CJ Bailey Speaks on Nightmare Performance Against Miami

Sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey grew up in the shadows of Hard Rock Stadium and the Miami Hurricane football program. He entered Saturday's game hoping to lead NC State to victory over the 15th-ranked Hurricanes to prove them wrong for overlooking him in the recruiting process.

His homecoming quickly turned from a massive opportunity to a nightmare, as the Wolfpack was throttled 41-7 by a desperate Miami team trying to keep its College Football Playoff aspirations alive.

Jakobe Thomas.....GAME CHANGER 👊

📺: ESPN pic.twitter.com/bA2XiNLfEy
— Miami Hurricanes Football (@CanesFootball) November 15, 2025

The sophomore threw a pair of interceptions, including a pick-six, in the first quarter and looked flustered throughout the entire game. He finished the matchup with just 120 passing yards, but he was able to run for a touchdown late in the game to get the Wolfpack some points on the scoreboard.

After the game, Bailey spoke to members of the media about the ugly showing and tried to diagnose what went wrong with his performance and what Miami was able to do to slow down an NC State team that hung 48 points on Georgia Tech the last time out.

Selection of Bailey's Quotes

CJ Bailey and Hollywood Smother — Nov 15, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; NC State Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey (11) hands off the football to running back Hollywood Smothers (3) during the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

On the performance of Miami safety Jakobe Thomas (two interceptions) and the Hurricane defense overall

"He's a good player. He's a long player. He made a lot of plays, good plays, but his ability to play didn't affect anything that I had going on. He's a great player. We had a couple of third downs late in the game where he just stretched out to make a play. He's a great player, but we just had to fix what we had to do offensively and play better."

"I felt like it's a good defense. They played really good and held us to seven points, which is not usual. Pat on the back to those guys. They did a great job."

Nov 15, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; NC State Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey (11) is tackled by Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman Armondo Blount (18) during the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

On having a poor performance in his hometown

"It's not good to lose any game, you know what I mean? Even with me being back here, it's just a bad day. If was at our house, I'd still be mad. I'm just going to rip it off and move on to the next one."

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

On Miami's pass rush affecting the game

"The pass rush... I feel like our offensive line held up enough for me to get passes off and make plays. They did a great job with pass protection. Their D-line didn't affect the way we could pass the ball. It was just making better decisions on my end and being a better player on my end."

On the game not being as competitive as he hoped it would be

"I really thought that we were going to go in and win it. Those were our thoughts throughout the whole week, even throughout the bye week..."

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