NC State's Dave Doeren Reveals Red Zone Aspirations

Dave Doeren offered some intel on NC State's hopes for inside the red zone offensively in 2025.

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

RALEIGH, N.C. -- While it started the season with a victory, NC State wasn't satisfied with its efforts across the board. The team snuck by East Carolina in a 24-17 game Thursday after the defense came up with a crucial fourth-down stop to win the game.

The offense was an adventure for the Wolfpack throughout the game. While NC State showed off some serious explosive play capabilities, it can't consistently count on big plays to put points on the board in games.

Head coach Dave Doeren provided some insight into the team's goals from within the red zone, as well as broader offensive goals during his Monday press conference.

Aug 28, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey (11) runs with the ball during the second half of the game against East Carolina Pirates at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Winning Games in the Red Zone

The Wolfpack reached the red zone four times and was just outside of it on another drive. Only two of those drives ended with touchdowns, both of which came on the ground.

• "Got in the red zone on two drives that we had penalties that are on us to not have," Doeren said. "... Both of those penalties ended up being drive killers."

The penalties included one for an explosive play by running back Hollywood Smothers. The Wolfpack would've been set up deep in ECU territory, but right tackle Teague Andersen committed an unnecessary roughness penalty on a late hit, which pushed the Wolfpack backwards.

Aug 28, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack wide receiver Teddy Hoffmann (12) celebrates a down during the first half of the game against East Carolina Pirates at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

The opposition will only improve throughout the season for the Wolfpack, so the team can't afford to leave points on the field in games when they are trying to pull away. Doeren mentioned after the game on Thursday that the team's goal is to be around 31 points per game.

The two missed field goals left an extra six points off the board. Doeren addressed the kicking situation, stating there will likely be an evaluation of the two placekicker options throughout practice this week.

Aug 28, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey (11) celebrates a touchdown during the first half of the game against East Carolina Pirates at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Goals and Aspirations

Doeren did reveal where the team wants to be in terms of its red zone statistics during the 2025 season at his Monday press conference.

• "Like I said, in the red zone, we had to settle for less than touchdowns. We had two touchdowns there," Doeren said. "We want to be 70% or better and we ended up 50%."

The 70% goal likely stemmed from NC State's struggles in the red zone a season ago. The team actually consistently puts points on the board during trips inside the 20, but touchdowns were hard to come by. The Wolfpack scored points 85.19% of the time in the red area, but only 57.41% of those points came via touchdowns.

Nice QB Counter here with the guard and back being the lead blockers. Great run here from CJ Bailey pic.twitter.com/9mZhkigzVn

— Daniel Rios (@daniel_rios72) August 28, 2025

Improvement in the red zone starts with the quarterback. Sophomore signal caller CJ Bailey looked better inside the 20 during the first half, specifically during his 11-yard touchdown scamper in the second quarter.

However, two drives in the second half stalled because of Bailey. Both led to missed field goals by redshirt freshman kicker Nick Konieczynski. Play calling had a role in the failure, as first-year offensive coordinator Kurt Roper called a pair of ugly quarterback draw plays that left Bailey unprotected and forced to make a difficult read against a defense that had adjusted to the scheme.

Aug 28, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey (11) and wide receiver Wesley Grimes (6) celebrate a touchdown against East Carolina Pirates during the first half of the game at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

The Wolfpack also needs to finish in the red zone so it can finish off games earlier. The lack of scoring in the second half (NC State scored just one touchdown) put tremendous pressure on the defense to finish the game.

• "The mindset is really finishing better," Bailey said after the game. "... Part of it is just me as a leader, getting the offense going. We started to feel comfortable with our lead. We can’t do that. So it’s me as a leader. I’ve got to get those guys going."

The end of the game would've been far less stressful for Doeren and defensive coordinator DJ Eliot had the offense gotten the job done on just one of those second-half drives.

Doeren seemed confident that some of the issues could be ironed out in practice ahead of the week two matchup against Virginia. The Cavaliers scored 48 points in their season-opening victory, so it will be paramount for the Wolfpack to put more points on the scoreboard in the second game.

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