Grading the Pack: How NC State Earned Its ACC Opener Win
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It’s report card time for NC State football. The team beat Wake Forest in another comeback win, 34-24, on Thursday night. With the dust settled, it’s time to dissect how good each position group played in the win.
Quarterback - A
Sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey played another mistake-free football game. Not many young quarterbacks can say that, Bailey certainly can, though. He was efficient, kept his poise and led the offense. All the things you want to see out of a quarterback, but this is a report card. Bailey missed on a couple of throws and was behind on a couple of his passes, granting him the A and not the A+.
Running Back - A+
Anytime a team can runs for over 200 yards, the running backs should get some type of praise for it. Redshirt sophomore Hollywood Smothers ran for over 150 yards; meanwhile, redshirt freshman Duke Scott had his best game of the season, running for 23 yards on seven carries. Both backs forced at least five missed tackles on the night.
Pass Catchers - B+
Senior tight end Justin Joly leads the way with his two touchdown catches, notching a career-high. In terms of the receiver group as a whole, no one stood out, but redshirt sophomore Noah Rogers led the way in receiving yards with 52 and was tied in receptions with Joly with four.
Offensive Line - B
Left it all out on the field #1Pack1Goal pic.twitter.com/TkRJd3p4bD
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) September 12, 2025
Run blocking the offensive line opened up holes for Smothers to run through all night, but costly holding penalties affected NC State. The group as a whole allowed 13 total pressures against the Wake Forest front, the most so far this season.
Defensive Line - B-
It’s the same story for the Wolfpack defensive line. Able to stop the run efficiently, but weren’t able to generate any pass rush. The team was only able to pressure Robby Ashford eight total times in the game, and while he is a mobile quarterback, no one was winning their one-on-one matchup in the first place.
Big man taking it to the house 🏠#1Pack1Goal pic.twitter.com/768YXpFU3p
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) September 12, 2025
Linebackers - B
The linebacking core for the Wolfpack loves to fly around to the football. It was evident against Wake Forest again. Graduate linebacker Kenny Soares Jr. had an excellent night, notching three pressures and a defensive stop. The front seven as a whole held Wake Forest to only 59 total rushing yards.
Secondary - B-
It was a tale of two halves for this unit, just like the rest of the team. Wake Forest had its way with the Wolfpack secondary in the first half, but after halftime, it was a completely different story. Redshirt freshman Ronnie Royal III picked off Ashford to essentially seal the deal for the Wolfpack.
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Daniel Rios graduated from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. His deep passion for sports has taken him to positions at ESPN and Cronkite News. Currently, he serves as the Assistant Beat Writer for the North Carolina State Wolfpack On SI.
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