off a 28-7 win over Boise State, which followed wins over Arkansas and Purdue during the previous two weeks.

NC State also is hoping to build on a successful game a week ago. The Wolfpack cruised to a 56-10 win over Campbell, which snapped a two-game skid after losses against Duke and Virginia Tech.

Quarterback CJ Bailey leads a high-powered offense for NC State. He has completed 74.6 percent of his passes for 1,660 yards, 13 touchdowns and four interceptions through six games and he has added 78 yards and three scores on the ground.

Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren praised Bailey and said he could get even better.

“When you have a quarterback playing like ours, you’ve got a chance to win every game,” Doeren said. “He’s playing at a high level. And, if you ask him, he’s got a lot of improvement he can still make. He’s really hard (on himself), he’s very competitive on himself and he wants to play as well as he humanly can to help his team win.”

Bailey leads a balanced passing attack that includes seven players with 100-plus receiving yards. Terrell Anderson leads the group with 388 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

Notre Dame also is enjoying a breakout season from its quarterback, CJ Carr, who has completed 67.7 percent of his passes for 1,280 yards, 11 touchdowns and two interceptions. He has punched in one rushing touchdown.

Jordan Faison has a team-high 327 receiving yards to go along with two touchdowns for the Fighting Irish. But the focus for the Wolfpack on defense might be stopping Notre Dame’s potent one-two rushing attack featuring Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price.

Through five games, Love has rushed for 444 yards and six touchdowns. Price has rushed for 356 yards and seven touchdowns.

“The two running backs, super impressive on film and what you’d expect when you play them,” Doeren said. “Both run hard. (They) have different running styles, but hard to tackle.”

This will be the fifth all-time meeting between Notre Dame and North Carolina State. The series is tied at 2-2, with the Fighting Irish winning the most recent matchup 45-24 on Sept. 9, 2023.

-Field Level Media

Sep 27, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies quarterback Kyron Drones (1) attempts to throw the ball during the first half of the game against North Carolina State Wolfpack at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Terion Stewart rushes for 174 yards, Virginia Tech beats NC State

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Kyron Drones threw two touchdown passes and Terion Stewart rushed for 174 yards as Virginia Tech upended North Carolina State 23-21 on Saturday night at Raleigh, N.C.

John Love kicked a 49-yard field goal with 6:31 remaining for the go-ahead points.

The Hokies (2-3, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) have won two in a row since Brent Pry was fired and Philip Montgomery was installed as the interim coach.

Drones was 20-for-34 for 177 yards. Marcellous Hawkins and Cameron Seldon caught the touchdown passes.

CJ Bailey threw two touchdown passes, completing 26 of 34 throws for 240 yards for the Wolfpack (3-2, 1-2).

Love’s go-ahead boot came on a redo after he initially drilled a field goal only to have that wiped out by a delay-of-game penalty that pushed his next attempt back 5 yards.

After Virginia Tech made a defensive stop, the Hokies regained possession with 4:16 to play with a chance to clinch the outcome. Facing fourth-and-1 from their own 40-yard line, they opted to punt, with the Wolfpack taking over at the 18-yard line with 1:36 to play.

NC State was halted on an incomplete fourth-and-1 pass from its own 44.

Love kicked three field goals for the Hokies, who were in their first true road game of the season.

Stewart ran 85 yards to set up Drones’ 4-yard toss to Seldon on the next play with 20 seconds left in the third quarter.

NC State retook the lead on the first possession of the second half on Bailey’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Keenan Jackson.

Virginia Tech led 13-7 at halftime, holding a 230-121 advantage in total offense.

Bailey threw 4 yards to tight end Dante Daniels to put NC State up 7-3 late in the first quarter, completing a 12-play, 75-yard drive.

Drones beat a third-down blitz, throwing to Hawkins for an 11-yard touchdown to cap a 10-play drive that regained the lead for Virginia Tech.

The Hokies used 10 plays before Love’s second field goal of the half, a 32-yarder for a 13-7 lead

NC State has trailed at halftime in four consecutive games.

–Field Level Media

Sep 11, 2025; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons wide receiver Chris Barnes (10) returns the opening kickoff for a touchdown in the first half against North Carolina State Wolfpack at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Luke Jamroz-Imagn Images

CJ Bailey delivers 3 TD passes as NC State overtakes Wake Forest

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CJ Bailey threw three touchdown passes and Hollywood Smothers ran for 163 yards to help North Carolina State rally past Wake Forest for a 34-24 victory in both teams’ Atlantic Coast Conference opener on Thursday in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Tight end Justin Joly caught two touchdown passes, and NC State took its first lead on Bailey’s 12-yard pass to Keenan Jackson with 12:37 remaining.

