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NC State

NC State’s buy-in helps boost Wolfpack in another comeback win, this time at Wake Forest to open ACC play

image_6483441 (3)by: Noah Fleischman6 hours agofleischman_noah
Hollywood Smothers
Sep 11, 2025; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack running back Hollywood Smothers (3) runs the ball in the first half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Luke Jamroz-Imagn Images

WINSTON-SALEM — When NC State’s players returned to the Murphy Center for fall camp after a couple weeks off following the program’s weight training, Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren was ready to challenge his team. The 13th-year coach was aware of what led to his team’s 2-5 mark in one-possession games: the squad wasn’t as together as he might have liked. That, in turn, left the Wolfpack without a shared identity of being able to finish critical games.  And in the transfer portal era, where players come and go as if they’re walking through a revolving door, it can be tough to build the chemistry needed to close in crucial situations.  But that was the exact emphasis that Doeren was ready to instill in his team. And if it was going to work, he was going to need the entire squad to buy in. Sure enough, they did just that, despite having 41 new faces on the roster.