Pack Punches Bowl Ticket with Win Over FSU

Friday, November 21

Raleigh, NC

8:00pm

NC State

6-5 , 3-4

Florida State

5-6 , 2-6

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Florida St.

NC State

Caden Noonkester recovers FSU odd bounce

11/22/2025 10:36:00 AM | Football

Box Score

By: Jeff Gravley

A gritty defense, gutsy decisions, and a couple of special bounces helped NC State beat Florida State, 21-11, under the Friday night lights at Carter-Finley Stadium.

On Military Appreciation night, the first salute goes to a Wolfpack defense that held the Seminoles to 25 points under their scoring average.

"We felt like we haven't put a full game together as a defense, and I feel like we did that tonight." Caden Fordham said. The senior linebacker posted 15 tackles against the program his dad played for.

Florida State's first drive was indicative of what was to come defensively.

The Noles tried to strike deep on the first and sixth offensive plays, but both passes were broken up by senior cornerback Devon Marshall. He ended the opening drive with a red-zone interception.

Marshall continued his stellar play throughout the game, registering six pass breakups and two interceptions. He was matched up on 6'6" star receiver Duce Robinson, who didn't make a catch until the fourth quarter. It was a matchup that was born from the week's practice.

"We made a decision to try to get him matched up on number zero [Robinson] as much as we could," head coach Dave Doeren said. "We felt like that was our best chance against that kid, and [Devon] rose to the occasion."

"That's their guy, so I knew they weren't going to stop throwing him the ball," Marshall added. "I was just ready for the ball, really every single time I was guarding him. I knew I was hot."

A second salute goes to the coaching staff that made some bold and aggressive decisions.

On the first possession of the third quarter, the Pack lined up to punt on 4th-and-1. But punter Caden Noonkester split wide to the right and quarterback Will Wilson rushed up the middle for the first down.

It was part of a 15-play, 79-yard drive that saw Wilson carry it seven times for 27 yards. He capped the drive with a one-yard score to put the Pack up, 14-3, midway through the third quarter.

With a three-point lead late in the fourth quarter, the Pack staff played poker, initially sending the field goal unit on for a 29-yard field goal. An attempt to draw the Noles offsides didn't work, so Dave Doeren called a timeout and contemplated what to do on 4th and 6.

"Scared money can't make money," Doeren said after the game. "You get in a game like that, and you've got to be aggressive."

The offense took the field with an eye on nailing this one down. CJ Bailey went up top in the left corner of the end zone to Justin Joly. The high school basketball star grabbed the pass like a rebound, keeping the ball away from the defender. The result? Touchdown Wolfpack and a 21-11 lead.

That fourth quarter touchdown came after Florida State fumbled away a punt at the 16-yard line. It was the second muffed punt by the Seminoles in the quarter and the first one goes into the category of disbelief.

Caden Noonkester lifted a wobbly punt into the air that only traveled 25 yards, but before the ball could be fielded or hit the turf, it bounded off the helmet of a Seminole player and proceeded to head back toward the original line of scrimmage.

Looking like he had worked on fumble recoveries in every practice, Noonkester formed a perfect "C" around the football for the first fumble recovery of his life.

"No, I cannot say that I've ever done that before," Noonkester said with a wide smile. "I would say that it was definitely pure instincts. I grew up a soccer player. I played goalie, so it kind of reminded me of a little goalie slide there. It seemed like the perfect technique for the situation, so I'm glad I had that in my bag of tricks."

Sometimes you need a few bounces to go your way. The Pack had that and much more resulting in its fourth straight win over Florida State and securing a fifth straight trip to a bowl.