NC State’s Best Win of 2025 So Far
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RALEIGH — An open date allows for a team to reflect on its issues and its achievements throughout the season to that point. After a disappointing loss to a talented Notre Dame team, NC State spent its week off evaluating what worked and what didn't through the first seven weeks of the 2025 season.
With a 4-3 record, the Wolfpack experienced some highs, particularly throughout the 3-0 start to the season that had the team looking full of promise. However, one win stood out from the rest, as the Pack took down a potential College Football Playoff candidate without even knowing it.
Why NC State's Win Over Virginia Was Impressive
Entering the season, NC State was selected to finish 10th in the ACC, while Virginia was selected to finish 14th. Back in September, the two teams faced in a unique non-conference matchup, meaning the result wouldn't affect the ACC standings later in the season. Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren had historical success over Virginia, but the Cavaliers looked to be trending upward for the first time in the Tony Elliott era.
The game turned out to be a signature result for the Wolfpack and is now the only difference between Virginia being considered an unbeaten national contender instead of an exciting one-loss ACC program.
The Wolfpack outlasted Virginia 35-31 in Carter-Finley Stadium, in large part due to a remarkable performance from running back Hollywood Smothers. The star tailback carried the ball 17 times for 140 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the win, helping NC State rack up 216 yards on the ground.
The Cavaliers gashed the Wolfpack as well, finishing the game with 257 rushing yards. J'Mari Taylor led the way with 157 yards and three touchdowns, while quarterback Chandler Morris added 56 of his own rushing yards. Morris, a true gambler, kept the Cavaliers afloat late and led the team all the way to the NC State 12-yard line with a chance to win the game.
CIAN SLONE SAVES THE WOLFPACK DEFENSE pic.twitter.com/jPQP4VLrXK
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) September 6, 2025
Luckily for the Wolfpack, linebacker Cian Slone saved the day with a heroic interception in the end zone. NC State looked to be off and running its way to a potential undefeated start to the season with a light schedule over the first five weeks, but things turned out differently after the loss to Duke.
Losing to NC State sparked a very different reaction from Virginia, however. The Cavaliers haven't lost a game since facing the Wolfpack, including the remarkable overtime win over then-ranked Florida State in Charlottesville to put themselves on the national map.
The Cavaliers hung on to beat Washington State 22-20 on Saturday, moving to 6-1 on the season. Elliott's program sits in second place in the conference, with a perfect 3-0 ACC record. Virginia climbed to No. 16 in the country with the win over the Cougars.
While NC State's season was derailed by injuries and a difficult stretch, the Wolfpack can hang its collective hat on the win over a team that looks to be a major disruptor in the ACC in 2025.
The road to the ACC Championship looks fairly light for Virginia, with really one difficult matchup against Duke left on the schedule. Fortunately, the Cavaliers shouldn't have to worry about the two-conference-loss Wolfpack showing up in Charlotte come December.
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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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