NC State Finishes Season With Gasparilla Bowl Win
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TAMPA, Fla. — After a week spent enjoying the warm weather of the Florida Gulf Coast, NC State capped off its trip to the Sunshine State with a win in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl, throttling the Memphis Tigers 31-7 for the eighth win of the season.
Even without star running back Hollywood Smothers in the mix, the Wolfpack offense racked up 337 total yards and controlled the game from start to finish. The win marked the first bowl victory for head coach Dave Doeren since the 2017 Sun Bowl, when he led the Pack to success against Arizona State.
First Quarter
NC State continued its trend of electing to receive the ball first. That decision once again paid dividends, as Bailey and the Wolfpack embarked on a painless drive down the field. The sophomore quarterback completed both of his pass attempts for 45 yards, including a contested catch from tight end Dante Daniels. Bailey capped things off with an easy 14-yard touchdown rush.
The Tigers posed very little threat offensively throughout the opening quarter. The teams traded punts before the Wolfpack defense came up with a key fourth-and-2 stop to set up a short field for NC State. Bailey attacked through the air, hitting senior wideout Wesley Grimes over the middle for a 31-yard touchdown.
Who said Caden Fordham only makes tackles.
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) December 19, 2025
📺: ESPN#1Pack1Goal pic.twitter.com/X3qTEyMmLb
The nightmare start continued for Memphis on the next drive. Brendon Lewis, the Tigers’ veteran quarterback, fired a pass, but it was batted in the air by the receiver. NC State star linebacker Caden Fordham found himself in the right place at the right time and saved the ball from hitting the ground, recording his second interception of the season. He returned the interception deep into Memphis territory, setting up a goal-to-go situation just before the end of the first quarter.
Second Quarter
Following the Fordham interception, Doeren turned to old reliable, or young reliable in this case. Freshman quarterback Will Wilson checked in and burst into the end zone on his third try, putting the Pack up by three touchdowns just a few seconds into the second quarter.
Lewis continued to look out of sync with his targets, an issue that was likely exacerbated by the absence of star wide receiver Cortez Braham Jr. The Tigers finally appeared to be putting a drive together, but it stalled. Interim head coach Reggie Howard tried to get his team some confidence by sending out the field goal unit for a 56-yard attempt, but it missed.
Teddy Hoffmann feeling right at home!
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) December 19, 2025
The 31 points scored by the Wolfpack is the most by a team in a half in @GasparillaBowl history!
📺: ESPN#1Pack1Goal pic.twitter.com/GEGXYVGejb
The Wolfpack didn’t take complete advantage of the short field situation, but Doeren chose to send Kanoah Vinesett, who didn’t attempt a field goal beyond 40 yards out all season, out for a 51-yard kick. He drilled it, putting the Pack up 24-0. Memphis did get back in the fight, finally adding a 28-yard touchdown to Jamari Hawkins.
However, NC State got one last opportunity before the first half ended. Bailey and the offense took advantage. There was a clear goal to take shots downfield, but the shots weren’t connecting. Finally, Bailey found freshman wide receiver and fellow Floridian Teddy Hoffmann wide open on the sideline on a double move for a 40-yard touchdown to put NC State up 31-7 just before halftime.
Third Quarter
With a massive lead already built up, NC State started slowly in the second half. Luckily, the Tigers still had no momentum on the offensive end. The two programs traded punts to start the quarter, with Memphis booting it away twice. It ended as a scoreless period for the two teams, but there were a pair of turnovers.
First, the Wolfpack turned it over on downs on its own 48-yard line. Wilson could not get enough push to pick up the first down, but it didn’t end up hurting NC State. Memphis coughed up the ball while trying to pull off a trick play in the backfield on the very next play and freshman nose tackle Josiah Victor smartly dove on the ball to help the Wolfpack retake possession.
Fourth Quarter and Final Word
Bringing some hardware back to Raleigh#1Pack1Goal pic.twitter.com/ip2UmY4HW3
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) December 19, 2025
NC State’s 2025 season ended with a scoreless fourth quarter for both teams. The Wolfpack snapped the lengthy losing streak in bowl games and hoisted the Gasparilla Bowl trophy. Bailey’s sophomore season ended with 221 passing yards and three total touchdowns.
Fordham finished his Wolfpack career in style, racking up 13 tackles, including five solo takedowns, in the victory. The veteran linebacker walked away with the Gasparilla Bowl MVP award. With the 2025 campaign officially in the rearview, the Wolfpack now turns its gaze to the 2026 season and begins the battle to retain players and add even more in the transfer portal.
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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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