How NC State’s Latest Win Measures Up Across the ACC

On the latest episode of the NC State Insider Podcast, we discuss the Wolfpack's win in comparison to the rest of the ACC.

Oct 4, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack running back Hollywood Smothers (3) and wide receiver Wesley Grimes (6) celebrate a touchdown during the first half of the game against Campbell Fighting Camels at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

NC State throttled Campbell 56-10 to move to 4-2 in the 2025 season and snap a two-game losing skid.

The Wolfpack was the only ACC program to play a non-conference game in Week 6, as the rest of the conference battled it out and the power structure became even clearer than before. While NC State won't finish amongst the conference's elite teams, the Wolfpack does have a pair of intriguing wins early in the season that might signify the team is more competitive than it seemed during the two-game skid.

On this episode of the NC State Insider Podcast, host Tucker Sennett breaks down where NC State's win stood in comparison with the rest of the conference matchups and how the Wolfpack looks moving forward in ACC play.

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Watch the Episode Here

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NC State head coach Dave Doeren is aware of the challenges his team faces heading into the back half of the season. He spoke about some critical things the Wolfpack needs to fix if it wants to be competitive moving forward in 2025.

Here is a partial transcript of Doeren's press conference following the win over the Fighting Camels:

On Charlton Warren stepping up as the temporary defensive coordinator in DJ Eliot's stead

• "Thankful for Coach Warren. I thought what he's had to do the last two weeks was above and beyond the call of duty. And so, Charlton did a great job for us and stepped in and allowed DJ the opportunity to spend the time that he needed at home. And it was good to have DJ back on the sidelines with us today."

Sep 26, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) celebrates with head coach Kenny Dillingham after their win against TCU Horned Frogs at Mountain America Stadium, Home of the ASU Sun Devils. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Reiner-Imagn Images | Jacob Reiner-Imagn Images

On the issues with special teams throughout the game

• "Special teams-wise, obviously disappointed that catching a punt is so hard, but I think out of this, we found our punt returner in Terrell Anderson. So, that might be the thing I'm most excited about coming out of the game. We finally got a guy back there that knows what to do. And so, what you do in practice has got to show up in games. The special teams area continues to be a sore spot for me with our performance and a penalty on a touchdown.

Oct 4, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack kicker Charlie Birtwistle (84) kicks the ball during the first half of the game against Campbell Fighting Camels at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

• "A lot of these are freshmen. Teddy (Hoffmann) is a freshman. LaCorian (Hodge), who got the holding penalty, is a freshman. Guys have got to understand when they're playing, it doesn't matter what age they are. They've got to be mature and they've got to handle the game, but like how we responded today."

Want more NC State football content during the 2025 season? Follow on X (Twitter) @WolfpackOnSI and @SennettTucker and never miss new episodes of the NC State Insider Podcast. 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. 

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