How NC State's Offense Graded Out in the Gasparilla Bowl
In this story:
RALEIGH — NC State ended what proved to be a turbulent season with an impressive win in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa, Florida, downing the Memphis Tigers 31-7 on Friday.
The Wolfpack scored a whopping 31 points in the first half, one of the better offensive halves of the season for the program in 2025. Quality performances across the board allowed the team to coast through the second half while the defense completely shut down the Memphis and its star quarterback Brendon Lewis.
Make way, sticks is coming through!#1Pack1Goal pic.twitter.com/nUBxxoDWbU
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) December 21, 2025
The win in the Gasparilla Bowl marked the end of the careers of several key members of the Wolfpack offense, who etched their names in the history books as the group that ended a five-game losing streak in postseason bowl games for head coach Dave Doeren and the Pack.
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.
How did PFF view NC State's offense in the win over the Tigers?
The offensive line
- Sophomore right tackle Teague Andersen - 70.0
- Senior left guard Anthony Carter Jr. - 66.1
- Senior center Jalen Grant - 62.2
- Sophomore right guard Rico Jackson - 61.0
- Junior left tackle Jacarrius Peak - 47.0
- Senior guard Yousef Mugharbil - 56.2
The win over the Tigers marked the end of the line for Grant, Carter and potentially Peak, who will likely explore his options in the NFL over the next few weeks. After battling injuries throughout the last few weeks of the season, Carter returned to form in his final game wearing the Wolfpack logo, tallying his second-highest offensive grade of the season. He ended with a 70.9 pass blocking score, too.
The line looks to be in good hands with Andersen and freshman guard Spike Sowells, who was unable to suit up in the bowl game as he suffered an injury that hampered him in the final few weeks of the 2025 campaign. Andersen dominated as a pass blocker, finishing with a season-high 84.2 grade in that category. He finished with the third-highest overall grade on the roster.
The wide receivers
- Freshman Teddy Hoffmann - 71.8
- Senior Wesley Grimes - 69.0
- Sophomore Noah Rogers - 67.0
- Sophomore Keenan Jackson - 52.3
- Sophomore Terrell Anderson - 50.3
Hoffmann ended up with the second-highest grade on the team after one big play. Sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey hit his fellow Floridian with a deep shot that the freshman ended up turning into a 40-yard score. It was Hoffmann's first time finishing with a grade over 70 since the win over Georgia Tech in early November.
In his final game with the Wolfpack, Grimes also returned to the form he showed early in the season. The speedy wideout caught three passes for 48 yards and a touchdown, with the score coming on a 31-yard laser from Bailey. The highlight reel play of the game came from Rogers, who hurdled a defender in the first half.
The tight ends
- Senior Cody Hardy - 74.7
- Senior Dante Daniels - 66.4
- Freshman Preston Douglas - 65.3
- Senior Justin Joly - 60.6
While there were questions about whether Joly would suit up or not, the senior wanted one last ride with his teammates. However, it was the other members of the tight end group who stepped up in the win over the Tigers. Hardy finished with the highest overall score from the offense, while also dominating in the blocking game. He finished with 71.8 pass block and 71.4 grades.
Douglas, the freshman member of the group, also got some action in the Gasparilla Bowl. He played 19 snaps in the game and even caught a pass for 18 yards.
The running back
- Redshirt freshman Duke Scott - 57.8
In the absence of Hollywood Smothers, who announced his intention to enter the transfer portal just before the game, Scott was once again thrust into the role of lead tailback. The young running back stepped up and while PFF didn't give him the credit he deserved, he ran with great efficiency.
The redshirt freshman finished with 108 yards on 19 carries. He was the only running back to get on the field for more than 10 snaps.
The quarterbacks
- Sophomore CJ Bailey - 59.8
- Freshman Will Wilson - 53.9
It was far from Bailey's top performance, but the sophomore got the job done in his final outing of the season as the Wolfpack signal caller. Bailey and offensive coordinator Kurt Roper felt comfortable taking shots downfield with frequency, although not many of them landed.
Wilson came in for more short-yardage run situations, but didn't have his usual degree of success. He did score another touchdown, however.
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