What NC State Football Aims to Sharpen Most in Week 4

The Wolfpack wants to correct a recurring issue in another road game.

Sep 11, 2025; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack offensive lineman Jalen Grant (74) snaps the ball against against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in second half at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Luke Jamroz-Imagn Images | Luke Jamroz-Imagn Images

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Head coach Dave Doeren and his staff have the NC State Wolfpack off to its first 3-0 start since 2022. However, the undefeated stretch wasn't without imperfections and issues.

The Wolfpack escaped its first two games with one-score wins over East Carolina and Virginia at home. NC State hit the road for the ACC opener against Wake Forest and overcame a 14-0 deficit and ultimately won 34-24 in Winston-Salem.

While several smaller issues can be identified when reviewing the Wolfpack's first three games, the main problem is actually much simpler: The Wolfpack has not yet played a complete, four-quarter game.

Aug 28, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren looks on during the warmups prior to the game against East Carolina Pirates at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Slow Starts

Before it could collectively blink, NC State trailed the Demon Deacons by two touchdowns last Thursday. Doeren expressed his frustration over the special teams and first-half defensive performances after that game, but it provided even more evidence of the concerning trend.

The Wolfpack came out lackadaisical in both the second and third games of the season. Doeren leaned on the team captains to push their teammates for better performances in the second half of both games, a strategy that ultimately paid off, especially on the defensive side of the ball. But the coach just wants to play a clean game for four quarters.

• "Obviously, we're excited about our record, but we know that we can play a lot better than we've played for four quarters and putting together spurts and quarters and halves, but not full games on both sides of the ball," Doeren said.

Sep 7, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren talks with officials during the first quarter against the Tennessee Volunteers at the Dukes Mayo Classic at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Doeren's view is that there isn't a true trend or tendency behind the team's poor starts, calling it 'bad football' earlier in the week. The coach believes the adversity the team faced in the first three games will only help as the season moves along.

Members of the defense don't think it's a schematic issue. Team captain and linebacker Sean Brown offered a blunt assessment of the situation and his view on what needs to improve moving forward.

• "We all know what we need to fix and we all know that we just need to go out there and just execute as a team, offense and defense," Brown said. "With those wins, everybody knows that we haven't played our best brand of football, but we did put in the work and grinded it out and got the win. We all know that if we come out fast and execute as a team, then we know we can put some points on the board and stop them."

NC State faces its stiffest competition so far on Saturday. While Duke started the season 1-2, the Blue Devils are loaded with talent on both sides of the ball, including quarterback Darian Mensah, who ranks in the top three for passing yards in the nation.

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