Wolfpack Linebacker Caden Fordham Finishes Regular Season With Rivalry Win
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RALEIGH — NC State finished its season with what might've been the most important win of the year. The Wolfpack physically dominated its arch-rival from down the road in Chapel Hill, throttling the North Carolina Tar Heels 42-19 in front of a home crowd at Carter-Finley Stadium.
The win marked the fifth in a row by the Wolfpack over the Tar Heels, ensuring several seniors, like linebacker and team captain Caden Fordham, never suffered a loss to UNC during their career with the Wolfpack. The win moved the Wolfpack to 7-5 on the season and helped head coach Dave Doeren reach a 9-4 record over the Tar Heels.
Fordham was a menace down the stretch for the Wolfpack in the regular season. He finished the year with double-digit tackles in the last four games, peaking with 15 total against Florida State. He finished with 12 total tackles against UNC, including a sack and five solo takedowns. After suffering a horrific knee injury in practice earlier in the 2024 season, Fordham returned to form in his final year with the Pack.
The senior linebacker spoke to the media after getting a win in his final game at Carter-Finley Stadium, praising the efforts of his teammates and the defense as it turned things around in the last two weeks of the regular season.
Watch Fordham discuss the game
Never losing
When Fordham earned the No. 1 jersey, he took on the responsibility of being an extension of the coaching staff, and even more specifically, Doeren, on the field. With his head coach's passion for beating UNC, it's easy to see how the rivalry game also meant a lot for Fordham, given the connection between coach and player. He never once lost to the Tar Heels.
"I mean, it's awesome. Credit to these coaches, these guys on this team," Fordham said. "We fought back. It's been an amazing journey. Obviously, never losing to them is something I've always dreamed of since coming here to NC State and it's something that's emphasized here every year, so it was awesome to go out like that, with a bang."
Applying pressure
NC State finished the win with a season-high four sacks. The Wolfpack front seven never applied consistent pressure throughout the year, continuously creating high-stress situations for the secondary. The group flipped that script in the win over the Tar Heels, driving back their offensive line and getting to both Gio Lopez and Max Johnson.
"It was something we've been trying to focus on these last two games, something we were getting better at and it showed tonight," Fordham said. "Guys were doing their job, keeping the rush lanes tight... It was awesome to get those sacks."
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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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