Was This Dave Doeren’s Best NC State Win Yet?
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RALEIGH — When Dave Doeren walked off the field after beating a top-10-ranked Georgia Tech team at Carter-Finley Stadium, it's hard to say what emotions he was feeling. Elation? Of course. Relief? After weeks of listening to speculation about him retiring, it's likely he felt some after beating the Yellow Jackets.
While it wasn't the first time in his tenure that Doeren has pulled a rabbit out of the hat and stunned the college football world, it felt like one of his most important wins as the leader of the Wolfpack. It was a game that encapsulated everything he wanted from his program over the last six weeks, particularly finally playing complementary football. But is it his best?
Doeren's Other Wins
Doeren had a pair of top-25 victories during the 2017 season that certainly impressed. In what is likely his best road victory as the Wolfpack head coach, Doeren led quarterback Ryan Finley and the Pack to Doak Campbell Stadium and upset the No. 12 Florida State Seminoles. However, that FSU team ended up being just 7-6 by season's end.
The more impressive of the two 2017 wins came a few weeks later, as the Wolfpack hosted the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, Lamar Jackson, and the No. 17 Louisville Cardinals in Raleigh for a top-25 showdown. The Pack sacked Jackson four times; however, the Cardinals were not the same team as they were in Jackson's Heisman season a year prior.
The last top-10 win for Doeren came in 2021, when the Wolfpack hung on to win in double overtime and knocked off the No. 9 Clemson Tigers. It was Doeren's first win over a top-10 opponent and quarterback Devin Leary threw for four touchdowns, outclassing Clemson's DJ Uiagalelei.
The Wolfpack had lost eight straight matchups to Clemson, so to snap that streak in front of the home crowd meant a lot to Doeren and the program, although NC State was in the midst of a 2-1 start with expectations for a solid season.
Why the Georgia Tech Win is the Best
After losing four of five games, NC State's 2025 season looked dead in the water and Doeren's future was murkier than ever. Georgia Tech, then ranked No. 8, entered the matchup expected to gash the Wolfpack's reeling defense. One of the key figures of the 2025 campaign, sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey, was in the midst of a slump of sorts.
Everything changed on that Saturday night in Carter-Finley Stadium. Without stars at running back and tight end in Hollywood Smothers and Justin Joly, the Wolfpack manufactured 48 points and got 196 rushing yards from redshirt freshman Duke Scott. Bailey returned to form and finished with three total touchdowns, doing just enough to outduel standout Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King.
Fans storm the field at Carter-Finley Stadium as NC State upsets No. 8 Georgia Tech 48-36. @WolfpackOnSI pic.twitter.com/v655WOCcRJ
— Tucker Sennett (@SennettTucker) November 2, 2025
Wolfpack fans stormed the field after linebacker Caden Fordham came down with the game-sealing interception. The win breathed new life into a program that looked destined for another lost season. While the ceiling for the Wolfpack remains modest, missing a bowl game looked very possible before the upset win.
Now, the Pack has a new lease on life and renewed energy in the building. It'll have another opportunity to add to the list, as NC State is set to face No. 18 Miami in South Florida after the bye week.
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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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