What they’re saying after NC State’s loss at Notre Dame

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — NC State’s undermanned defense caught up to the Wolfpack for the worse as No. 16 Notre Dame cruised to a 36-7 win as it outscored the visitors 26-0 in the second half on Saturday afternoon.
Here is what those who covered the game, including TheWolfpacker.com, are saying about the team’s fourth win of the season.
Noah Fleischman, The Wolfpacker — NC State’s lack of ‘complementary football’ dooms Wolfpack in lopsided loss at Notre Dame
In his two minutes, 39 seconds meeting with the less than half dozen Raleigh-based media members that made the trip to South Bend, Fordham mentioned the lack of “complementary football” six times. It was the message from Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren in the postgame locker room, one that seemed to resonate with Fordham.
“We just didn’t get it done. It’s simple,” said Fordham, who tied for the team lead with 10 total tackles to go with 0.5 sacks. “We’ve got to play complementary football. We haven’t done that yet all year, in my opinion. I think we’re a great team, but we’ve got to play complementary, and we haven’t done that yet this year.”
Unlike in the Pack’s previous two losses where penalties and special teams mistakes doomed the team, this time around it was the offense’s inability to move the football. That hadn’t been an issue through the first six games as NC State scored at least 23 points in each one (with 30 or more in three of them), but it was evident at Notre Dame.
The Wolfpack set up shop in Notre Dame territory on just two drives in the second quarter. The first ended on a 45-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey to sophomore wideout Terrell Anderson, while the other was on the next drive series that ended with a punt from the Irish 47-yard line. NC State made it to the Notre Dame 29 on its final drive of the game, but turned the ball over on downs to effectively seal the 29-point defeat.
In all, NC State had seven punts — five consecutive from the midway point of the second quarter to late in the third — with two turnovers on downs and three interceptions.”
Jacey Zembal, The Wolfpacker — Notre Dame’s role players break through in second half to defeat NC State
“The all-around ferocity of No. 16-ranked Notre Dame’s (4-2 overall) offense also started to wear down a defense that ended up on the field for 71 plays. In many ways, the Fighting Irish had players who could complement their stars, and that proved the difference on offense.
“I thought defensively we were putting some tough field position,” NC State coach Dave Doeren said. “I was proud of the defense in the red zone, forced two turnovers, had a goal-line stop. They did some good things.
“It’s just hard playing on a short field repetitively when it comes to the score.”
Three Notre Dame players emerged who weren’t household names going into the game, but quality role players — senior tight end Eli Raridon, senior slot receiver Will Pauling and sophomore wide receiver K.K. Smith.
Jadyn Watson-Fisher, News & Observer — Notre Dame breaks away from NC State in the second half. Here’s what we learned
N.C. State’s offensive line has done a decent job this season in pass protection, limiting the amount of contact CJ Bailey has taken in the backfield. Of the nine sacks allowed this fall, five took place in the Week 5 loss to Virginia Tech. In the remaining games, N.C. State allowed one sack in two games and zero against Virginia and Campbell. As a team, it has finished with a pass blocking grade above 63 in five matchups and above 75 in three, according to Pro Football Focus.
The Wolfpack struggled to control the line of scrimmage again, giving up three sacks in the first half. Two sacks came on back-to-back plays in the second quarter. Even when he wasn’t on the ground, the offensive line could not consistently handle the Fighting Irish’s defensive front and forced Bailey to scramble on two other first-half plays as the pocket collapsed.
He was sacked for a loss of 12 yards late in the third quarter, erasing half of the yardage gained on the previous two plays.
The ability to maintain leverage at the line of scrimmage and protect whoever was in the backfield had been a point of pride for the Wolfpack.
“That’s what we block for,” offensive lineman Jacarrius Peak said this week. “Us five up front block for the other six on the field, so they can do their job and make plays.”
N.C. State’s challenges in South Bend can be partially attributed to an undisclosed injury to offensive lineman Anthony Carter in the first quarter. He was ruled out for the remainder of the game. Carter, a graduate student from Charlotte, is one of the more experienced players in the Wolfpack’s front five. He’s also one of the more efficient players in the pass-blocking scheme, entering the game with a grade of 70.7 on PFF.”
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Rodd Baxley, The Fayetteville Observer — NC State football blown out at Notre Dame, extending losing streak vs ranked teams
“It’s been more than 1,050 days since N.C. State football has beaten a ranked opponent.
Following a 36-7 loss at No. 16 Notre Dame in Week 7 of the 2025 college football season, the Wolfpack have lost six straight against teams with a top-25 ranking.
Outscored 243-98 in those games with an average margin of 24 points, N.C. State lost five of them by double digits. The Pack hasn’t beaten a ranked opponent since 2022 at rival North Carolina.
The Wolfpack (4-3, 1-2 ACC) and 16th-ranked Fighting Irish (4-2) played a tight game in the first half, with N.C. State only trailing by three at halftime. But Notre Dame turned up the heat in the second half, outscoring the Wolfpack 26-0.”
Tyler Horka, Blue & Gold — Eli Raridon, Will Pauling provide passing game punches for Notre Dame vs. NC State
“Eli Raridon said he’s never been around a quarterback who sees the field as well as Notre Dame redshirt freshman CJ Carr. The senior tight end may very well be accurate in that assessment.
Carr is a savant in terms of diagnosing defensive looks before the snap and going through his progressions after it. What is he seeing exactly, though? That’s out of his control. And well within the control of his comrades.
Raridon very much included.
Raridon had 7 catches for 109 yards, both career highs, from Carr in Notre Dame’s 36-7 win over NC State. Wisconsin transfer Will Pauling reeled in 4 of Carr’s pass attempts for 105 yards and a touchdown.
Those two headlined a Notre Dame pass-catching corps that’s as deep as it’s been in quite some time. It’s not just depth, either. It’s talent, too. For someone who sees the field as well as Raridon says Carr does, Carr sure has to like what he sees.
Especially in Raridon and Pauling.”
Jack Soble, Blue & Gold — ‘Our style of football’: Why Notre Dame defensive resurgence is real
“Boubacar Traore repeatedly clapped his hands together above his head, the universal sign for “safety.”
His teammates were doing it, too, but they were on their side of the line of scrimmage during a TV timeout as officials reviewed whether or not NC State’s botched snap had cost the Wolfpack 2 points (it did). Traore stood right in front of NC State’s huddle, knowing full well his foes couldn’t say anything in return.
Traore’s actions earned Notre Dame an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the ensuing kickoff, but in that moment, no one particularly cared. The redshirt sophomore defensive end had earned the right to talk his talk, as had the 10 players behind him.
“You can see we’re out there having fun,” redshirt sophomore safety Adon Shuler said.
The Irish have allowed 14 points in its last 10 quarters of game action. They’re having fun, but they’re also playing fast, aggressive and violent. They have made two signal-callers in Boise State’s Maddux Madsen and NC State’s CJ Bailey — good quarterbacks, mind you — look absolutely ridiculous by the time their day was done.”