Saturday, September 20
Durham, NC
4 p.m.
NC State
at
Duke
Wolfpack Makes Short Trip to Durham to Take on Duke
9/19/2025 11:02:00 AM | Football
RALEIGH, N.C. – NC State football (3-0, 1-0) will look to remain undefeated as the Wolfpack makes the short 22-mile trip to Durham to take on Duke, Saturday, Sept. 20th at 4 p.m., broadcast on ESPN 2.
Although Duke leads the overall series, which dates back to 1924, the Wolfpack posts a 15-5 mark since 1990. Included in that time span is an 11-game winning streak by the Pack (1994-2008). This will mark just the fifth meeting between the Wolfpack and Blue Devils in Dave Doeren's 12 years as head coach, but the fourth since 2020.
This season marks the first time in 26 years that NC State's first two conference games are on the road. In 1999, the Pack opened league play with games at Florida State and Wake Forest, dropping both contests. The Pack also had two road games to open ACC play in 1978, winning at Wake Forest and then falling at Maryland. You have to go back another decade - to 1968 - to find the previous time the Pack had opened the league with two road games. That year was also the last time NC State. Won two road league games to open conference play, defeating Wake Forest, 10-6, and UNC, 38-6. The Pack went on to win the ACC Championship that season.
NC State has been down at the half in each of its last two games (10 points vs. Virginia and seven vs. Wake Forest). The Pack came back to win both of those contests. It's the first time since 2014 that the Wolfpack won games in back-to-back weeks after being down at the half (17-3 to Georgia Southern and 21-18 to Old Dominion). In the playoff era, only three ACC teams have won back-to-back games after trailing by seven or more points at the break. Miami did it in 2024 vs. Virginia Tech and Cal and BC did it last year vs. Michigan State and Western Kentucky.
The ground game has led the Wolfpack, as Hollywood Smothers not only leads the ACC in rushing but also ranks sixth in the FBS and third in the P4. He has posted career-highs in rushing in three of his last four games. Smothers enters Saturday's game with 951 rushing yards in his brief NC State career. If he were to get close to his league-leading rushing average in the game at
Duke would become the Wolfpack's 41st 100-yard career rusher. He currently ranks ninth in NC State history in career rushing yards per game with 67.9.
In terms of passing touchdowns, Bailey is the first Pack player to have at least five passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns through the Wolfpack's first three games of a season since Philip Rivers in 2002. He ranks 12th in ESPN's QBR for the season with an 85.0 mark.
Bailey currently ranks 24th in the FBS with a .708 completion percentage. He boasted a 90 QBR according to ESPN for the win over Virginia - the highest of his career and 10th-best in the nation last week (second highest vs. a P4 defense).
Three games into the season, NC State has turned the ball over just one time. That TO was a CJ Bailey interception late in the second quarter of the season opener, which means the Pack has gone 10 straight quarters with a miscue. That mark (one TO) leads the ACC and is tied for 10th nationally.
On the defensive side of the ball the win over Wake Forest marked the 55th time under Dave Doeren that the Wolfpack has held the opponent to less than 100 yards rushing. It was the second time in three games that the opponent failed to reach 100 yards rushing in 2025. ECU's 30 total rushing yards in the season opener tied as the 14th-lowest for a Pack opponent in the Doeren era. It was the lowest rushing total for an opponent since 2023. Wake Forest rushed for just 59 yards.
When 280-lb. defensive tackle Isaiah Shirley rumbled and stumbled 41 yards to the end zone after picking off a pass in the win at Wake Forest, it marked the first 'thick six' for the Pack since the 2020 season. Shirley was named the ACC's Defensive Lineman of the Week for his performance in the victory.
Although Duke leads the overall series, which dates back to 1924, the Wolfpack posts a 15-5 mark since 1990. Included in that time span is an 11-game winning streak by the Pack (1994-2008). This will mark just the fifth meeting between the Wolfpack and Blue Devils in Dave Doeren's 12 years as head coach, but the fourth since 2020.
This season marks the first time in 26 years that NC State's first two conference games are on the road. In 1999, the Pack opened league play with games at Florida State and Wake Forest, dropping both contests. The Pack also had two road games to open ACC play in 1978, winning at Wake Forest and then falling at Maryland. You have to go back another decade - to 1968 - to find the previous time the Pack had opened the league with two road games. That year was also the last time NC State. Won two road league games to open conference play, defeating Wake Forest, 10-6, and UNC, 38-6. The Pack went on to win the ACC Championship that season.
NC State has been down at the half in each of its last two games (10 points vs. Virginia and seven vs. Wake Forest). The Pack came back to win both of those contests. It's the first time since 2014 that the Wolfpack won games in back-to-back weeks after being down at the half (17-3 to Georgia Southern and 21-18 to Old Dominion). In the playoff era, only three ACC teams have won back-to-back games after trailing by seven or more points at the break. Miami did it in 2024 vs. Virginia Tech and Cal and BC did it last year vs. Michigan State and Western Kentucky.
The ground game has led the Wolfpack, as Hollywood Smothers not only leads the ACC in rushing but also ranks sixth in the FBS and third in the P4. He has posted career-highs in rushing in three of his last four games. Smothers enters Saturday's game with 951 rushing yards in his brief NC State career. If he were to get close to his league-leading rushing average in the game at
Duke would become the Wolfpack's 41st 100-yard career rusher. He currently ranks ninth in NC State history in career rushing yards per game with 67.9.
In terms of passing touchdowns, Bailey is the first Pack player to have at least five passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns through the Wolfpack's first three games of a season since Philip Rivers in 2002. He ranks 12th in ESPN's QBR for the season with an 85.0 mark.
Bailey currently ranks 24th in the FBS with a .708 completion percentage. He boasted a 90 QBR according to ESPN for the win over Virginia - the highest of his career and 10th-best in the nation last week (second highest vs. a P4 defense).
Three games into the season, NC State has turned the ball over just one time. That TO was a CJ Bailey interception late in the second quarter of the season opener, which means the Pack has gone 10 straight quarters with a miscue. That mark (one TO) leads the ACC and is tied for 10th nationally.
On the defensive side of the ball the win over Wake Forest marked the 55th time under Dave Doeren that the Wolfpack has held the opponent to less than 100 yards rushing. It was the second time in three games that the opponent failed to reach 100 yards rushing in 2025. ECU's 30 total rushing yards in the season opener tied as the 14th-lowest for a Pack opponent in the Doeren era. It was the lowest rushing total for an opponent since 2023. Wake Forest rushed for just 59 yards.
When 280-lb. defensive tackle Isaiah Shirley rumbled and stumbled 41 yards to the end zone after picking off a pass in the win at Wake Forest, it marked the first 'thick six' for the Pack since the 2020 season. Shirley was named the ACC's Defensive Lineman of the Week for his performance in the victory.
Players Mentioned
Coach Doeren Weekly Press Conference (Sept. 15)
Monday, September 15
Coach Doeren Weekly Press Conference (Sept. 8)
Monday, September 08
FB Players Postgame Presser vs Virginia
Saturday, September 06
Coach Doeren Postgame Presser vs Virginia
Saturday, September 06