NC State Caps Off Season with Commanding Bowl Win Over Memphis
NC State closed out its season with a statement performance, jumping out early and never looking back in a bowl game that was, quite frankly, all Wolfpack from the opening drive.
Right from the first snap, NC State looked dialed in. The offense marched down the field and punched in a touchdown to take a lead it would hold for the rest of the night. That opening drive set the tone-not just in terms of scoreboard pressure, but in how the Wolfpack imposed their will on both sides of the ball.
Before Memphis could even settle in, NC State had rattled off 24 unanswered points. The defense nearly joined the scoring party themselves when linebacker Caden Fordham jumped a route and came inches away from taking an interception to the house.
Even the special teams chipped in, knocking through a long field goal to cap off a dominant first half. When all three phases are clicking like that, you’re going to win a lot of football games.
Memphis, for its part, never found the spark it needed. The Tigers struggled to establish any rhythm offensively, and when they did manage to move the ball, they came up short on key fourth-down attempts. Much like NC State, they were aggressive in the second half-but unlike the Pack, those gambles didn’t pay off.
Defensively, NC State played one of its more complete games of the season. The Wolfpack stifled Memphis’ ground game, controlled the line of scrimmage, and forced two turnovers that helped keep the Tigers off the board when the game was still within reach. This was a performance built on discipline, execution, and physicality-everything head coach Dave Doeren has preached all year.
In the end, the 24-point cushion built in the first half was more than enough. The Wolfpack didn’t need a second-half surge because they’d already done the heavy lifting. From the opening whistle to the final kneel-down, this was a team that looked prepared, confident, and in control.
And for a program that’s had its share of bowl game heartbreak in recent years, this one felt different. It wasn’t just a win-it was a wire-to-wire showcase of what NC State football can look like when it plays to its potential.
No need for a parade, but a celebration? Absolutely.