NC State’s 2025 Season: The Losses That Hurt Most
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RALEIGH — The 2025 football season for NC State was a rollercoaster of emotions for both the team itself and the fan base supporting it every step of the way. The Wolfpack finished the regular season with a 7-5 record, winning three of its final four games in the month of November and salvaging what could've been a lost season under head coach Dave Doeren.
However, the Pack whiffed on a few opportunities that could've changed the outlook for the year greatly. With a 3-0 start, NC State looked like it could be a contender for the upper-middle of the ACC standings, with a chance to be a serious disruptor for some of the conference's elite teams. However, the Wolfpack dropped four of its next five games.
Three of the Wolfpack's losses stung more than most, as wins in any of the three games would've great changed the year and potentially given Doeren a chance to win 10 games with a win in the postseason bowl game for the first time since he took over the Wolfpack program in 2013. Where did NC State stumble along the way?
A tumble in Durham
NC State entered its Week 4 matchup against the Duke Blue Devils with a perfect 3-0 record, while Duke had struggled out of the gate. However, the team wearing the blue and black needed to turn its season around in a hurry and utilized one key play to do so.
At the time and in the weeks that followed, sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey's interception to Tre Freeman looked like it might've derailed NC State's entire season. The mistake came because of the signal caller's feeling that Duke edge rusher Vincent Anthony Jr. jumped before the snap late in the first half. The refs didn't feel the same way.
TRE. FREEMAN. 😈 pic.twitter.com/y7vgMrc0xk
— Duke Football (@DukeFOOTBALL) September 20, 2025
The Duke loss was also the first sign that there might be some growing pains for first-year defensive coordinator DJ Eliot's group, as the Blue Devils exploded in the second half both on the ground and through the air. Had Doeren been able to escape Durham with a win, the Blue Devils certainly wouldn't be gearing up for the ACC Championship game against Virginia.
The interim coach loss
Before its September matchup against the Wolfpack in Raleigh, Virginia Tech was a program in complete disarray. The Hokies made the decision to fire head coach Brent Pry after an ugly start to the 2025 season that included a loss to Old Dominion in Blacksburg. The program elevated offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery to the interim head coach position.
Montgomery's group looked improved against Wofford the week before the NC State game, but not enough to give the Wolfpack much fear. However, the Hokies came out and dominated the Pack physically. Virginia Tech rushed for 229 yards in the win despite being one of the worst running teams in the ACC before the game.
The Pack found itself with a chance to drive down the field trailing by two points, but faltered. Bailey couldn't hit tight end Justin Joly on an out-route on fourth down and the Hokies hung on. It was the Wolfpack's lone loss in Carter-Finley Stadium in the 2025 season, as the Pack finished the year with a 6-1 record in the Carter.
Blown out by Narduzzi
After suffering an ugly loss on the road to a very strong Notre Dame squad, NC State's bowl eligibility hopes were dwindling. The next matchup was another road trip, this time to face Doeren's good friend, Pat Narduzzi, and his Pittsburgh Panthers. The team from the Steel City was in the midst of a serious turnaround. The two squads were trending in different directions.
The Wolfpack's advantage was that the game came after the team's first open date of the season. NC State tried to improve its health after the onslaught of injuries the team suffered over the previous four weeks. In the early stages of the game, it appeared to be a shootout. NC State scored touchdowns to cut Pitt's lead to three points at 17-14.
A trick and a treat!
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) October 25, 2025
Justin Joly gives it his all for his second touchdown of the game and is over 100 yards for the first time in his career. #1Pack1Goal pic.twitter.com/j83rRzqyjZ
However, disaster struck the Wolfpack offense. Joly scored an incredible touchdown on a double-pass play with wideout Teddy Hoffmann tossing him the ball. However, the star tight end came out of the long run with an injury and could not return. NC State's offense couldn't keep pace from that point and Pitt ran wild. The Panthers ultimately won 53-34.
However, the Pitt loss sparked the 3-1 November for the Wolfpack in many ways and now NC State is preparing for a bowl appearance despite these disappointing losses.
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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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