What brotherhood looks like for NC State as it refocuses for Virginia Tech
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- NC State refocuses after Duke loss, emphasizing fundamentals and unity.
- Team leaders promote accountability, emotional support and on-field effort.
- Quarterback CJ Bailey leads by example, balancing confidence and humility.
N.C. State’s loss to Duke stung, and having to rewatch the football game film after was uncomfortable. The team had a two-possession lead and squandered the possibility of a big road win after making multiple costly mistakes.
The Wolfpack has an opportunity to bounce back when it hosts a struggling Virginia Tech team in a primetime matchup. The team has spent this week working on fundamentals and schemes, but also emphasized togetherness and accountability.
Head coach Dave Doeren said on Monday his group was focused on sticking together and blocking out negativity from external sources.
“You turn to each other, you take ownership for the things that you need to be better at, and then you go back to work,” Doeren said. “That’s the beauty of college football. When that game’s over, win or lose, you’ve got about 24 hours to dwell on it, and then you gotta move on. You get about six days before you get a chance to get that taste out of your mouth. These guys understand. It’s not the first time in their life they’ve lost a game.”
The idea of “sticking together” can often be a vague term, but defensive end Joseph Adedire and offensive lineman Anthony Carter said it’s all-encompassing for the Wolfpack.
It’s about taking care of each other, holding each other to high standards and playing hard.
“Everybody is able to tell if you really love your teammates by how hard you play on the field,” Adedire said, “whether you’re running to the ball or not, you’re doing your assignment, and you know what to do in the first place.”
The Texas Tech transfer also likes giving hugs, cracking jokes and providing words of encouragement.
Meanwhile, Carter said it’s during tough times when teams can see the offseason bonding pay off. They know how to lift each person up, while holding them accountable.
It’s easier to play hard and to find extra motivation, they said, when off-the-field relationships are a team’s foundation.
“It’s really team-focused over here. People genuinely care about you,” Adedire said. “I can go up there and talk to Coach Doeren whenever I need to; talk to Coach [Charley] Wiles, Coach [Elisha] Shaw. I know the players, we really care about each other. If there was a day I came in here like not feeling my best. Somebody out there is asking me about it, trying to make sure I’m good, trying to make sure I’m doing better.”
Players this week pointed to quarterback CJ Bailey for setting an example of how to maintain the team’s brotherhood. The sophomore’s individual performance reflected that of the program’s: A career-high in passing yards also riddled with errors.
Bailey became the youngest captain under Doeren earlier this year, as voted on by the players, and his teammates have spoken repeatedly about his leadership.
This week, it’s taken a central role during preparations for N.C. State’s game against Virginia Tech.
Wide receiver Terrell Anderson and tight end Cody Hardy said Bailey remains positive and confident in himself and his teammates while sticking to the routine and process that works. There’s never a lack of positivity or feeling of stability when the young quarterback is around.
Even with his positive demeanor, Bailey isn’t afraid to own the mistakes he made against Duke — never shifting blame to anyone else — and works just as hard as anyone else to perfect his craft and help others do the same.
“He’s still there for us. He’s still the leader and everybody believes in him,” Hardy said. “That’s just how he is and how he’s going to be. For him to take accountability for all of that shows you how special that kid really is.”
With Bailey leading the group, the Pack has a few more days before it takes the field again and the goal remains the same: win the day, focus on each other and go 1-0 this weekend.
“It was tough. When there’s a loss, there’s a lot of things to work and learn from,” Adedire said. “That’s definitely what we did. We took the good from the game. We took the bad from the game. We’re just looking to build towards something better this week.”
