Grading the Wolfpack Offense in the Win Over Florida State
In this story:
RALEIGH — In front of a raucous Friday night crowd at Carter-Finley Stadium, NC State pulled out a 21-11 win over the visiting Florida State Seminoles. The victory marked the oh-so-important sixth win of the season for the Wolfpack, earning the team a spot in a postseason bowl game to be determined at a later date.
The Wolfpack won the game primarily due to a pair of wacky punt plays, with a pair of fumbles by the Seminoles on the same drive in the fourth quarter. However, NC State's offense did enough to keep the team ahead and control the flow of the game when it needed it.
Pro Football Focus grades each member of the team's performance during the game. The model takes into account every play in the game and adds it all up to create the player's total grade. Any grade from the 70s to 80s is considered a good performance. The 60s are average. Below 60 would be poor, and above 80 would be elite.
Grades from NC State's bounce back win over Florida State
The offensive line
- Senior guard/tackle Yousef Mugharbil - 69.5
- Junior left tackle Jacarrius Peak - 63.7
- Junior right tackle Val Erickson - 63.0
- Senior left guard Anthony Carter Jr. - 54.0
- Senior center Jalen Grant - 52.2
- Sophomore right guard Rico Jackson - 51.2
- Freshman right guard Spike Sowells Jr. - 65.2
Despite allowing sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey to be sacked on three occasions, the Wolfpack offensive line performed slightly better than its grades indicate. Without starting right tackle Teague Andersen in the mix, the group rotated players in and out of the game alongside regular starters like Peak, Carter and Grant.
Mugharbil got his first snaps since the win over Campbell, getting on the field for 29 plays in the win over the Seminoles. While he finished with a poor pass blocking score of 38.1, he graded out at 72.7 in the run blocking category. Out of the starting group, Sowells put together the steadiest performance of the bunch.
The wide receivers
- Sophomore Terrell Anderson - 75.7
- Freshman Teddy Hoffmann - 65.2
- Senior Wesley Grimes - 63.1
- Sophomore Keenan Jackson - 59.6
- Sophomore Noah Rogers - 51.1
Anderson continued to be the star of the group, catching four passes for 44 yards, including a touchdown grab to give the Wolfpack an early lead over the Seminoles. His average depth of target doubled when compared to the Miami game, finishing with 10 yards per target in the win over FSU. His efforts carried the group on what was otherwise a slow night.
Rogers was unable to cash in on some of his frustration after the Miami game, ending with just one target that fell incomplete. He finished with his lowest grade of the season, now just a few weeks removed from one of his best against Georgia Tech. Anderson was the only member of the group with over 20 yards on the night,
The tight ends
- Senior Justin Joly - 77.0
- Senior Cody Hardy - 65.6
- Senior Dante Daniels - 63.0
- Freshman Preston Douglas. - 61.0
Joly was the offensive star of the Wolfpack's win over the Seminoles on Friday night. The veteran returned to form with one of his best receiving games of the season, ending with a 85.8 pass offense score after catching all five of his targets for 66 yards and a touchdown. He averaged 13.2 yards per catch.
Hardy continued his stellar form in the run blocking situations, grading out at 70.3 in those plays. Daniels was not as strong in that category, but he did haul in his lone target for 10 yards and a first down for the Wolfpack. Douglas, the youngest of the group, came in for some rotation snaps and did an adequate job in run blocking schemes.
The running backs
- Sophomore Hollywood Smothers - 63.9
- Redshirt freshman Duke Scott - 63.7
After being completely bottled up by the Miami defense in the game the week prior, Smothers ripped off a big run on his first carry of the night against the Seminoles, signaling a return to form for the star tailback. He ran 21 times for 84 yards, so it wasn't his most efficient outing of the season, but he did what he needed to do.
Scott was adequate in his change-of-pace duties, playing just 11 snaps in the win. He toted the ball four times for 15 yards.
The quarterbacks
- Sophomore CJ Bailey - 60.8
- Freshman Will Wilson - 70.3
Wilson's work came primarily on one drive that likely was the difference in the game. The quarterback carried the ball six times on the drive, converting a key fourth down deep in his own territory and then scampering in for a touchdown.
Bailey did what he needed to do in the win, avoiding costly turnovers and falling on the ball when necessary rather than trying to pull a rabbit out of his hat.
Want more NC State football content during the 2025 season? Follow on X (Twitter) @WolfpackOnSI and @SennettTucker and never miss another breaking news story again. Want to reach out with questions about the Wolfpack? Send an email to wolfpackonsi@gmail.com to potentially be featured on mailbag stories in the future.
Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.
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.
Follow SennettTucker