NC State Derails No. 8 Georgia Tech’s Unbeaten Season
11/2/2025 12:09:00 AM | Football
RALEIGH, NC – The Wolfpack (4-4, 2-3) put up 583-yards of total offense to stun eighth-ranked Georgia Tech, 48-36, under the lights at Carter-Finley Stadium on Homecoming.
The win marks the first time that the Pack has beaten a top-ten team since upsetting No. 9 Clemson, 27-21, in double overtime in 2021.
The Pack struck first on the opening drive of the game with a five-yard touchdown reception by Cody Hardy, his second of the year on what was just his fourth catch. Georgia Tech responded on the next possession with a four play touchdown drive of its own, capped off by a 12-yard touchdown run by quarterback Haynes King.
The Wolfpack offense continued to roll on its second drive to the tune of an 11-yard rushing touchdown from CJ Bailey to mark his fourth rushing score of the year and the second time this season the Pack has opened the game with consecutive touchdown drives.
The Yellow Jackets would then take its first and only lead of the game (17-14) with a 43-yard field goal and a 2-yard passing score in the second quarter after forcing the Wolfpack to punt for the first time. The advantage didn't stand for long as the Pack responded by scoring from nine-yards out on a Will Wilson run that was ruled a fumble and recovered in the endzone by Hardy for his second touchdown of the evening.
The NC State defense made its first stop of the game on a missed Georgia Tech field goal from 54-yards out with 0:54 left in the half. The Pack took advantage, turning the miss into three points with a 34-yard field goal from Kanoah Vinesett as time expired.
The score gave the Wolfpack a 24-17 advantage going into the break, marking the third time this season the Pack held the lead going into the locker room, moving to 3-0 when doing so.
The Yellow Jacket offense marched right back down the field to start the half before the Wolfpack defense held three straight runs from under two-yards out before a false start on fourth-down forced a chip shot field goal.
Duke Scott responded on the first play of the next drive with a 69-yard dash, the longest of his career, to the Georgia Tech three-yard line. Wilson finished off the drive with a rushing score from one-yard out to increase the lead to 11 (31-20).
The Yellow Jackets came back with a 68-yard play of their own on their next possession before another red-zone stand by the Pack forced a field goal, cutting the lead to eight.
Both offenses continued to pile on with the Pack's Teddy Hoffmann scoring from 55-yards out on 3rd-and-6 followed by another King touchdown run for Georgia Tech from three-yards out. The Pack kicked a field goal to give them an 11-point advantage before the defense forced the Yellow Jackets to punt for the first time all day with 8:25 left in the third quarter.
Scott would then put the game on ice for the Wolfpack with a touchdown run from 30-yards out in the final quarter. He finished the outing with a career high 196-yards and a score on 24 attempts to mark the most yards by an NC State player since Nyheim Hines had the same amount in 2017 against UNC. Scott ties Hines for 11th most yards in a game in school history.
Georgia Tech tacked on a late passing score with a failed two-point try and then threw an interception to Caden Fordham in the end zone on the final play of the game, bringing the final to 48-36 in favor of the Pack.
The teams combined for 1,142-yards of total offense and just three punts, but the Wolfpack offense was better when it mattered most, going 7-for-11 on third-downs and 6-for-6 in red-zone trips.
Hardy and Dante Daniels both had career days as they combined for 67-yards. Hardy added two touchdowns to mark a career high while Daniels had three receptions.
Bailey finished the day 24-for-32 with two passing touchdowns and 340-yards, pushing him over 2,000 yards on the season, to go along with 34-yards and another score on the ground.
Noah Rodgers tallied 72 receiving yards on seven receptions, the most receptions in a game of his career and the most yards since notching 95 against Syracuse last season.
Linebacker Caden Fordham tied a career high 15 tackles in the outing and added half-a-sack and an interception to his stat line. Kenny Soars, Jr. also reached a career high in tackles for the second time in as many weeks with 14 and also came away with half-a-sack.
The win moves the Pack to 12-21 all-time against Georgia Tech and 2-3 under Dave Doeren. NC State will next face off against Miami on the road on Saturday, November 15, at a still-to-be-determined time and network.
