NC State Dominates UNC For Fifth-Straight Rivalry Win
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RALEIGH — NC State wrapped up the 2025 regular season with a 42-19 win over its biggest rival, the North Carolina Tar Heels. The Wolfpack dominated from the jump at Carter-Finley Stadium, scoring touchdowns on the first four drives of the night, while Carolina's offense whimpered for most of the night.
The victory marked NC State head coach Dave Doeren's fifth-straight against the Tar Heels, making him the third Wolfpack coach to accomplish that feat. It was also his first victory over UNC coach Bill Belichick, whose first season in Chapel Hill ended with a 4-8 record just two ACC wins. NC State finished the regular season with a 7-5 record and will await a bowl assignment.
First quarter
The NC State offense began the game with a highly efficient march down the field. Doeren faced an early gut check, as the team was stopped on third-and-short just across the 50-yard line. Doeren sent the offense onto the field and once again put the ball in the hands of freshman quarterback Will Wilson, who converted with ease as the Tar Heel defense failed to set the edge. The Pack finished the drive with an easy screen pass to senior wideout Wesley Grimes, who took it 15 yards for the opening touchdown.
The Tar Heel defense conceded some serious space for Bailey to work with as a rusher. He ran for three first downs on the first two drives of the game. Wilson got back in the action, scoring a 7-yard touchdown run to put the Wolfpack up 14-0 after just two possessions. With North Carolina’s offense averaging just under 20 points per game, the Pack looked to be in control early.
When there is a WILL there is a WAY. #1Pack1Goal pic.twitter.com/OqqPqUcsva
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) November 30, 2025
For the fourth time in the season, NC State scored touchdowns in its first two drives. The Pack was undefeated in the first three, beating Virginia, Campbell and Georgia Tech. North Carolina’s second drive was far more successful than the first, but it leaked into the second quarter.
Second quarter
UNC got on the scoreboard early in the second quarter. After the Tar Heels and quarterback Gio Lopez worked their way into the red zone, the mobile quarterback stood in the pocket and hit his star wide receiver Jordan Shipp for a 20-yard score to bring UNC to within a touchdown early in the game.
Gio Lopez DOT 🎯
— ACC Football (@ACCFootball) November 30, 2025
📺 @accnetwork x @UNCFootball pic.twitter.com/q6c2EW1Rsk
NC State’s offense came right back and answered, however. The Wolfpack went on yet another five-plus-minute drive, with Bailey continuing to gash the Tar Heel defense with his legs. Wilson punched it in for his second score of the night, putting the Wolfpack up 21-7. UNC responded with a field goal despite Lopez taking two sacks on the drive.
Doeren let Bailey off the chain again with just under two minutes left in the half. The quarterback led the offense all the way to the one-yard line and then hit tight end Justin Joly for a touchdown to put the Pack up 28-10 just before the end of the half.
Third quarter
The teams traded punts to open the second, snapping the Wolfpack’s streak of touchdowns. The Wolfpack made some adequate adjustments when covering Shipp and started to dial up the pressure with the defensive line. Veteran defensive lineman Travali Price brought down Lopez early in the quarter, the fourth sack of the night for the Wolfpack. The Tar Heel quarterback left the game with an injury.
UNC backup quarterback Max Johnson came into the game for the injured Lopez and got the Tar Heel offense moving. The senior quarterback was able to get out of the pocket and run for 35 yards on the drive, working the Tar Heels into NC State territory. The Pack dialed up a blitz on third down, forcing an incompletion from Johnson and Belichick to kick a field goal to move within 15 points of NC State.
Fourth quarter
.@WillWilson__ for three!#1Pack1Goal pic.twitter.com/Mv6R95etfT
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) November 30, 2025
NC State’s drive, which began in the third quarter, finished in style. As one North Carolina defender tried to get off the field on third down, Wilson snapped the ball and took off, finding enough room to get to the four-yard line. The offensive line did the rest, pushing the pile into the end zone for Wilson’s third score of the night.
The rivalry chippiness started to pick up in the fourth quarter, as both teams dealt with unnecessary roughness penalties in the second half. NC State's defense continued to trouble the Carolina offense, even after the improvement with Johnson in the game. Veteran linebacker Tra Thomas sacked Johnson, who fumbled the ball. Defensive end Sabastian Harsh swooped up the ball for the Wolfpack.
Wilson scored yet another touchdown with just over five minutes left in the game, his fourth of the night. The freshman quarterback came into the game with five rushing touchdowns, nearly matching his output for the full year against the Tar Heels. He became the first NC State quarterback to have four rushing touchdowns in the same game since 1995.
Final Stats for the Wolfpack
- Sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey: 21-of-30, 201 passing yards, two touchdowns, eight carries for 65 yards.
- Freshman quarterback Will Wilson: 12 carries for 54 yards, four rushing touchdowns.
- Senior wide receiver Wesley Grimes: five receptions for 61 yards, one touchdown.
- Senior tight end Justin Joly: four receptions for 30 yards, one touchdown.
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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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