Grading NC State's Offense in Win Over UNC
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RALEIGH — NC State got the job done in the final game of the season, throttling its arch-rival North Carolina Tar Heels 42-19 in front of the home crowd at Carter-Finley Stadium. The win moved the Wolfpack to 7-5 on the season with a postseason bowl game coming later in December or early January.
It was an impressive showing by the Wolfpack offense, which scored touchdowns on its first four possessions of the game. The group thoroughly dominated a supposedly improved UNC defense, with the two quarterbacks for the Wolfpack attacking aggressively on the ground.
NC State imposed its will throughout the game on the ground with the use of its primary running backs for the most part. The Pack methodically worked its way down the field and gambled enough on fourth downs to keep the Tar Heels on their toes throughout the entire game. UNC simply never had a suitable answer for stopping NC State.
Pro Football Focus grades each member of the team's performance during the game. The model takes into account every play in the game and adds it all up to create the player's total grade. Any grade from the 70s to 80s is considered a good performance. The 60s are average. Below 60 would be poor, and above 80 would be elite.
How did PFF view NC State's offense in the win over the Tar Heels?
The offensive line
- Sophomore right tackle Teague Andersen - 69.6
- Junior left tackle Jacarrius Peak - 65.2
- Sophomore guard Rico Jackson - 62.2
- Senior center Jalen Grant - 61.6
- Freshman right guard Spike Sowells Jr. - 57.2
- Senior left guard Anthony Carter Jr. - 53.4
While the line didn't shine too brightly in the eyes of PFF, the group did enough to go unnoticed in the win over the Tar Heels. Neither quarterback had any reason to be concerned about the UNC front line, as the group opened up enormous running lanes for both mobile signal callers. Peak led the team in pass blocking score, finishing the win with an 83.9 grade in 70 snaps.
Jackson filled in for Sowells in spurts and performed admirably. He, too, was particularly effective as a pass blocker, finishing with a score of 80.7 in that category. It was his third-best performance in that category in the 2025 season.
The wide receivers
- Senior Wesley Grimes - 72.3
- Sophomore Terrell Anderson - 66.5
- Freshman Teddy Hoffmann - 60.2
- Sophomore Noah Rogers - 52.4
- Sophomore Keenan Jackson - 49.1
NC State's passing offense was effective when it needed to be, which wasn't much given how well the quarterbacks ran the ball. Still, the group performed well, especially Grimes in his final matchup against the Tar Heels. The senior caught all five of his targets for 61 yards and a touchdown. 34 of his yards came after the catch.
Rogers continued to struggle with drops, finishing with a pair in the game. As a whole, the group accounted for six first downs, with Grimes making three catches for first downs. It was a solid finish to an up-and-down season for the Wolfpack wideouts.
The tight ends
- Senior Dante Daniels - 71.0
- Senior Justin Joly - 64.6
- Senior Cody Hardy - 59.3
- Freshman Preston Douglas - 59.1 (four snaps)
Joly capped off his senior season, pending his potential appearance in the Wolfpack's bowl game, with another strong performance. The star tight end caught five of his six targets for 30 yards and a touchdown. It wasn't his strongest pass-blocking performance, as he finished with a 59.9 grade in that category.
While Daniels thrived as a blocker in what will be one of his final games, the Wolfpack got a key contribution from the young Douglas. NC State opted to fake a punt in the game and Douglas took a direct snap long enough for a first down to extend a drive for the Pack in his four snaps of action.
The running backs
- Redshirt freshman Duke Scott - 66.9
- Sophomore Darius Johnson - 62.4
- Sophomore Hollywood Smothers - 62.2
Smothers and Scott combined for just 59 yards in the win despite getting 12 carries each. The Tar Heels sold out against the Wolfpack running backs, forcing them to make an impact in other areas. Both performed admirably as run blockers, helping the two quarterbacks thrive on the ground all night long.
The quarterbacks
- Freshman Will Wilson - 91.0
- Sophomore CJ Bailey - 83.4
NC State's two quarterbacks were the stars of the win offensively. Bailey, the team's starter, got things done both through the air in the traditional sense and scrambled successfully, rushing for a season-high 65 yards. He finished 201 yards passing and a pair of touchdowns, completing 21 of his 30 pass attempts.
Wilson was the star of the show, though. The freshman played just 12 snaps, but scored four touchdowns on the ground, the most by a Wolfpack quarterback in program history. He effectively burst through rushing lanes, running for 54 yards. It was far and away the young quarterback's best performance as a member of the Pack.
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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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