Key Observations From NC State's Dominant Win Over UNC
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RALEIGH — On a brisk November night, NC State took the field for the last time at Carter-Finley Stadium in the 2025 season. The Wolfpack wanted to end the season on a high and take down its rivals from up the road in Chapel Hill, the North Carolina Tar Heels.
NC State head coach Dave Doeren led his team to a dominant, physical victory over the Tar Heels, taking down first-year UNC coach Bill Belichick in their first matchup 42-19. It was the fifth-straight win for the Pack over the Tar Heels, helping Doeren join Dick Sheridan and Tom O'Brien as the only NC State head coaches to beat the UNC five-straight times.
A dominant quarterback performance
While sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey remained the top option for the Wolfpack throughout the game, he wasn't the standout at that position in the win. That title went to true freshman Will Wilson, a player who quietly became one of the most critical players in NC State's offense over the course of the season.
He saved his best performance for the most important game. It was clear early on that Doeren wanted to establish the run, but the Wolfpack had little success doing so with its actual tailbacks, Hollywood Smothers and Duke Scott. Enter Wilson, who toted the ball three times in the first quarter. He capped off the Wolfpack's second scoring drive with his sixth rushing touchdown of the year.
When there is a WILL there is a WAY. #1Pack1Goal pic.twitter.com/OqqPqUcsva
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) November 30, 2025
That was just the beginning. Wilson punished the Tar Heels the rest of the night on the ground, carrying the ball 12 times and rushing for 54 yards. He finished the game with four rushing touchdowns, making him the fifth FBS quarterback in 2025 to accomplish such a feat. Wilson's confidence in himself is among the highest out of any individual on the Wolfpack roster.
"No matter which way they lined up or who they put out there, I believed in myself... I believed in the boys up front and I went and got it," Wilson said.
Defense finishes strong
After holding East Carolina to 17 points in the first week of the season, NC State's defense failed to hold an FBS opponent under 20 for eight games. The group returned to peak form against Florida State in the penultimate victory, holding the Seminoles to just 11 points. With North Carolina in Carter-Finley Stadium, the defense once again came to play.
The Tar Heels struggled to run the ball with any effectiveness for most of the game, finishing with just 70 yards on 24 attempts, with only 11 of them in the first half. UNC did not have a single rusher with 30 yards or more, despite eight different players being credited with carries in the game. Senior linebacker and team captain Caden Fordham led the Wolfpack with 12 tackles.
"It's always a good thing when you stop the run game and that's something we pride ourselves on for sure," Fordham said. "It makes the game easier. You kind of get tendencies knowing that they're not going to run the ball. It's easier to get in pass coverage and match things up, so that worked out well."
The Pack also finished with a season-high four sacks in the win, including one from Fordham. UNC quarterback Gio Lopez was sacked by senior defensive tackle Travali Price and injured on the play, forcing senior signal caller Max Johnson into the game in the third quarter for the Tar Heels. While the change threw the Wolfpack defense off slightly, the group adjusted quickly and still held UNC to just nine points in the second half.
Beating Belichick
While North Carolina's 2025 season was far from the successes of Belichick in New England at the professional level, it was still a major opportunity for Doeren to beat the NFL legend in a very meaningful rivalry game, at least in Doeren's eyes. There never seemed to be an intimidation factor about Belichick in the Tar Heels throughout the year and NC State continued that trend.
"It's definitely something that motivated me," Doeren said. "I have a lot of respect for Bill and how do you not? He's one of the greatest NFL coaches of all time. So definitely as a coach, when you're competing — and that's what we do, is we compete — coaches want to beat each other. There was pep in my step this week for sure... It's very meaningful to get a win against coach of his status."
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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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