Grading NC State's Offense in Georgia Tech Upset
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RALEIGH — NC State took the field Saturday and hung 48 points on the No. 8 team in the country. While Georgia Tech entered the game known as an offensive power, it was still an impressive feat by a renewed Wolfpack offense.
The star performances were plentiful for the Pack even on a night where it played without Hollywood Smothers and Justin Joly, arguably the two best playmakers on the roster. It didn't matter.
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 PFF viewed NC State's performance against Georgia Tech
The Wide Receivers
- Freshman Teddy Hoffmann - 78.5
- Sophomore Noah Rogers - 74.8
- Sophomore Terrell Anderson - 63.0
- Senior Wesley Grimes - 55.5
- Sophomore Keenan Jackson - 50.8
The reemergence of Hoffmann over the last two weeks is a major development for the Wolfpack offense. The true freshman wideout looked like a savvy veteran against a diminished Georgia Tech secondary and finished with three receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown. He completed all of his work out of the slot.
Rogers also built on his impressive performance against Pitt. He finished with a season-high eight receptions for 96 yards. He averaged around 12 yards per catch and converted five first downs for the Pack.
The Tight Ends
- Senior Dante Daniels - 86.0
- Senior Cody Hardy - 68.2
- Freshman Preston Douglas - 42.7
With Joly sidelined, the other members of NC State's tight end group stepped up massively. Daniels and Hardy both made an impact early. The pair of primary blocking tight ends caught passes in the first half, something rare for the duo. Daniels finished with three catches for 36 yards and a run block grade of 78.9, his second-best mark of the season. He tied CJ Bailey for the best offensive grade on the team.
Hardy caught a touchdown pass on one of his two receptions in the game. He helped Daniels pave the way for redshirt freshman running back Duke Scott, who had a breakout performance of his own in the upset win. Douglas got some work as well, playing seven snaps.
The Running Backs
- Redshirt freshman Duke Scott - 79.2
- Sophomore Coleson Fields - 60.0
Without Smothers in the lineup, the Wolfpack turned to Scott. He showed flashes in the first eight games, but never got the full brunt of the offensive playbook at his disposal before Saturday. NC State head coach Dave Doeren and offensive coordinator Kurt Roper turned Scott loose against a weak Yellow Jackets defense.
The redshirt freshman tailback rewarded his coaches' faith with a 196-yard rushing effort and one rushing touchdown. He also helped keep his quarterback upright very successfully, grading out at 83.1 in pass-blocking situations.
The Offensive Line
UPSET WIN IN RALEIGHWOOD 🔥
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) November 2, 2025
NC State defeated #8 Georgia Tech, 48-36 for their first home upset of a top 10 team since 2021. CJ Bailey led the Wolfpack offense as he completed 24-32 passes for 340 yards and two touchdowns@PackFootball | @PackAthletics | #1Pack1Goal pic.twitter.com/bDD2WjOygR
- Sophomore right tackle Teague Andersen - 66.6
- Junior left tackle Jacarrius Peak - 64.6
- Sophomore guard Kamen Smith - 64.3
- Sophomore guard Rico Jackson - 56.8
- Senior center Jalen Grant - 54.0
While the scores don't jump off the page, the Wolfpack's offensive line played a huge role in the major upset win over Georgia Tech. The group allowed Bailey to be sacked just once in the game. Every graded pass blocker finished with a grade above 65, except Grant, who had the most difficult day of the group.
With freshman guard Spike Sowells and veteran guard Anthony Carter Jr. both out for the second-straight game, Smith and Jackson held their own against the Yellow Jackets. Smith allowed the lone sack, but finished with a pass-blocking score of 72.1 in 35 opportunities.
The Quarterbacks
- Sophomore CJ Bailey - 86.0
- Freshman Will Wilson - 42.9
After a few lackluster performances, Bailey returned to form when his team needed it most. Without his two most important playmakers, the sophomore looked elsewhere and reaped the rewards. While he completed 72.7% of his passes, he finished with an adjusted completion percentage of 89.7.
The 340 passing yards and three total touchdowns were exactly what the Wolfpack needed to outlast the Yellow Jackets in the shootout. Wilson came in for some short-yardage runs and should have finished with two rushing touchdowns, but one was ruled a fumble recovered in the end zone by Hardy.
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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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