NC State Stuns No. 8 Georgia Tech
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RALEIGH — There was magic in the air of Carter-Finley Stadium on Saturday night. Without star tight end Justin Joly and standout running back Hollywood Smothers, NC State (5-4, 2-3 ACC) stunned No. 8 Georgia Tech (8-1, 5-1 ACC) in a 48-36 shootout.
Sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey architected the monster upset, showing tremendous confidence throughout the night. The wounded Wolfpack defense came up with stops when it mattered most. And, of course, just days after being asked if he was ready to retire after the season, head coach Dave Doeren pulled one of the great rabbits out of his hat to silence the doubters.
First Quarter
With no Justin Joly in the lineup, offensive coordinator Kurt Roper wasn't afraid to go to his tight ends on the opening drive. Both Dante Daniels and Cody Hardy were targeted in NC State's 10-play, 75-yard scoring drive. Hardy capped things off with a 5-yard touchdown catch.
Georgia Tech answered in the blink of the eye. NC State's defense couldn't contain star quarterback Haynes King, who found Jordan Allen for 50 yards on his first pass attempt of the night. King capped off the drive with a 12-yard touchdown rush.
The game had the look of a shootout from the start. NC State's second drive confirmed that. Bailey scrambled for an 11-yard touchdown to put the Pack up 14-7 before Georgia Tech worked it back into NC State territory by the end of the quarter.
Second Quarter
The Yellow Jackets were forced to kick a field goal from 43 yards out to move within four points of the Wolfpack. The teams continued to trade scores throughout the second quarter.
After Georgia Tech took a lead briefly, Bailey extended a drive with a massive 51-yard pass to sophomore wide receiver Terrell Anderson. Freshman quarterback Will Wilson came in for a play in the red zone and took the ball nine yards to the goal line, where he fumbled the ball. Luckily for the Wolfpack, tight end Cody Hardy fell on the ball for his second "touchdown" of the day.
NC State got the ball back on its own 37-yard line after a Georgia Tech missed field goal. After being bailed out by a pass interference penalty, Bailey hit senior wideout Wesley Grimes for 24 yards to set the Pack up for a 34-yard field goal. Kanoah Vinesett made the kick from 34 yards out to put NC State up 24-17 at the half.
The two teams combined for over 500 yards of offense in the first half. Bailey finished with 215 passing yards and two total touchdowns, while King threw for 125 yards and accounted for a pair of scores as well.
Third Quarter
After allowing Georgia Tech to march all the way to the one-yard line, the Wolfpack defense stood tall when it mattered most. The group stuffed King on third down before Georgia Tech false-started on the next play. Key opted to kick the field goal after being pushed back five yards. The Yellow Jackets cut the lead to four, but it was a major win for a struggling Wolfpack group.
The upset began to take shape when redshirt freshman Duke Scott ripped off a 69-yard carry to open the half for the Wolfpack offense. Will Wilson got his touchdown two plays later and put NC State up 31-20. On the ensuing Georgia Tech drive, the Wolfpack defense stood tall once again, forcing another Aidan Birr field goal to make the score 31-23.
All gas, no brakes for Teddy Hoffmann#1Pack1Goal https://t.co/Hw2wAqJ0eH pic.twitter.com/BRQUX0YIcF
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) November 2, 2025
Bailey showcased some of his best pocket awareness of the season on the ensuing Wolfpack drive. He darted around long enough to find a naked Teddy Hoffmann, who took the pass 55 yards for his second touchdown of his young career. Georgia Tech answered right back with a touchdown of its own, as King scampered three yards for his second rushing score of the night to make it 38-30 just before the end of the quarter.
Fourth Quarter
The Wolfpack leaned on Scott to open the fourth quarter. The running back helped set up a 37-yard field goal to go up 11 with under 10 minutes left in the game. On a key third-and-long, King looked to take off and run, but linebacker Cian Slone snuck in and dragged him down to force Georgia Tech's first punt of the night.
Scott provided the killing blow with 4:07 on the clock. The redshirt freshman toted the ball 30 yards for his second touchdown of the game to put NC State up 18 and silence any hopes of a Georgia Tech comeback.
Caden Fordham secured the game-sealing interception in the end zone.
Final Word
The win over Georgia Tech gave the Wolfpack another win over an ACC team with playoff hopes, as NC State took down Virginia back in the second week of the season. On a day where No. 10 Miami fell to unranked SMU, Doeren and Co. further disrupted the hierarchy of power in the conference with their own win.
Funnily enough, the Hurricanes are up next on the schedule for the Pack after another bye week, who could all but eliminate them from playoff contention with a second-straight upset.
Final Stats
NC State
- CJ Bailey: 24-32, 340 yards passing, 2 passing touchdowns, 5 carries for 34 yards, rushing touchdown
- Duke Scott: 24 carries for 196 yards, one touchdown, 2 receptions for 11 yards
- Noah Rogers: 7 receptions for 72 yards
- Teddy Hoffmann: 3 receptions for 74 yards, one touchdown
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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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