Football report card: Grading the Wolfpack’s 35-31 win over Virginia

By Noah Fleischman

NC State football fell behind early, but found a way to erase a 10-point deficit to beat Virginia 35-31 in a nonconference game Saturday afternoon at Carter-Finley Stadium. The Wolfpack, with the victory, improved to 2-0 in the early stages of the 2025 campaign.

The Wolfpack offense showed it can run the ball effectively, while its defense overcame early struggles to make critical plays when they mattered most down the stretch. 

Let’s take a look at each phase of the Wolfpack’s game and how they did in the victory. Here are this week’s grades for NC State’s offense, defense and special teams.

NC State offense grade

Grade: B+

NC State’s offense did what it needed to do against Virginia with a mostly balanced unit as it racked up 416 total yards – 200 passing and 216 rushing. The Wolfpack, for the first time since Nov. 2, 2024, reached its goal of scoring 31 points as it posted 5 touchdowns in the win over the Cavaliers. 

Redshirt sophomore running back Hollywood Smothers paced NC State’s offense with 17 carries for a career-best 140 yards and 2 touchdowns, both of which came in the second half. The former Oklahoma transfer was a key reason for the Wolfpack’s 21-point third quarter, the difference in the game. Smothers also added 2 receptions for 13 yards on three targets. 

NC State’s rushing attack eclipsed 200 yards for the first time this season, a figure that the Wolfpack was 4-0 when doing so last fall. It also met the team’s goal of averaging at least 4.0 yards per attempt as it logged 6.2 per carry in the victory. 

While Smothers controlled the ground attack, sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey was equally as efficient. He was 16-for-23 passing for 200 yards and a touchdown, while the signal-caller added 6 carries for 44 yards and 2 more scores. Bailey’s 3-touchdown performance tied his career best, and it became his first game with passing and rushing scores in the same contest. 

Bailey’s aerial attack spread the wealth with seven different receivers recording at least one catch, including senior tight end Justin Joly, who led the team with 4 receptions for 41 yards. 

Defense grade

Grade: C+

In a game in which NC State’s defense allowed Virginia to go 10-for-13 on third down in the first half, it would be surprising for the Wolfpack to win the game. But the unit was able to tighten up at the half, holding the Cavaliers to just one touchdown in the final 30 minutes to secure the come-from-behind victory. 

NC State, as a whole, logged 5 tackles for a loss with 2 pass breakups and a game-sealing interception that graduate linebacker Cian Slone hauled in during the final 90 seconds of the afternoon. 

Starting linebackers Caden Fordham and Sean Brown, both captains, led the Wolfpack with 9 total tackles after they helped inspire the defense to play better at the half. Brown also posted a tackle for loss and a quarterback hurry. 

As well as NC State played in key moments down the stretch, it was gashed for 514 total yards — 257 passing and 257 rushing. Former North Carolina Central running back J’Mari Taylor led the way with 150 rushing yards, aided by a 66-yard touchdown carry. That’s an area that the Wolfpack will likely focus on correcting after it limited East Carolina to just 30 rushing yards in Week 1. 

But when the Pack needed a stop, its defense delivered. And, at the end of the day, that’s the unit’s job when the offense is scoring at will like NC State’s did against Virginia.

Special teams grade

Grade: B-

Redshirt junior kicker Kanoah Vinesett returned to his starting spot after winning it back in practice this past week. He didn’t have any field goal opportunities in his return, but he did make all five extra point attempts in a quiet game — a positive after the Wolfpack had two missed field goals off Nick Konieczynski’s right foot in Week 1. 

Redshirt senior punter Caden Noonkester, meanwhile, averaged 49.8 yards per attempt on 4 punts. He had a long of 58 with one attempt inside the 20-yard line. Although his numbers look good, Noonkester had a line-drive punt that allowed Virginia return man Cam Ross to post a 48-yard return deep into NC State territory in the second half, which set up an eventual touchdown. 

Rounding out the Wolfpack’s special teams unit, freshman wide receiver Teddy Hoffmann returned a punt for 8 yards — NC State’s first such attempt this season after it didn’t log any punt returns in its win over ECU last week.