Three Crucial Plays In NC State's Week 1 Win
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RALEIGH, N.C. -- Head coach Dave Doeren and the North Carolina State Wolfpack started the 2025 season Thursday night with a 24-17 win over in-state rival East Carolina.
It was an up-and-down showing for the Wolfpack, as the team showed some dynamic offense in moments before struggling to put the game away down the stretch. First-year defensive coordinator DJ Eliot had his new unit ready to go, displaying a variety of different looks throughout the win.
The win ultimately came down to a few plays where NC State simply showed its strength was greater than ECU's.
The Fourth Quarter, Fourth Down Stand
ECU quarterback Katin Houser found a rhythm in the second half of the game. A change in the offensive tempo for the Pirates created some dysfunction within the NC State defense. Substitution patterns became disjointed, and players were left on the field trying to catch their breath while also stopping ECU.
Despite multiple opportunities for the offense to win the game easily for the Wolfpack, the game ultimately came down to one final stand by Eliot's defense. The Pirates took over on their own 29 line with just under six minutes left in the game, trailing by a touchdown. Houser led the offense down the field with quick-hitter pass plays, but the drive stalled inside the NC State 10.
On 4th-and-short, ECU trotted the offense back on the field as the clock ticked below one minute remaining. The Pirates opted to run a naked crack screen for tight end Desirrio Riles, a play that had been successful several times earlier in the game. Wolfpack defensive back Jamel Johnson flew to Riles as he caught the ball and leveled him before he could make a move upfield for a loss of yardage and a turnover on downs to win the game.
NC STATE STUFFS EAST CAROLINA ON 4TH AND 1 TO WIN pic.twitter.com/eibiHodSnu
— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthew_CFB) August 29, 2025
"I thought it would either be a repeat of their speed option, which they scored on earlier in a similar situation, or what they ran, you know, the naked crack screen that they ran on us last year in the bowl game as well," Doeren said after the game. "I didn't expect them to try to run the ball up the middle. I thought it'd be something off the edges. The defense did a great job."
New Year, New CJ Bailey
Sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey wanted to make a statement in his first game as a sophomore and team captain. While it wasn't all perfect, he certainly earned himself some respect with a handful of plays that made him look like the right man for the job at NC State.
His highlight of the night was one of several explosive plays the NC State offense made, a major part of how the team was able to win the game. Early in the second quarter, Bailey and the Wolfpack offense worked the ball to midfield. It was time for Bailey and first-year offensive coordinator Kurt Roper to take a shot.
CJ Bailey with a DOT to Wesley Grimes 🎯 @PackFootball pic.twitter.com/WoeOnysfkK
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) August 28, 2025
Bailey found senior wide receiver Wesley Grimes over the middle after the latter ran a perfect post route and beat his defender. The quarterback fired a perfectly placed pass that carved the middle of the ECU defense like a warm knife through butter, before the ball gently landed in the steady hands of Grimes.
"I knew I had to step on my guy's toes. I probably could have taken it a little closer to him," the receiver said. "... Just saw the ball in the air and I didn't let anybody else get to it other than me."
Welcome to College Football, Teddy Hoffmann
Playing catch with a friend paid off for the Wolfpack on Thursday. Bailey and freshman wide receiver Teddy Hoffmann spent time over the summer together back home in Florida. They learned each other's tendencies and skills.
While the play was somewhat inconsequential when the game was all said and done, a third down completion between the duo sparked some excitement about what it could be capable of in the long run.
Yeah CJ Bailey is top 3 QB in the ACC good LORD pic.twitter.com/NlgTvEEIVz
— Clay Fink (@clay_fink) August 28, 2025
The quarterback scrambled to his right as the pocket collapsed, surveying the field for any opening. Hoffmann seemingly improvised and created some space for Bailey to loft a perfect ball to where only his receiver could catch it.
"He's a playmaker. You just get the ball in his hands, he's going to make a play for us," Bailey said after the game.
While it wasn't a total success, the Wolfpack flashed signs of a vastly improved team compared to the one that took the field a season ago. The next step will be putting it all together to avoid close calls like the one on Thursday.
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Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.
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