Early season takeaways for NC State football

NC State football is off to a 2-0 start, riding a rollercoaster of highs and lows to get there in classic Wolfpack fashion. With an impressive offense and a sputtering defense, here are the top early-season takeaways regarding the Wolfpack.

CJ Bailey the superstar

Sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey has more than lived up to the offseason hype — exceeding expectations while leading the Pack to a 2-0 start. The Miami native is playing his best football right now, throwing with accuracy and decisiveness, while adding the threat of running to his game.

The improvement is translating to more efficient play for Bailey. The sophomore’s completion percentage is up 5.3% and his average yards per pass is up by 1.1 yards compared to his freshman campaign. With Bailey’s improvement, the Wolfpack is maximizing its impressive cast of skill talent and giving head coach Dave Doeren his best offense since 2021, when quarterback Devin Leary and receiver Emeka Emezie led the unit.

Arguably the most important piece of Bailey’s improvement is his running ability. Last season, there were flashes, but it was never consistent. Now, Bailey is using his legs more often and much more effectively. Bailey’s ability to scramble out of the pocket and into the open field caused havoc for both ECU and Virginia, leading to a trio of touchdowns. Additionally, as a long strider, Bailey is sneaky fast and can be utilized in quarterback draws.

Nonexistent pass defense

While it’s a small sample size, NC State’s defense is playing like one of the worst in the country, especially against the passing game. The Wolfpack ranks 130th in passing defense nationally, allowing a whopping 320 yards per game. For context, that is the fifth-worst mark in FBS football. To be competitive in the ACC this season, the red-and-white has to clean this up quickly.

The issue for NC State’s defense begins up front, where the Wolfpack is struggling to pressure quarterbacks. Tied for last in the nation with just a single sack this season, the Pack is giving quarterbacks far too much time to wait for receivers to get open. No matter how good a secondary is, receivers will always get open when given ample amounts of time. Whether it’s aggressively dialing up more blitzes or giving other pass rushers opportunities, NC State needs to adjust and find ways to get to the quarterback.

While the pass rush isn’t helping, the Pack’s defensive backs are just as liable for NC State’s inability to stop opposing passing attacks. All five of the Wolfpack’s starters are new, with two transfers and three returners adjusting to increased roles. This lack of experience and cohesiveness is very apparent, with receivers running wide open against NC State’s defense early this season.

The most glaring example of this came against Virginia when the Cavaliers ran mesh concepts time and time again on third and longs — converting 13/19 for the game. Defenders looked lost almost every time Virginia hit the Pack with mesh plays, leading to wide open receivers racking up yards after the catch and moving the chains. NC State’s defensive backs simply appear lost in pass coverage against even simple route concepts — a red flag ahead of ACC competition.

Deep receiving core

NC State’s receivers were perceived as one of the team’s strengths coming into the season — an expectation that has been emphatically confirmed early. Senior Wesley Grimes and freshman Teddy Hoffmann led the way in NC State’s opener vs ECU with 121 and 93 yards, respectively. The Pack then spread the ball among several targets against Virginia, with six different players recording multiple receptions.

The emergence of new playmakers has been one of the top reasons for optimism in Raleigh this season. Sophomore receiver Terrell Anderson already has six receptions for 61 yards — nearly half of his 2024 totals. Meanwhile, Hoffmann has been an exciting surprise in his first two games for the red-and-white. Paired with proven stars like senior tight end Justin Joly and redshirt sophomore Noah Rogers, NC State has one of the deeper and more talented receiving cores in the ACC.

Missed tackles

Tackling is the most important skill on defense — one that NC State is struggling with early this year. After enjoying years of reliable tackling from star linebackers Payton Wilson, Isaiah Moore and Drake Thomas, the Wolfpack is missing a sound tackler in its linebacking core. No matter how well coaches put players in the right position, the players still have to make the plays and right now the Pack’s linebackers aren’t doing that.

Graduate linebacker Caden Fordham is leading the Wolfpack with 20 total tackles this year, just ahead of redshirt senior linebacker Sean Brown at 19. However, both linebackers have missed their share of tackles, struggling especially against Virginia. The Wahoos torched NC State on the ground as running back J’Mari Taylor forced 11 missed tackles against the Pack, en route to a 150-yard performance. Fordham and Brown were at the center of this, failing to bring down the Virginia running back time and time again.

With the pass defense already off to a rocky start, tackling has to be improved to give the Wolfpack something to work with on defense. Tackling better would allow NC State to at least slow opposing rushing attacks and give the Wolfpack offense a little breathing room, rather than relying on Bailey to win shootouts weekly.