No. 16 Notre Dame Throttles NC State

Dave Doeren and the NC State Wolfpack traveled to South Bend, Indiana, with hopes of crushing the College Football Playoff dreams of the No. 16 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The Pack hung around throughout the first half, but the Irish took over in the third quarter and ultimately took down NC State 36-7.

The loss was the third of the season for Doeren and the Wolfpack, while the Irish picked up a critical fourth win in their march toward a return to the CFP.

First Quarter

Notre Dame scoreboard — Oct 11, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish and NC State Wolfpack logos on the scoreboard before the matchup at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

NC State's offense was stonewalled early, while the Irish offense flew out of the gates. After a quick three-and-out for the Pack, Carr led Notre Dame down the field on a six-play drive for an easy touchdown to go up 7-0 before NC State could blink. However, the Pack defense held up after another three-and-out and forced Carr out of bounds on a fourth-down play to turn the Irish over on downs.

Sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey led the Pack to midfield with a pair of big third down plays before the end of the quarter. NC State proved it could hang with the Irish in the first quarter, but would it last?

Second Quarter

CJ Bailey and Hollywood Smother — Oct 11, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; NC State Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey (11) hands off to running back Hollywood Smothers (3) during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

Bailey made the Irish pay for letting him extend the drive. The sophomore uncorked a deep ball, something the Wolfpack had to let him do if it wanted to have a chance in the game. The pass found sophomore wideout Terrell Anderson in space and he shed the Irish defensive back and scored a game-tying touchdown. Offensive coordinator Kurt Roper made a conscious effort to push the ball down the field more in the second quarter.

Sep 11, 2025; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack wide receiver Terrell Anderson (9) celebrates a touchdown with North Carolina State Wolfpack running back Hollywood Smothers (3) against Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Luke Jamroz-Imagn Images | Luke Jamroz-Imagn Images

After another big stop, the Wolfpack had a chance to take the lead in the game for the first time. Bailey made a crucial third-down conversion, finding true freshman receiver Teddy Hoffmann for a first down near midfield. A holding penalty set NC State back behind the sticks and stalled the drive, killing some of the Wolfpack's momentum.

NC State forced Carr to be a passer in the first half. The plan worked well for the first half, as the freshman ended a drive deep into Wolfpack territory with an interception. However, Carr worked the Irish into field goal range at the end of the first half and his team was able to kick a field goal to go up 10-7 when the clock his zero.

Oct 4, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren with his team prepare to run out prior to the first half of the game against Campbell Fighting Camels at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Third Quarter

Oct 11, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback CJ Carr (13) looks to pass against the NC State Wolfpack during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

Notre Dame's freshman quarterback began to pick apart the NC State defense, which began to show its lack of depth in the third quarter. Carr threw a pair of touchdowns to put the Irish up 24-7. The Wolfpack struggled to contain Notre Dame wide receiver Will Pauling throughout the entire game. He scored the second touchdown of the third quarter, as Carr found him over the middle for 13 yards.

Fourth Quarter

Oct 11, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; NC State Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey (11) throws a pass against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

Things fell apart for NC State in the fourth quarter. Bailey threw three interceptions, much like he did in the loss to Duke when the game got away from the Wolfpack. He also botched a snap and landed in the end zone for a safety.

NC State's defense was simply on the field far too much in the second half. The Wolfpack couldn't establish the run with Hollywood Smothers at any point and became over-reliant on Bailey to make big plays downfield. Notre Dame's pass rush, led by edge rusher Boubacar Traore, teed off on the Wolfpack offensive line, which lost starting left guard Anthony Carter Jr. in the first half. Traore finished with a pair of sacks in the win.

Oct 11, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; NC State Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey (11) hands off to running back Hollywood Smothers (3) during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

Final Stats

NC State vs. Notre Dam — Notre Dame tight end Eli Raridon, center, is brought down in the first half of a NCAA football game against NC State at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As for the quarterback battle, Carr outclassed Bailey most of the afternoon. The Wolfpack's sophomore signal caller finished his worst performance of the season with186 passing yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. Carr threw a pair of touchdowns and completed 19 of his 31 pass attempts for 342 yards.

The Irish held star running back Hollywood Smothers to just 46 yards on 12 carries. Meanwhile, their stellar running back tandem of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarrian Price combined for 152 rushing yards. Love broke into the end zone for a pair of touchdowns as well.

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