Wolfpack starting to be battle-tested when trailing

By Jacey Zembal

WINSTON-SALEM — NC State wasn’t going to flinch after getting behind double-digits for the second-straight game.

NC State was 10-49 when trailing at halftime in coach Dave Doeren’s career, but he’s 2-0 this season.

The Wolfpack (3-0) rallied from an early 14-point deficit to defeat Wake Forest 34-24 in front of 29,043 fans at Allegory Federal Credit Union Stadium on Thursday. NC State plays at Duke on Sept. 20.

Wake Forest (2-1) might have a new coach in Jake Dickert and a massive overhaul of the roster, but some things remain the same — NC State has a hard time playing in Winston-Salem, N.C. The ACC season opener for both teams lived up to past back-and-forth contests.

“Just we’re family here,” NC State redshirt sophomore running back Hollywood Smothers said. “We believe in each other. We are going to fight. We’re not going to ever break. We knew the game wasn’t over. We were down last week. We know what it takes to make plays.”

Wake Forest exposed NC State’s defense and special teams early with explosive plays, starting with 5-foot-7 redshirt freshman wide receiver Chris Barnes returning the opening kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. 

Barnes sparked Wake Forest’s first drive with a 70-yard reception to help set up an eventual touchdown run by senior running back Demond Claiborne. The Demon Deacons were off and running with a 14-0 lead with 7:19 left in the first quarter.

It looked like the typical “House of Horrors” game that NC State knows all too well when playing against Wake Forest, regardless of who is coaching for the Demon Deacons.

“What a terrible start, with a kickoff return for a touchdown,” Doeren said. “The thing you love is just we’re tested. We’ve been down a couple times.”

The first half concerns about NC State’s defense were reminiscent of what happened last week against Virginia, especially on third downs. Wake Forest converted 6 of 8 on third downs in building a 24-17 lead at halftime.

NC State’s defense started to come alive in the second half, even if it felt tenuous. Wake Forest had 267 yards in the first half, but finished with zero points and 311 yards for the game.

“Defensively, two halves,” Doeren said. “What a great second half. I think they stopped them every time they were on the field.”

The catalysts for the comeback against Wake Forest were the same as what spurred on the win against Virginia — sophomore quarterback Cedrick “C.J.” Bailey and Smothers to complement him. Smothers rushed for over 100 yards for the second straight game with a career-high 163 yards on 24 carries.

Bailey was smooth, efficient and didn’t turn the ball over. He went 23-of-32 passing for 201 yards and three touchdowns, and added eight carries for 19 yards.

“We are going to go as far as No. 11 goes, and he’s only going to get better,” Smothers said.

Wake Forest quarterback Robby Ashford finished with 252 passing yards, but NC State bottled him up in the second half. He tried to sling in one last comeback attempt, but threw an interception to NCSU redshirt freshman safety Ronnie Royal, and that was the game.

Ashford had earlier thrown a rare pick-six to NC State redshirt sophomore defensive end Isaiah Shirley, who went 41 yards for a score to tie the game 14-14 with 1:19 left in the first quarter.

NC State senior tight end Justin Joly said the formula has been stressed for months.

“Finish plays, finish blocks, finish catches, finish tackles,” said Joly, who had two touchdown catches. “That was a really good emphasis for this game.”

NC State improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2022, and will face another pass-heavy attack with Duke next week. Will the second-half Wolfpack theme continue? Doeren thinks it will due to the offseason work the players put in.

“I told them when they got back, it’s going to be the hardest thing they’ve been through, and it’s going to make them the closest team they can be if they fight through it all, and they did,” Doeren said. “Strength coaches did a great job. Our coaching staff spent a lot of time with these guys.”