CJ Bailey and Hollywood Smothers: The ACC’s most dynamic offensive duo

Very few duos in college football are as electric as the one in Raleigh. Sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey and redshirt sophomore running back Hollywood Smothers have put the ACC on notice, forming an electric pairing to power NC State football’s offense.

Off to a 3-0 start, NC State is leaning on its offensive stars to overwhelm opposing defenses — a formula that is working well. Most importantly, the Pack’s offensive stars generate complementary football in both the passing and running game.

An offense is only as good as its quarterback. Fortunately for NC State, the Wolfpack has one of the ACC’s best running the offense. Through three games, CJ Bailey is managing the Wolfpack offense like a seasoned veteran, consistently finding open receivers downfield. The improvement is clearest in two areas: completion percentage and interceptions. In both categories, Bailey has overtly improved, with a 5.9% jump in completion percentage and throwing only one interception through three games.

While Bailey has an impressive cast of receivers to throw to, the presence of Smothers further elevates NC State’s passing attack. As one of the more dynamic athletes NC State has had at running back, Smothers is more than just a rusher — he’s also a valuable weapon in the pass game. While he’s often used on screens or as a safety valve option if nobody else is open, Smothers is always a threat to turn short passes into long gains with his speed and elusiveness.

Make no mistake, without Smothers, the pass game wouldn’t be thriving as smoothly as it is this season.

In the run game, Smothers’ talent elevates the Wolfpack offense into an incredibly dynamic unit. Defenses can’t key in on stopping Bailey because of Smothers and his ability to break off any run into a huge gain. At 380 yards this season, Smothers is sixth in all of FBS in rush yards, while leading the ACC by almost 100 yards.

While Smothers is the Wolfpack’s biggest threat to break off a big run, Bailey adds his own dangers for opposing defenses to worry about.

At 6-foot-6, Bailey is a long strider and can quickly scramble for a first down — something he’s done plenty of times this season. Bailey is especially dangerous in the red zone, where he’s already got three rushing touchdowns through three games.

With both Bailey and Smothers playing key roles in the pass and run games, it’s clear that they are the forces behind NC State’s hot start. But just how well does the duo stack up to others in college football? Bailey and Smothers have combined for 1225 total yards in just three games — one of the top totals in all of college football. By comparison, the ACC title favorite Miami’s duo of QB Carson Beck and RB Mark Fletcher Jr. has combined for 1084 total yards, and AP No. 1 Ohio State’s QB Julian Sayin and RB Bo Jackson have a combined 1056 total yards. With Bailey and Smothers leading the Wolfpack offense, it’s clear that the Pack can compete offensively with the best in the nation.

For Bailey and Smothers, the challenge is to sustain the duo’s newfound success. Entering the heart of the ACC schedule now, the two will have the opportunity to shine for an extended period for the first time together in Raleigh.

NC State’s offense and success as a team will go as far as Bailey and Smothers can lift the Wolfpack.