Who NC State Is Watching Closely During Its Bye Week

NC State can enjoy a Saturday off after seven straight games, but the preparation for the future doesn't stop. All five of the Wolfpack's remaining opponents are in action across the weekend, including next week's opponent, the Pitt Panthers.

On this episode of the NC State Insider Podcast, host Tucker Sennett breaks down the matchups for the Wolfpack's opposition and what those games might mean for Dave Doeren and Co. over the next six weeks of the season. From Miami to Central New York, get all the info you need about the weekend matchups right here.

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The last time Doeren spoke publicly, he expressed the importance of NC State playing more complementary football after the Wolfpack fell 36-7 to Notre Dame in South Bend. Read what the veteran head coach had to say below:

Sep 11, 2025; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren walks his team out on the field against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Luke Jamroz-Imagn Images | Luke Jamroz-Imagn Images

On what went wrong offensively against Notre Dame

"I thought we had four or five down the field throws that we've been making, and at least having a chance to make plays on and that just didn't happen today. Unfortunately, when you get man free as much as we did today, you're gonna have to be able to win some one-on-ones down the field."

"Teddy (Hoffmann) made a couple plays for us, but we had Noah (Rogers) deep. We had (Justin) Joly deep. Not one of those today we connected on."

On the issues with playing complimentary football

"I wish I had the answer. It's not because we don't talk about it every week. 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."

"We need to put all three phases together, and it's a five-game season now. That's going to be the focus of things, finishing with three-phase football, complementary football, and getting better."

On sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey's struggles during the game

"CJ was off a little today. I mean, there's no other way to say it and I told him that in the locker room. He's a great player and he's played really good for us this year. I'm not blaming him at any point, but you know, he has huge expectations for himself and so do we. I felt like we could run by their DBs and we did. Every other game, guys have paid for that and we just didn't make them pay today."

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

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