How Notre Dame Exposed NC State: Key Observations From the Loss
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RALEIGH — NC State traveled to one of college football's most iconic settings in South Bend, Indiana, for a chance to upset the 16th-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish Saturday afternoon. Things didn't go the Wolfpack's way, as the Irish dominated the second half and walked away with a 36-7 victory.
The Wolfpack hung around throughout the first half and looked the part of a disruptor in Notre Dame's march to the College Football Playoff. However, a lot went wrong for NC State throughout the second half which derailed any hope of a new signature win for head coach Dave Doeren.
Bailey's Big Game Woes
If NC State wanted any chance of shocking the college football world, it needed sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey to perform at a high level. The Fighting Irish defensive line got to the Wolfpack signal caller early and disrupted his accuracy and rhythm. He responded well in the first half, tying the game at 7-7 with a 45-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wideout Terrell Anderson.
Trailing 10-7 at the half, Bailey knew his team was in the game. However, things unraveled for the Pack's offense in the second half. The sophomore threw three interceptions in the fourth quarter, one of which was an attempt to throw the ball away, but Bailey underthrew the ball to the sideline.
KYNGSTONN VILIAMU-ASA IS A PLAYMAKER #GoIrish☘️ | @AsaViliamu pic.twitter.com/uQDh3tdVCJ
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) October 11, 2025
"We were in the game the whole time," Bailey said. "We just had to score more. We've got to find ways to get the ball in the end zone. The turnovers, they came back in the end."
Bailey finished the game with a season lows in passing yards (186) and completion percentage (57%). He was sacked on four occasions, two of which came courtesy of star Irish edge rusher Boubacar Traore.
He struggled playing from behind against Duke as well, finding himself pressing throughout the second half of that game. The complete performance Bailey has been looking for continues to elude him after seven games.
Valiant Defensive Effort
With DJ Eliot back on the sideline in his full defensive coordinator duties, the Wolfpack defense looked more confident than it did against Virginia Tech. The group frustrated freshman quarterback CJ Carr in the first half. In the buildup to the game, much was made of Notre Dame's duo of strong running backs, Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. Eliot's group held the pair to 59 rushing yards in the half.
Defensive back Asaad Brown Jr. ended a lengthy Notre Dame drive with an interception of Carr in the end zone, putting the Wolfpack ahead in the all-important turnover margin for the time being. It was the second time NC State rose up on a fourth-down play to stop the Irish.
That's TWO fourth down stops on the day!@AsaadJr comes away with his first career INT! https://t.co/xMNDRAV7Ah pic.twitter.com/Eh0Wp1ofEG
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) October 11, 2025
The defense was on the field far too much in the second half, however. With the Wolfpack offense spiraling, Carr gained confidence as the game went on and his workhorse running backs began to grind down the Pack.
"We haven't put a full game together where we complement each other. We got a lot of ball left, so we gotta buy in," team captain and linebacker Caden Fordham said.
The Complete Game
Throughout the season, Doeren and several of his players harped on the team's desire to put together a four quarters of strong football, rather than moments throughout the game that were just enough to get them over the hump. Those issues were never more obvious than in the team's three losses, including the latest to the Fighting Irish. Unfortunately for the coaching staff, there doesn't seem to be a quick fix.
"I wish I had the answer. It's not because we don't talk about it every week. And that's what I told the guys in there. We've had games where we played lights out on defense, had games where we played lights out on offense, had games where special teams was really poor," Doeren said. "... It's a five-game season now. That's going to be the focus of this thing."
NC State will have a bye week to get healthy before another road trip, this time to a red-hot Pittsburgh team.
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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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