One of N.C. State’s defining traits this season has been its ability to close out tight games, securing three narrow wins that stood in stark contrast to the frustrating finishes of 2024. But that strength evaporated Saturday against Duke.
The Wolfpack bolted to a 20-7 lead in the second quarter, yet “finishing” was the last word to describe what followed. In a 45-33 loss — their third straight to the Blue Devils — N.C. State unraveled with mistakes, miscues, and miscommunication.
“I’ll give Duke credit. Congratulations to them on the win, and they definitely deserve it,” head coach Dave Doeren said. “They came back. We had a chance with a two-score lead to do some things. There’s a lot of mistakes in that game that hurt us.”
The most glaring of those mistakes — a moment one fan on social media dubbed a “boondoggle” — came late in the second quarter. Facing 4th-and-2 at Duke’s 24-yard line, the Wolfpack’s gamble went terribly wrong.
The miscue unfolded late in the second quarter. Center Jalen Grant snapped the ball, but quarterback CJ Bailey and the receivers weren’t ready — no play had been called. Instead of taking a knee or throwing it away, Bailey forced a pass into coverage. Duke’s Tre Freeman intercepted and returned it 67 yards, setting up a touchdown that gave the Blue Devils a 21-20 halftime lead.
Doeren explained afterward that the offense doesn’t run a play in that situation unless the defense jumps into the neutral zone. If that happens, the snap goes off and Bailey can take “a free shot knowing we’ve got five [penalty yards].” Grant — and others on the sideline — believed Duke defensive end Vincent Anthony had jumped. The officials disagreed, and the play was not reviewable.
Screenshots posted online appeared to show Anthony offsides, but they didn’t capture the full sequence between the snap and his movement.
Running back Hollywood Smothers said he wasn’t shocked the ball was snapped — only by how the play ended. He also believed Anthony jumped early but added that officials told players Grant snapped on the clap. Doeren, however, emphasized that Bailey needed to recognize no flag had been thrown.
“It’s a tough play in the game,” Doeren said. “We’re trying to get him to jump, and if they don’t, I was going to bang a timeout and kick a field goal. We weren’t even going to run a play right there.”
But even a field goal attempt might not have changed much, given N.C. State’s special teams struggles. For the second straight week — much like the Wake Forest game — miscues piled up.
An offsides penalty on the Wolfpack extended Duke’s opening drive, giving the Blue Devils a short fourth down that turned into their first touchdown to tie the score at 7. Doeren said the defense had practiced that exact scenario but failed to execute.
In the second quarter, freshman quarterback Will Wilson capped an 80-yard drive with his first career touchdown, a 1-yard run. Kicker Kanoah Vinesett then missed his first career extra point after starting 44-for-44 on PATs. Later, with N.C. State trailing in the third quarter, Vinesett’s 25-yard field goal attempt was easily blocked by Duke’s Wesley Williams.
Special teams woes extended beyond the blocked kick. Freshman receiver Teddy Hoffmann mishandled a punt in the first quarter, pinning the Wolfpack offense at its own 1-yard line to start the next drive.
Turnovers then compounded the damage. Quarterback CJ Bailey posted career-best numbers — completing 29 of 39 passes for 364 yards and two touchdowns — but also committed four costly turnovers. He matched a career high with three interceptions and lost a fumble in the fourth quarter.
Before the trip to Duke, Bailey had thrown just one interception all season, and the Wolfpack hadn’t fumbled the football once.
The Wolfpack still had life late in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to five with enough time to rally if the defense could deliver a stop. Instead, one key breakdown sealed the outcome. On Duke’s final scoring play, linebacker Kenny Soares missed his assignment, got swallowed by a blocker, and left a wide lane for Anderson Castle to sprint 66 yards for the clinching touchdown.
“They’re going to run the football, and you gotta win your gap. You gotta get off blocks, and our unblocked hats gotta make tackles,” Doeren said. “Obviously that didn’t happen. It’s disappointing. We’ve had three of those this year.”
The loss overshadowed an otherwise explosive offensive showing. N.C. State racked up 535 total yards — its highest output since posting 538 against Charleston Southern in the 2022 opener, and the most against an FBS opponent since 2018 when it tallied 655 against East Carolina. Defensively, the Pack showed progress as well, holding Duke to 41% on third downs after entering the game allowing opponents to convert at a 50% clip.
Still, too many mistakes negated those bright spots. “We just gotta play better. We came out swinging, doing our thing, and then we let teams get back into it,” linebacker Caden Fordham said. “We can’t let that happen. We gotta end the game. It’s plain and simple. We just can’t let teams back into it.”
Special teams, usually steady, faltered again. And in Doeren’s eyes, that theme ran through the entire night.
“The bottom line is, too many turnovers, gave up too many points, didn’t stop them in certain situations, and shot ourselves in the foot too many times,” he said. “It’s disappointing. We’re a better football team than that. I know they’ll learn from what happened tonight, and tomorrow’s going to be a tough day watching this film. But these kids will work hard to get back to it.”
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