What we learned from Duke football’s ACC win over the NC State Wolfpack
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Tre Freeman's 67-yard interception shifted momentum before Duke's halftime lead.
- Duke capitalized on turnovers and key plays to secure a 45-33 comeback victory.
- N.C. State's depleted defense allowed 418 yards and 13 explosive plays in the loss.
N.C. State had a nice lead and was about to add to it Saturday at Duke – or so it seemed.
And then came Tre Freeman.
Freeman’s 67-yard interception late in the second quarter was a momentum-swinger of major proportions in a hard-hitting ACC game with a lot of ebbs and flows. The Blue Devils scored in the final seconds of the first half to take the lead, then took charge in the second for a 45-33 victory at Wallace Wade Stadium.
Duke quarterback Darian Mensah, staying patient despite a slow start, was for 19-of-28 passing for 269 yards and three touchdowns, and the Blue Devils defense picked off three C.J. Bailey throws – Freeman’s obviously the biggest – and recovered a Pack fumble in the second half.
The Wolfpack came into the game 3-0 after gutsy comeback wins over Virginia and Wake Forest in its last two games. Bailey, playing with more maturity as a sophomore, had been so efficient with his decision-making while running back Hollywood Smothers was the ACC’s rushing leader.
Smothers got his yards Saturday, rushing for 123 yards. It was his third consecutive game with 100-plus yards.
Bailey finished 29 of 39 with 364 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions.
The Pack, trailing 38-26 in the fourth quarter, made it a five-point game with 4:01 left on Will Wilson’s short TD run. But Duke running back Anderson Castle, who has surprising speed at 6-foot and 215 pounds, rumbled 66 yards for a touchdown on a third-down run to seal it.
Castle, a graduate transfer from Appalachian State, had 92 yards yards and three touchdowns in the game.
After a 1-2 start to the season, the Blue Devils stressed all week that its ACC opener presented a chance for a re-set and restart. Duke wanted to clean up its mistakes from the losses to Illinois and Tulane, put together a solid game in all three phases.
Nearly all of the first half belonged to the Pack and Bailey who was 16-of-19 for 252 yards. Wide receiver Terrell Anderson was having himself a day with four catches for 129 yards and two TDs – the first on a 75-yarder and the second to cap a 99-yard drive – as the Pack took a 20-7 lead.
But Duke scored twice in the final 2:20 of the opening half, the second after Freeman’s interception for a 21-20 halftime lead. The Blue Devils then scored on the first possession of the second half on Sahmir Hagans’ 33-yard TD catch and Cooper Barkate later added a 37-yard scoring grab for the Devils.
What we learned in the Big Four game:
Duke’s defense made a difference
Freeman’s pick came on a play in which the Pack believed it had drawn Duke defensive end Vincent Anthony Jr. offsides, in which Bailey took his eye off the ball for a second, then rushed the pass before being hit by linebacker Luke Mergott.
Freeman tightroped the left sideline to the NCSU 12 and the Blue Devils soon had a 21-20 lead in a half where they had been outgained two-to-one and had major problems slowing down Bailey and the Wolfpack’s many offensive weapons.
The Blue Devils’ defense had managed just one turnover in the first three games – a fumble by Tulane a week ago – and appeared to be stressing over it. But Freeman’s pick was the second of the game against Bailey.
Terrell Anderson contributes career-high night
N.C. State’s wide receiver depth showed off against the Blue Devils as sophomore Terrell Anderson put on a catching clinic. Anderson hauled in six passes for a career-high 166 yards and two touchdowns.
Anderson’s performance surpassed his freshman year total in receiving yards (158) and touchdowns (2).
In the first quarter, CJ Bailey dumped off a screen pass to Anderson for the third down conversion on the Wolfpack 25-yard line. Anderson found a gap in the defense and ran for a 75-yard touchdown, turning the play into a foot race, for his first trip to the end zone this season.
With nose tackle Aaron Hall pressuring Bailey, Anderson hauled in a 6-yard pass — with Duke’s Freeman in coverage — for his second touchdown of the day.
Late in the second quarter, Anderson added a 44-yard reception to put the Wolfpack in Duke territory. Nothing came of his catch, though, because the Wolfpack turned the ball over on the interception.
Anderson added a 26-yard catch with 5:54 left in the game. He corralled in the third-down sliding catch just in bounds at the 5-yard line, while Duke’s Caleb Weaver nearly intercepted the pass and Kamari Robinson was playing in coverage.
N.C. State’s young receivers have proved themselves this season, and Anderson finally had his breakout game.
Duke will miss injured Morris
It was a somber scene late in the first quarter when Duke middle linebacker Nick Morris Jr., went down with a leg injury.
The doctors and medical staff quickly hustled on the field. Duke coach Manny Diaz soon followed to check on his player, and State’s Dave Doeren later did the same.
Morris missed nearly all of last season after an ACL injury against Elon in the opener. The graduate student was looking for a strong return this year and wore the “green dot” to communicate with the defensive coaches.
Morris led the Devils with 11 solo tackles entering Saturday’s game and recovered the Tulane fumble. Having him leave the field on a cart, his right leg in a portable cast, was emotional for everyone in Duke blue and he will be missed.
Mergott is a redshirt sophomore and now moves up up the depth chart, as does freshman Elliott Schaper.
Wolfpack plays without key defensive starters
With an already-struggling defense, N.C. State was shorthanded for the first half of the game, losing two players to injury and one to a targeting suspension.
The Wolfpack lost Cian Slone, its best defender, early in the game due to an undisclosed upper body injury. Slone has a season defensive grade of 85.1, according to Pro Football Focus. He did not return.
Additionally, it was without starting cornerback Jackson Vick. He sustained an undisclosed injury prior to the game and did not play. Asaad Brown played in Vick’s place but gave up a 17-yard touchdown reception to Landen King while playing in coverage.
Sabastian Harsh missed the first half, as well, due to NCAA rules. He is the second-highest graded defender for the Wolfpack but was called for targeting in the fourth quarter against Wake Forest. N.C. State appealed the ruling but the original call was upheld.
N.C. State’s defense has struggled this season to contain opponents with everyone available. Taking away three starters, and two for the whole game, was a recipe for challenges.
The Wolfpack held the Blue Devils to 4-11 on third down, a much improved number from previous games, but it didn’t pick up the stops when it mattered.
With N.C. State down just five points, linebacker Kenny Soares missed his defensive assignment and ended up getting blocked by a Duke lineman. That opened a seam that allowed for the Blue Devils’ 66-yard touchdown run on third down, effectively ending the Wolfpack’s chance at a comeback.
As a team N.C. State gave up 418 total yards, including 13 explosive plays.
The Wolfpack’s defense needed to improve before it made the trip to Durham. Duke revealed even more deficiencies when N.C. State was without major players.
This story was originally published September 20, 2025 at 7:43 PM.
