Assessing What Went Wrong For NC State Against Notre Dame
In this story:
RALEIGH — After losing to Notre Dame 36-7, NC State traveled back to Raleigh with a week off on the schedule and a bitter taste of defeat. With more and more injuries mounting up and a lack of answers to significant questions, the bye came at the right time.
Head coach Dave Doeren and his staff went right to work on the Notre Dame film, trying to determine what went wrong in South Bend. The Wolfpack had an uncharacteristic outing and once again fell victim to a major issue that has plagued the team the entire season: a lack of complementary football.
Bailey's Shocking Woes
In two of the three NC State losses to this point in the season, sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey threw six interceptions. Three against Duke and three against Notre Dame. Both performances came in road environments against hungry defenses skilled at making quarterbacks pay. His head coach remains confident it isn't a trend.
"If you would ask me going into Notre Dame game, if I was concerned with how CJ was going to play, I would have said no," Doeren said. "He had a great week of practice. And like I told him after the game, man, you just had an off day."
In the days leading up to the difficult road game, Doeren expressed urgency to his team about winning the turnover battle. He knew that was the key to upsetting a group like the Fighting Irish, especially on the road. Bailey's performance made that an impossible task for an injury-riddled defense.
NC State did come away with one interception. Defensive back Asaad Brown, who moved from nickel to safety at warp speed due to injuries in the secondary, picked off freshman quarterback CJ Carr in the end zone to help the Wolfpack prevent a touchdown in the first half.
A Box Office Bomb
Not every Hollywood film is a blockbuster. NC State's Hollywood Smothers was held up by the Fighting Irish defense and failed to establish any rhythm throughout the game. Despite entering as one of the nation's leading rushers, Smothers finished with just 46 yards in the game. The Wolfpack has been at its best when Smothers is firing on all cylinders and the offense can control possession.
To beat a team like Notre Dame, NC State needed to keep its defense off the field as much as possible. With the injuries the group was dealing with, that became an even more pressing need. Notre Dame won the possession battle by about three minutes and allowed just 12 first downs to NC State's offense.
Summary of Problems
NC State's defense did enough to keep the Wolfpack in the game, but the inability to string together drives put the defensive coordinator DJ Eliot's group on the field far too much. Bailey's turnovers made matters even worse and he was forced to press even more because of the inefficiences in the rushing attack.
Doeren and all four players who spoke after practice Tuesday believe the team learned a lot about itself during the bye week. Watching losses can expose major problems and also show strengths that may not have been as clear before. The Wolfpack will look to use what it learned against Pitt on Saturday.
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