NC State’s Doeren Speaks Out Following Tough Defeat to Duke

DURHAM, N.C. -- Once again, NC State struggled at Wallace Wade Stadium, ultimately falling to Duke 45-33. The loss marked the first of the season for the Wolfpack and came at the hands of a Blue Devil team desperate to return to the win column after back-to-back losses.

Sep 20, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren reacts to a call during the fourth quarter against the Duke Blue Devils at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

NC State repeatedly suffered from self-inflicted mistakes during the game, turning the ball over four times and making multiple special teams blunders. After a long week of preparation due to the Thursday night game in Week 3, NC State head coach Dave Doeren expected a cleaner game from his players against the Blue Devils.

Doeren spoke to the media immediately following the loss and expressed disappointment in the result and a need to fix things, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

Watch the press conference here

Below is a partial transcript of Doeren's postgame thoughts:

On his overall thoughts about the loss:

Doeren: "I'll give Duke credit. Congratulations to them on the win and they definitely deserve it. They came back. We had a chance with a two-score lead and to do some things. Really, there were a lot of mistakes in that game that hurt us, whether it's penalties at key moments ... "

"I thought special teams really hurt us in that game. We were chasing points after a missed extra point, the blocked kick, the penalty on the first punt of the game, when we stopped them and gave them a chance to convert on fourth-and-3 when we had them fourth-and-8."

Aug 28, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren looks on during the warmups prior to the game against East Carolina Pirates at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

On Bailey's critical interception at the end of the first half

Doeren: "Well, it's a hard count play. We don't even have a play called unless they jump off sides. If they jump off sides, we snap the ball and take a free shot, knowing that we got five. The center is not supposed to snap it unless he knows somebody is in the neutral zone.

"Jalen thought that their D-end was in the neutral zone when he snapped the football. The refs didn't think that. That's a play where CJ in that situation has to see there's not a flag and throw it away. It's unfortunate. From our sideline, I thought he was offsides. From the ref's standpoint, he wasn't and it's not reviewable, so it's a tough play in the game."

TRE. FREEMAN. 😈 pic.twitter.com/y7vgMrc0xk
— Duke Football (@DukeFOOTBALL) September 20, 2025

On issues with the defensive performance

Doeren: "Yeah, we'll have to look at it. You know, obviously, we gotta play better on that side of the football. You can't give up that many points and that's tough when you turn the ball over that many times, too. On defense, it doesn't help you. We actually had two stops on what we call sudden changes after turnovers."

"The biggest thing is explosive plays that are touchdowns. You can't give up explosive touchdowns. You know, you can't get them down and live to play another down and we've given up several explosive touchdown runs in games. There's a lot to look at on that side of the football, and I know that side that the staff will do so, but, yeah, it's hard to win. You give up 45 points. It's pretty tough."

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