NC State (3-0, 1-0 ACC) scored the game’s final 20 points, capped by Kanoah Vinesett’s 37-yard field goal with 6:19 remaining. Bailey finished 23 of 32 for 201 yards in the air, while Smothers had 24 carries.

Wake Forest’s only first down of the second half prior to the two-minute timeout came on an NC State penalty.

Chris Barnes returned a kickoff for a touchdown and hauled in a long reception to set up the game’s second touchdown for the Demon Deacons (2-1), who lost for the first time under first-year coach Jake Dickert.

Wake Forest quarterback Robby Ashford went 21-for-35 for 242 yards and two interceptions. Standout running back Demond Claiborne was held to 35 rushing yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.

Joly’s second touchdown reception on a 4-yard play with 6:22 remaining in the third quarter allowed the Wolfpack to pull even at 24-24.

After lots of first-half offense for Wake Forest, the Demon Deacons picked up only 3 yards total on their three third-quarter possessions.

Barnes returned the game’s opening kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. Claiborne’s 1-yard run pushed the Demon Deacons to a 14-0 lead less than eight minutes into the game.

NC State got on the board on its next possession as Bailey’s 5-yard touchdown toss to Joly on fourth-and-1 completed a 75-yard march. The score was even at 14-14 before the end of the first quarter courtesy of 276-pound defensive tackle Isaiah Shirley’s 41-yard interception return for a touchdown.

Wake Forest needed nine plays to retake the lead on Ashford’s 1-yard run. The lead grew to 24-14 on Connor Calvert’s 28-yard field goal.

The Wolfpack pulled within 24-17 before halftime on Vinesett’s 24-yard field goal. Smothers rushed for 81 first-half yards.

–Field Level Media

Sep 6, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack wide receiver Keenan Jackson (8) celebrates an interception with North Carolina State Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey (11) to win the game during the second half of the game against Virginia Cavaliers at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Undefeated NC State, Wake Forest tangle in ACC opener

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There are different preparation timetables for NC State and Wake Forest as they get ready for Thursday night’s game at Winston-Salem, N.C.

Yet both teams want the same results they’ve experienced so far.

“For this football team, (it’s) our first road test and the short week,” NC State coach Dave Doeren said. “We’ve had a Thursday game coming out of training camp, a long prep getting ready for Game 2, now a short prep for Game 3. We have no routine, and that’s our routine right now. It’s different every week.”

It’s the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both, even though NC State (2-0) topped Virginia on Saturday in a nonleague matchup between ACC members.

Wake Forest (2-0) will play its third consecutive home game under coach Jake Dickert.

“I think the biggest message to our team is there’s a lot of noise about it, a lot of talk about it,” Dickert said of facing a traditional in-state rival. “… You’re wrong if your preparation changes. You’re wrong if your intensity toward this game changes.”

Dickert said their opponents are “battle-tested” after NC State had narrow victories against East Carolina and Virginia.

Wake Forest cruised past Western Carolina 42-10 on Saturday in a game that involved three hours’ worth of lightning-related delays. But the Demon Deacons were able to get running back Demond Claiborne out of the game early in the third quarter after he ran for three touchdowns and 193 yards.

“You can see what happens when Demond Claiborne is out there,” Dickert said.

NC State will arrive with loads of confidence because of late-game playmaking in its first two games.

“It builds confidence, for sure,” Doeren said. “We’ve had two good football games where we had to finish to win, and we did that in both cases. And so it definitely ratchets up guys’ belief that they can win any game.”

It also helps the Wolfpack to have quarterback CJ Bailey, whose versatility has been on display. He has thrown for 518 yards and two scores while rushing for 65 yards and three touchdowns.

The road team has won the past two meetings, with Wake Forest pulling off a 34-30 upset last year in Raleigh. Claiborne had two touchdown runs and 136 rushing yards in that game. Bailey threw for 272 yards in relief of Grayson McCall, who was carted off the field in the first quarter.

It will be NC State receiver Wesley Grimes’ first game in Winston-Salem since he transferred from Wake Forest after spending 2022 and 2023 with the Demon Deacons. Grimes compiled 121 receiving yards and a touchdown in this year’s opener vs. East Carolina.

These teams, who have met annually since 1910, have split their last 10 meetings. Since 2000, NC State has gone 3-9 on the road in the series.

–Field Level Media