The Most Important Statistics for NC State Through Three Games

RALEIGH, N.C. -- North Carolina State became the first team in the ACC to reach three wins and stayed undefeated after taking down Wake Forest on the road Thursday night. The 34-24 battle was a tale of two halves for the Wolfpack, as the defense completely shut down Wake Forest in the second half of the game.

With three games under its belt, NC State has established its identity as a high-powered offensive team behind the sophomore duo of CJ Bailey at quarterback and Hollywood Smothers at running back.

Some statistical trends have emerged during the Wolfpack's start. These stats help tell the story of what the Wolfpack might be moving forward in 2025.

Aug 28, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren looks on during the warmups prior to the game against East Carolina Pirates at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Raleigh Red Zone

After the win over East Carolina in the opener, Doeren spoke candidly about the team's goals for the red zone offense. His goals for the team came from issues in the red zone a season ago, as the offense often sputtered when entering the opponent's 20-yard line.

"We want to be 70% or better and we ended up 50%," Doeren said about red zone touchdowns.

Since Doeren's proclamation of the goals, the Wolfpack has improved incrementally in the red area. The team scored points on 91% of its red zone drives through the first three games, but the touchdown numbers still aren't quite where the head coach wanted them. The Wolfpack has scored eight touchdowns in 12 red zone trips, good for 66%. For reference, NC State scored touchdowns on only 57% of the red zone drives in 2024.

Keeping Laundry Off the Field

NC State hasn't played clean football consistently through the first three weeks of the season. Doeren and the staff stressed the importance of penalty-free performances throughout fall camp. In fact, it was a relative strength for the 2024 team, which gave up just 46.2 penalty yards per game and 621 penalty yards in the entire season.

In the first three games, NC State racked up 172 penalty yards on 18 flags. The Wolfpack is giving up 57 yards per game for free, something inexcusable in the eyes of Doeren. The team currently ranks 87th in the country in penalty yardage allowed. The Wake Forest game marked a major step back after a relatively clean game against Virginia the week prior.

"We had some penalties that we need to clean up that kept us from scoring again, which is disappointing," Doeren said after Thursday's win.

Sep 11, 2025; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons running back Demond Claiborne (1) runs the ball in the first half against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Luke Jamroz-Imagn Images | Luke Jamroz-Imagn Images

Holding Strong Late

Under first-year defensive coordinator DJ Eliot, NC State continues to thrive late in games defensively. The unit struggled out of the gate against both Wake Forest and Virginia after dominating East Carolina in the first quarter. The Wolfpack allowed eight points per game in the first quarter in the 3-0 start, a number significantly lower than it should be because of the dominant opener.

The defense has made great strides late in games. In 2024, the Wolfpack averaged a touchdown allowed in the fourth quarter. In the early stages of the 2025 campaign, NC State has averaged just 3.3 points allowed in the fourth quarter. The Wolfpack is coming off a performance in which the defense held Wake Forest scoreless in the second half.

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