Football report card: Grading the Wolfpack’s performance in its loss at Duke

By Noah Fleischman

DURHAM — NC State seemed like it was in control. The Wolfpack led by two scores early on the road, but after Duke dominated the middle eight minutes of the game, it was all Blue Devils in a 45-33 shootout at Wallace Wade Stadium. 

The Pack, which had found ways to finish each of its first three games, made costly mistakes on special teams with drive-ending turnovers that prevented NC State from having a chance to claw back. Add in a back-breaking explosive touchdown run allowed just before the two-minute warning, and the Wolfpack’s quest for a 4-0 start sank just as fast.

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

NC State offense grade

Grade – C-

NC State’s offense racked up enough yards — and points — to win the game. It also handed Duke four extra possessions with its drive-killing turnovers (3 interceptions and a lost fumble), which stymied the Wolfpack’s ability to claw back against the Blue Devils. 

For a team that was so good at finishing games through the first three weeks, the Pack offense didn’t help itself in doing so for a fourth straight week. Although sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey posted his worst start of the year, he still threw for 364 yards with 2 passing scores (plus the 3 picks) with a 74 percent completion rate — his best such mark this fall. 

The bright spots of NC State’s offense came via redshirt sophomore running back Hollywood Smothers and sophomore wide receiver Terrell Anderson, both of whom showed why they’re among the top playmakers on the Wolfpack’s roster. 

Smothers eclipsed 100 rushing yards for the third straight game as he picked up 123 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries (7.2 per attempt) to become NC State’s first back to do so since Nyheim Miller-Hines did it during the 2017 campaign. Smothers also added 5 receptions for 41 yards in the pass game, too.

Anderson, meanwhile, finally had his breakout game. The former four-star recruit logged a career-best six receptions for 166 yards and 2 touchdowns in the loss. Anderson’s yard total surpassed what he had all year as a freshman in 2024 (158), while he matched his career total of scores in the process. It was a game that Anderson was due for, and his 75-yard touchdown on the third play of the game set the tone for what the wide receiver was ready to do the rest of the afternoon. 

But as well as the Wolfpack’s playmakers did, the offense didn’t do enough to win the game while Bailey had his first turnover fest of the year. He went from just one turnover in the first 12 quarters of the season to committing one in every period against the Blue Devils. That’s not going to be a recipe to win in a shootout.

Defense grade

Grade – D

At first, it seemed like the defense was going to hold up well against Duke’s high-powered offense paced by Tulane transfer quarterback Darian Mensah. But the final 2:20 of the first half ended up being costly as the Blue Devils scored back-to-back touchdowns to take a 1-point lead into the locker room.

And from then on, it was all Duke as the hosts outscored NC State 24-13 in the second half to cruise to the win. The Blue Devils, in all, hung the season-most points on the Wolfpack defense while they also gained 418 yards.

NC State’s biggest issue was allowing explosive plays to turn into touchdowns. Duke logged 13 explosives, four of which ended in the end zone. Mensah had touchdown passes of 17, 33 and 37 yards, respectively, while Blue Devils running back Anderson Castle sealed the game with a 66-yard rushing touchdown with just over two minutes to play in the afternoon. 

Those long scores were back-breaking in the game, and the unit’s inability to string together back-to-back stops after the first quarter was the difference. Duke, at one point, scored 4 straight touchdowns between the last 2:20 of the first half and the first 6:28 of the second. NC State wasn’t able to respond enough after that.

Graduate linebacker Caden Fordham led the Wolfpack with 11 total tackles, while redshirt senior linebacker Sean Brown recorded eight. The Pack, for the second time this season, did not force a turnover — a critical stat against a team that entered the game with a minus-6 turnover margin this fall.

Special teams grade

Grade – F

In a season where the Wolfpack’s special teams have been up and down all year, it snowballed at Duke. NC State missed an extra point, had a 25-yard field goal attempt blocked with ease, muffed a punt that left the offense at its own 1-yard line and had a critical offsides penalty on a punt that allowed the Blue Devils to score their first touchdown of the afternoon. 

Oh, and Duke had trouble with the snap on a punt in its own end zone, but NC State’s return unit wasn’t able to pressure it, allowing the Blue Devils to escape by getting the kick off to avoid a possible safety.

Not great. 

The Wolfpack’s special teams unit, in all, gave up an 11-point swing in a game that the Blue Devils won by 12. Those errors were all crucial mistakes, even though the offense did engineer a 99-yard touchdown drive after freshman wideout Teddy Hoffmann’s muffed punt, the first of his career.

In a game where the Wolfpack couldn’t get out of its own way, its special teams miscues didn’t help.