What Nearly Ruined NC State's the Win Over ECU?
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RALEIGH -- Head coach Dave Doeren and NC State escaped an opening week loss to East Carolina, holding off the Pirates 24-17 at Carter-Finley Stadium on Thursday.
Both the Wolfpack offense and defense stormed out of the gates. Sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey looked very improved throughout the first half before ECU ratcheted up its defense when it went down 17-0.
First-year defensive coordinator DJ Eliot and the Wolfpack defense stood strong throughout the first half. ECU finished three of its four drives with negative yardage gained before punting. The Pirates finished the game with just 30 yards rushing. However, ECU's passing game came alive late in the first half in large part because of a change in tempo, which nearly cost Eliot's defense the game.
What changed for the Wolfpack?
The Wolfpack defense forced punts on the first four ECU drives, stretching into the second quarter. The unit rose later in the second quarter for the first of its three fourth-down stops, deep in its own territory.
ECU offensive coordinator John David Baker flipped a switch in the playcalling after those first five drives. The team put veteran quarterback Katin Houser in more quick passing situations and run/pass option plays in an effort to disrupt Eliot's defense.
A major issue with Eliot's multiple defensive schemes arose after the change in tempo. To account for the multiple fronts thrown at the Pirates, Doeren and Eliot had to rotate a plethora of players in and out of the game in between downs. Baker picked up on this trend and moved his offense into position quicker, stranding Wolfpack defenders on the field for more plays in a row than they could handle.
After the game, one of the Wolfpack's defensive stars acknowledge the switch flipped by Houser, Baker and the Pirate offense.
"They were playing with that tempo offense. They were definitely keeping us on our toes," linebacker Cian Slone said.
The drive that proved it would be a problem moving forward came late in the second quarter. NC State punted after a short drive. On a second down play, NC State sacked Houser and looked to be in position to get the ball back after a third down stop.
However, Houser jumped up after getting sacked and caught the Wolfpack defense celebrating. He fired a pass over the middle to tight end Jayvontay Conner. The tight end bounced off the sleeping Wolfpack defenders and galloped all the way down the sideline for a 79-yard touchdown pass.
ECU TE Jayvontay Conner announces himself to the country pic.twitter.com/rsrYUAfnSl
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) August 29, 2025
The playbook opened up with the increase in tempo for ECU after that play. After a CJ Bailey interception on the next drive, the Pirates were in position to cut the lead to a touchdown after a solid two-minute drill drive, but they didn't make the field goal.
Solving the Problem
Eliot and Doeren needed to make adjustments to stop the uptempo attack from ECU. The staff and the players on the field struggled throughout the second half.
"They were putting two of their receivers almost out of bounds on some of the plays to try to create space on the field," Doeren said.
NC State leaned on its veteran linebackers when it mattered most. Slone, Caden Fordham and Sean Brown all placed an emphasis on tackling in open space in the second half. The trio saved a number of potentially big plays and turned them into marginal gains for the Pirates.
"I thought we tackled really well in this game, and that was impressive. You always worry about tackling, especially against an uptempo spread," Doeren said.
Even with the improved tackling, the Wolfpack still found itself in danger of an upset loss to start the season. The offense and kicking game failed to put the game away in the fourth quarter with a few major missed opportunities. Finishing the job fell on Eliot's defense.
ECU's final drive looked to be its most dangerous of the night. The team moved quickly to the line of scrimmage, with Houser firing quick passes to his wide-spread receivers for quick hitters. However, every time the Pirates crossed the 50, Eliot's defense increased its intensity and tackling.
It all came down to a 4th-and-short play with 42 seconds left. Houser found receiver Desirrio Riles on a naked crack screen. The quarterback wanted to get the receiver in space to make a play, but NC State defensive back Jamel Johnson descended upon Riles in a split second. The cornerback slammed Riles to the turf for a loss of yardage and won the game for the Wolfpack.
NC STATE STUFFS EAST CAROLINA ON 4TH AND 1 TO WIN pic.twitter.com/eibiHodSnu
— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthew_CFB) August 29, 2025
Houser ultimately finished the game with 366 yards passing, despite an incredibly slow and inefficient start to the game.
Eliot and the Wolfpack should expect teams to follow the model set by ECU moving forward. If players like the linebackers and Johnson can rise up in crucial situations with tackling in the open field, the defense could continue to wreak havoc against the run and pressure quarterbacks with great success.
If not, quality offenses could carve up the Wolfpack significantly and put Bailey in a position where he needs to win a shootout.
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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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