NC State expected a competitive game at Miami. All it got was dissatisfaction
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Miami dominated on offense and defense, holding NC State to 143 yards total.
- Wolfpack cited turnovers, penalties and execution failures but aim for bowl.
- NC State lost 41-7 at Miami; coach Doeren publicly aired frustration.
Disappointment and anger from N.C. State’s loss on Saturday night came to a head during Dave Doeren’s press conference when he criticized apparent nonchalance from a media member.
A Miami reporter mentioned Doeren’s birthday — Dec. 3 — to begin a question, an attempt at levity. The same reporter mentioned trying to lighten Doeren’s mood later in the press conference, to which the Wolfpack coach did not respond happily.
“I got my ass kicked. You’re not gonna get me to lighten my mood in here,” Doeren said after the Wolfpack’s 41-7 loss. “This ain’t funny to me. You understand that? I do this [expletive] for a living.”
The moment, while it had nothing to do with football, was the bubbling over of frustration that was simmering from the start of the game.
N.C. State wanted to avoid this. Doeren wanted to avoid what he called the “‘Atta boy syndrome,” and possible complacency after his squad’s upset over Georgia Tech. The team expected to see gritty plays, ones that got the job done even if they weren’t big or fancy. After the catalog of struggles this season, there was hope that maybe it had overcome some.
Doeren, quarterback CJ Bailey and linebacker Caden Fordham all believed the game would’ve been competitive. Instead, the interaction and its accompanying irritation felt kind of like the game itself.
Miami, on one side, spent virtually the entire afternoon celebrating on both sides of the field and was able to find positivity. Its offense had no issues getting into rhythm and the defense tore up the Wolfpack. There wasn’t a lightened mood on the sideline when Bailey scored the team’s first, and only, touchdown.
N.C. State’s sideline still featured some facial expressions and body language of frustration. Sure, there was no shutout, but the team was held to 143 total yards, including 23 rushing yards. Both were season lows. The team never crossed midfield until five minutes remained in the game and finished with nine first downs.
Whether the Wolfpack succumbed to complacency, the pressure of the moment or something else is unclear. But it fell flat, and it’s displeased.
“We had a hard time, obviously, when you turn the football over twice in the first quarter, and it just became a time of possession mismatch,” Doeren said. “We were not able to stop them — even though we held him to some field goals — enough. And offensively, when you look up in the third quarter and you see 400 yards to 87, 25 first downs to five — I mean, we got it handed to us out there tonight, and it’s a bad feeling.”
Sour homecoming for CJ Bailey
Bailey sat on the bench during the final defensive drive, dejection covering his features, as he took in the scene. The result was completely unexpected. He only finished with 120 passing yards and two first-quarter interceptions.
He credited Miami’s defense, which held the Wolfpack far under several statistical averages. The Pack entered the game scoring 32.4 points per game and racking up 438.6 yards of total offense. The Hurricane defenders were all over the place, blitzing and executing their various defensive alignments. They made tough tackles to stop the run and provided excellent coverage.
N.C. State, however, did plenty on its own to lose the game. Bailey said the team killed itself with a handful of penalties, not being on the same page and his own decision-making.
“We just have to play better offensively,” he said. “Period.”
Doeren shared similar thoughts. Miami regularly had a defender in the backfield as the Canes escaped double teams, got around blocks and simply played with more physicality and effort.
“The last time they came to Raleigh, two years ago, I don’t think they scored a touchdown,” Doeren said, noting the Wolfpack’s 20-6 win in 2023. “I knew they would respect us and put their best foot forward. Across the board, they’re a very, very talented football team.”
Pack defense couldn’t contain Miami
He also admitted there were mistakes, poor execution on schemes and Bailey didn’t play up to his abilities. Caden Noonkester’s punts were really the only positives, which isn’t exactly a positive sign. (Noonkester punted eight times and racked up 358 yards … 2 1/2 times as many yards than the offense.)
The defense tried to get stops. N.C. State was the first opponent this season to recover a Miami fumble, but the defense was also on the field for 13 1/2 more minutes than the offense. There’s not enough depth for that.
Fordham, however, took responsibility on behalf of his teammates for allowing 581 yards and 28 first downs.
“It’s on us. We’ve got to be better,” Fordham said. “We’ve got to hold [opponents] no matter what happens. If we’re on the field, we expect to give up no points.”
N.C. State has two games remaining on its schedule against two other programs who have also struggled this season. It won’t make the College Football Playoff nor the ACC Championship after the loss, but it can still make a bowl game.
It responded after the loss at Pittsburgh, which was “about as bad as we could do it,” Doeren said Monday. Now the Wolfpack is back in that position: Bitter, ready to try again.
And there won’t be any lightened moods until another win goes into the record book.
