What Went Wrong For NC State In Miami?
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RALEIGH — Breaking down the film from Saturday's 41-7 loss to No. 14 Miami couldn't have been easy for the coaching staff and the players at NC State as they returned to Raleigh with a 5-5 record. The loss sucked the momentum from the win over a top-10-ranked Georgia Tech just two weeks prior.
After that win and a second bye week, morale reached a high around the Murphy Center that it hadn't been at since the 3-0 start to the season. The sour taste of defeat will have to go away quickly for NC State, however, as Florida State is set to arrive in Raleigh for a Friday game.
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) November 15, 2025
Learning from losses like the one the Wolfpack experienced in the Sunshine State can be difficult, but important. However, with the loss this late in the season, it's difficult to explain how some of the things that went wrong could've been prevented, given that the team has essentially established its identity at this point.
What Went Wrong?
Pressure, Pressure, Pressure
Miami's defense boasts some of the best pass rushers in the nation in Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor, two players who will likely be playing on Sundays this time next year. Those two, combined with the Hurricanes' aggressive defensive scheme, spelled doom for the Wolfpack offensive line and sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey.
The line allowed Bailey to be pressured 15 times in the loss, the most of any game this season. While he was sacked just once, it was evident the onslaught from the Hurricanes was in Bailey's head.
The sophomore signal caller threw two interceptions, but only the second came against real pressure. The quarterback looked like he had happy feet for the first time since the Notre Dame game and fired a pass into heavy traffic, which Miami safety Jakobe Thomas snared out of the air for his second pick of the game.
Man on a mission 👊❌
— Miami Hurricanes Football (@CanesFootball) November 15, 2025
📺: ESPN pic.twitter.com/ZqZvarYUOq
In situations where he was under duress, Bailey completed just four of his 11 pass attempts for 14 yards. Junior left tackle Jacarrius Peak, one of the Wolfpack's most consistent offensive players, finished with his worst pass protection score of the season according to Pro Football Focus, grading out with a 40.1 in that category. However, Bailey didn't point fingers and took credit for the loss.
"I feel like our offensive line held up enough for me to get passes off and make plays. They did a great job with pass protection," Bailey said. "Their D-line didn't affect the way we could pass the ball. It was just making better decisions on my end and being a better player on my end."
A 'Why Not' Moment Missed
Already trailing 17-0 late in the first half with essentially nothing left to lose and a reeling defense, NC State faced a difficult decision. Head coach Dave Doeren watched as Bailey scrambled on third-and-medium and came up inches short of the first down on the Wolfpack's own 27-yard line. The defense had already been on the field far too much due to one of the turnovers and four punts.
The Wolfpack opted to boot it away with just over three minutes left in the half to try to go into halftime with a 17-0 deficit. Miami's offense was starting to find its rhythm. Rather than gamble and get a first down, which worst-case scenario milks more clock and keeps the Hurricane offense off the field, Doeren opted to send his undermanned defense out there.
Touchdown Toney at your service 🤝
— Miami Hurricanes Football (@CanesFootball) November 15, 2025
📺: ESPN pic.twitter.com/TehYQ43Amh
Instead of potentially cutting the Miami lead to two touchdowns with a field goal or to 10 with a touchdown, the Hurricanes got an extra possession. Veteran quarterback Carson Beck didn't need any help, but the Wolfpack's risk-adverse decision gave him an additional opportunity to add points.
The Hurricanes drove right down the field and Beck found superstar freshman wide receiver Malachi Toney for a touchdown to put Miami up 24-0 with seconds left in the first half. Miami was going to find a way to put points on the board regardless of where its drive started. Why not mitigate those chances by taking a risk?
Nothing on the Ground
Miami came into the game allowing just 88 rushing yards per game. The Wolfpack knew it was getting the ACC's leading rusher, Hollywood Smothers, back for the matchup and came in off a dominant rushing performance against Georgia Tech, in which Smothers was out. The team rushed for 23 yards and averaged less than two yards per carry.
Smothers finished the game with a negative yardage total, while redshirt freshman Duke Scott ran the ball seven times for 14 yards.
"We couldn't block them. It doesn't matter what you call. Every time you call a play, you see a guy in the backfield on the snap. They're splitting double teams, running around guys, blitzing through guys," Doeren said.
The lack of any serious threat on the ground and the growing deficit ruined NC State's time of possession. The Hurricanes possessed the ball for over 13 minutes longer than the Wolfpack did, bleeding the energy out of NC State's defense with 28 first downs throughout the game.
The list of things to go wrong for the Wolfpack is lengthy, but these critical issues led to the score snowballing and the Wolfpack dropping to .500 with two games left. Will Doeren be able to right the ship and finish with seven wins?
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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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