Bailey Finishes Regular Season With Second Career Win Over UNC
In this story:
RALEIGH — NC State quarterback CJ Bailey led the Wolfpack to a 7-5 regular season record in his sophomore season, capping things off with a 42-19 win over his program's arch-rival, the North Carolina Tar Heels. While Bailey wasn't the focal point of the Wolfpack's offensive attack against UNC, he managed the game effectively and got the job done in the victory.
The sophomore finished with 201 yards and two passing touchdowns. He also played one of his best games as a rusher, taking what the Carolina defense gave him time and time again. He rushed for a season-high 65 yards in the game, coming just 18 yards short of his career-high set during his freshman season.
NC State's QB room combined for 320 of NC State's 386 yards in its 42-19 win over UNC:
— Noah Fleischman (@fleischman_noah) November 30, 2025
CJ Bailey: 21-30 passing, 201 yards, 2 TDs; 8 carries, 65 yards
Will Wilson: 12 carries, 54 yards, 4 TDs
Vibes are high amongst the Wolfpack's signal-callers pic.twitter.com/VLlMNNyG9Z
Bailey finished the 2025 regular season with 2,683 passing yards, 21 passing touchdowns, nine interceptions, 150 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. His performance against the Tar Heels was a perfect encapsulation of the many strides he took as a sophomore, sticking to the game plan and attacking the UNC defense when he felt it was necessary.
Watch Bailey's press conference
Backing up trash talk
After North Carolina hired NFL legend Bill Belichick to lead its football program last winter, Bailey took the opportunity to throw some shade in the direction of Chapel Hill. Coming off his freshman season, Bailey said, "We're going to kill them," when asked about Belichick's arrival. While he didn't share the same fiery sentiment about the 2025 win, he still felt it was important to get the victory.
"It feels good to just get a win, period... I was introduced to the rivalry last year and it was hectic, especially at the end," Bailey said. "I just wanted to make a statement coming into this game and we did. We put up 42 points on offense and that's great. It's good to back up what I was saying."
Coming out hot
The Wolfpack's start to the game was the best out of any matchup in the season. It was the first time NC State scored touchdowns on the first four drives of the game. Bailey was a major reason why, as he came out confident. He was also aided by the efforts of freshman quarterback Will Wilson, who ran for four touchdowns in the win.
"When we get that coin toss and they give us that ball first, it's just like I feel a sense of confidence," Bailey said. "Everybody got confidence in us going out there and scoring. So, let's make it happen... That's what our offense did."
Want more NC State football content during the 2025 season? Follow on X (Twitter) @WolfpackOnSI and @SennettTucker and never miss another breaking news story again. Want to reach out with questions about the Wolfpack? Send an email to wolfpackonsi@gmail.com to potentially be featured on mailbag stories in the future.
Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.
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.
Follow SennettTucker