Under the bright lights, the Pack offense filled up the scoreboard versus No. 8 Georgia Tech. By the end of the night, the scoreboard wasn’t the only thing that got filled up. So too was the gridiron — with vivacious Wolfpack fans celebrating the win.

In recent weeks, the Wolfpack (5-4, 2-3 ACC) had looked like a ship floating with no sails. After losing four of its last five games, rumors of head coach Dave Doeren’s retirement at the conclusion of the season ran rampant. Some even accused the Pack of quitting. The state of affairs was in question. And on the other sideline, Georgia Tech (8-1, 5-1 ACC) entered the game undefeated at the top of the ACC. But tonight, none of that mattered.

NC State dominated Georgia Tech, staying one to two scores ahead for nearly the entire game and responding every time the Yellow Jackets scored. Throughout the entire contest, the Pack punted just twice and had no giveaways, playing clean football and securing a 48-36 win.

“That’s complimentary football,” Doeren said. “We hold them to a field goal, we answer with a touchdown. When we play complimentary football, 11-man football, guys doing their job and answering the call when they need to, we’re a really good football team.”

The Pack secured its second top-10 win in the Doeren era, with the most recent coming against No. 9 Clemson in 2021. Its most recent win over a team ranked No. 8 or higher was against No. 3 Florida State in 2012.

With its highest offensive output of the season versus FBS competition, the Pack hung 48 on Georgia Tech, which came into the game having allowed just 20 points per game. The NC State offense was humming, even without two of its biggest stars — redshirt sophomore running back Hollywood Smothers and senior tight end Justin Joly.

Sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey, without two of his top weapons, lit up the Georgia Tech defense, posting 340 yards in the air and two touchdowns. His top target? Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Noah Rogers, who became a reliable target no matter the down or yardage, tallied 74 yards on seven catches.

Heading into the game, the lack of Smothers presented a big obstacle for NC State. Embracing the ‘next man up’ mentality, redshirt freshman running back Duke Scott put the rushing offense on his back, posting 196 yards with 8.2 yards per carry. This team is no stranger to injury, and he embodied that principle.

“[That mentality is how] it’s been like that since I got here,” Bailey said. “Even with me, it was ‘next man up’ mentality for me as well. We do a good job preparing our guys for primetime.”

Finding its best result in years, the Pack’s seemingly lost season has found its place. NC State will have a week off and will next be in action in Miami to face the No. 10 Hurricanes on Nov. 15. Until then, the Pack will continue to ride the high.

“It’s nothing like a bye week after a top-10 win,” Doeren said.