NC State football cites chemistry in win over Wake Forest: ‘We’re family here’
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- N.C. State secured its third straight win with a 34-24 ACC opener comeback.
- Cohesion and trust developed in offseason fueled pivotal plays across positions.
- Bailey and Joly connected for two scores, highlighting trust and chemistry.
CJ Bailey and Justin Joly were roommates when members of the N.C. State football team traveled to Charlotte in July for ACC Kickoff. They spent the majority of the short trip ribbing each other and bickering like brothers, their interactions filled with love and mutual respect.
Except it doesn’t end with those two. Head coach Dave Doeren said the staff emphasized relationship building during fall camp. He knew then they had something special, but it’s hard to truly know how that will manifest until the team steps onto the field. Even Bailey said in July the offense was committed to scoring for the defense.
“If push comes to shove, God forbid another team scores 62 points, we’re gonna score 63,” Bailey said. “That’s our job. We’re never gonna point fingers at our defense or anything, because it’s our job to score points.”
The time spent together and prioritization of brotherhood has manifested in a big way.
N.C. State (3-0) defeated Wake Forest (2-1) in a 34-24 comeback win Thursday night, opening ACC play with a victory after erasing a halftime deficit. It was the second comeback win of the season, and the third in as many games to pull out big stops to clinch the victory.
“We knew we needed to come together, and that was the thing last year’s team didn’t do,” Doeren said. “It was a major part of what I wanted in the off season; to create that chemistry on the team.”
Winning and making plays helps build belief, too. The trip to Winston-Salem had that on full display.
Down but never out
Bailey found Joly shallow in the end zone for a five-yard touchdown pass to cut Wake Forest’s early lead to 14-7, the tight end grabbing the ball with an easy touch. It looked routine.
The quarterback found Joly again midway through the third quarter. Bailey made the perfect pass through the middle for another touchdown to tie the game at 24, finding Joly as the defensive pressure began to collapse the pocket. That was a play that could’ve gone sideways, but it was clear Bailey trusted his teammate, his friend would be where he needed to be.
Joly finished the game with just 22 yards, but he caught all four passes thrown to him and contributed two scores.
It wasn’t just the star offensive duo that made a splash. The entire team showed what a close-knit group can do.
The Wolfpack bounced back after giving up a 98-yard return for a touchdown on the opening kickoff and 70-yard pass reception on the following drive.
Offensive tackle Jacarrius Peak played through a minor injury to contribute two major blocks on drives that ended up with touchdowns. Tight end Cody Hardy hasn’t touched the ball much, but head coach Dave Doeren said the Elon transfer has played a key role in the offense’s ability to move the ball.
Defensive end Isaiah Shirley recorded a clutch pick six in the first quarter to tie the game at 14 after trailing by a pair of touchdowns, stifling the Demon Deacons’ offensive momentum.
Wide receiver Keenan Jackson caught a 12-yard touchdown pass in the second half.
Pack defense solid after halftime
N.C. State’s defense, after giving up 267 yards and 24 points in the first half, throttled the Wake Forest offense in the second. It held the Deacs without a first down for more than 30 minutes of game time and stopped them on third down nine times, despite allowing the home team a 6 of 6 start in third down situations.
Defensive end Sabastian Harsh was ejected for targeting, but instead of that being a drive killer, safety Ronnie Royal recorded an interception to seal the victory. Cornerback Brian Nelson, though this didn’t go down on the stat sheet, was in coverage on an incomplete pass that Wake Forest could’ve turned into a touchdown.
“We’re family here,” running back Hollywood Smothers said. “We believe in each other. We’re going to fight. We might bend, but we ain’t never going to break. We believe in the man next to each other. We knew the game wasn’t over.
“We know what it takes to make plays. We’ve got a lot of grit and belief on this team. We’re family. We came back and got the job done.”
N.C. State will still admit its first ACC win wasn’t pretty. There were mistakes (that first drive, anyone?) and the team has things to improve on.
It can still appreciate, however, the hustle it showed. It appreciates the effort that proves everyone bought into the goal, bought into doing what it takes for each other and to put a mark in the win column. There’s no division, even when things fail. There’s only a desire to pick each other up.
N.C. State football has been a lesson in patience. Sometimes the first drive or first half doesn’t go well, but the second half can. The culture started percolating this summer, and now N.C. State gets to reap the rewards.
“I’ve been saying this for a long time to you guys, and you can see why, they’re just a bunch of good kids that work hard,” Doeren said. “They take coaching, they’re talented, and they’re bought in, you know? For me, it’s refreshing. It’s really refreshing. The whole team has a great vibe.”
