Bailey’s Career Day, Turnover-Hungry Defense Propels Pack Past Louisville

Saturday, October 3

Raleigh, NC

3:30 p.m.

NC State

3-2 , 1-1

Louisville

2-3 , 1-2

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Louisville	0	7	14	7	28
NC State	3	10	15	3	31

Game Book

Bailey’s Career Day, Turnover-Hungry Defense Propels Pack Past Louisville

10/3/2026 8:52:00 PM | Football

Box Score

Raleigh, N.C. – The Pack never trailed on its way to a 31-28 victory over Louisville Saturday afternoon, as timely turnovers forced by the Pack defense and a career day from CJ Bailey and his receivers propelled the Wolfpack to the win.

NC State (3-2, 1-1) stays undefeated at home and picks up its first ACC win of the season.

Up seven in the fourth quarter and with a chance to make it a two-possession game, the Pack threw an interception in the end zone. On the ensuing Louisville possession, the Cardinals scored a touchdown two plays later to tie the game for the first time since the first quarter.

The Wolfpack responded with Kanoah Vinesett's third field goal of the game, and the defense held firm, coming away with a late takeaway. Harvey Dyson III ran 49 yards downfield to chase the Cardinals' running back and ripped out the ball at the end of the run. Popo Aguirre fell on it for his third fumble recovery of the game.

Dyson III came up big once again on the Cardinals' next possession with a third-down sack to force a three-and-out.

The Wolfpack offense never gave the ball back, draining Louisville's timeouts and the remaining 2:03 of clock to ice the game.

Aguirre entered the contest with the third-most tackles per game in the ACC, but he made his biggest mark today in the turnover battle. The Wolfpack defense forced four fumbles, and he recovered three. It is the most fumble recoveries by an NC State player since 2019. He also finished with six takedowns.

Dyson, Isaiah Shirley, Ke'Von Carter, and AJ Prim forced the fumbles.

The Wolfpack were advantageous, going 9-17 on third down and 1-1 on fourth down while holding the Cardinals to just 4-9 and 0-0, respectively. The Pack defense forced three turnovers, with two of them coming from deep in NC State territory. The Pack also forced a fourth-down stop on the Wolfpack 11-yard line.

Bailey went 24-of-40 for a career-best 373 passing yards, two touchdowns, and an interception, along with 19 yards on the ground. His favorite target was fellow Miami native Jojo Trader, who finished with five receptions for 92 yards, both career highs.

Tight end Preston Douglas also had a career day, helping boost the passing game and doubling up on personal bests with 74 yards on five catches.

It was the second straight game the Wolfpack offense has had ten individual receivers.

Keenan Jackson and Tyran Warren accounted for the receiving touchdowns – Jackson's fifth in the last three games.

Junior running back Davion Gause got the bulk of the carries after Duke Scott left early with an injury. The transfer finished with 21 carries for 69 yards, a career high in carries and the most yards in a contest since his first game as a freshman at UNC.

Short-yardage specialist Will Wilson scored the Pack's lone touchdown on the ground, his sixth of the season and tying him for most in the ACC.

Senior cornerback Brian Nelson II led the Pack with nine tackles, matching his career high, which he hit twice at North Texas. He also had a pass breakup.

The Wolfpack defense recorded a trio of sacks by Chase Bond, Dyson, and Carter.

Vinesett stayed perfect on the season, going three-for-three from the field with a 46-yarder, his most field goals in a game since 2024 against UNC.

The Cardinals received the opening kick. They ripped off a 24-yard run on what looked like a promising start for the visitors before a fumbled snap and sure tackling from Nelson behind the chains on third down forced a punt.

Despite starting deep in their own territory, the Pack got on the board first on a 46-yard field goal from Vinesett, set up by chunk plays through the air from tight ends Hunter Provience and Douglas.

The Louisville offense came back out with big gains of their own, going 60 yards on just three plays before Aguirre fell on the ball forced out by Shirley on a run up the middle.

The Pack, taking over on their own 21, marched down the field in 14 plays and capitalized on the turnover with a 19-yard touchdown catch up the seam by Jackson to jump out to a ten-point lead – Jackson had 37 yards on the drive.

The Wolfpack defense came up big again on the following possession with Jordan Moreta and Adrian Farrow stuffing a fourth-and-one quarterback sneak attempt on the NC State 11-yard line.

The Pack quickly punted, however, setting the Cardinals up on the wrong side of the 50, where they scored their first points of the night on a 33-yard touchdown pass.

Douglas' stellar first half continued, hauling in a 35-yard pass to get the offense into Cardinal territory. The Pack continued to drive behind four straight quarterback keepers, three from Wilson, but a false start and sack on consecutive plays kept them out of the end zone.

Vinesett split the uprights from 35 yards out, making it 13-7 for the Pack at halftime. It marks the third time this season the Wolfpack has held a lead going into the break and are now 3-1 when doing so.

The Pack offense came out of the locker room aggressive, threading a ball to Victor Snow for 24 yards and a seven-yard reception from Jackson to convert on a fourth-and-two, helping set up a Warren touchdown and pushing the lead to 13 points. The Alcorn State transfer got open behind the defense from 33 yards out for his first score as a Pack member.

Louisville responded with a long touchdown of their own on a catch-and-run for 38 yards just a play after converting on a fourth-and-three attempt.

The Pack's second punt of the afternoon, this time a three-and-out, did not keep them off the field for long, as the defense forced another turnover. Carter's first collegiate sack came as a strip sack with Aguirre picking up his second recovery of the game.

The Wolfpack offense began their drive on the Cardinal 41-yard line and took advantage of the field position with Wilson punching it in from a yard out. Trying to double up the Cards, Bailey found Gause in the flat, who ran it in for the two-point conversion to make it 28-14.

Louisville responded with a touchdown run before picking off Bailey in the end zone on the next NC State possession. The interception was Bailey's first red-zone interception in his collegiate career. He previously threw for 39 touchdown passes within the 20-yard line and had no interceptions.

The Cardinals took advantage quickly, rushing for a 70-yard touchdown two plays later to tie it at 28, but that would be all the visitors would score as the Pack held on for the win.

The NC State win moves the all-time series to 5-9 in Louisville's favor. The Wolfpack will next face Wake Forest at home on Saturday, October 10th, at 12:00 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on The CW Network.