For one afternoon, NC State finally looked like a team that could make adjustments after halftime. That alone made the 31-10 win over Cal feel different.
CJ Bailey threw two touchdown passes, Davion Gause powered his way to his second career 100-yard rushing game and first against a Power Four opponent, and the Wolfpack defense spent most of the day squeezing the life out of the Golden Bears inside Carter-Finley Stadium. It was the kind of complete finish NC State had been hunting all season.
The defense set the tone early and kept building on it. Charlton Warren’s group came out sharp from the start, holding Cal to 10 points in the first half while forcing three straight three-and-outs and four straight punts to open the game. That was only the beginning.
NC State opened the second half with its first defensive stop on an opening drive against a Division I opponent all season, then turned the third quarter into a shutdown stretch. Cal managed just 25 total yards in the period, went three straight possessions ending in punts and averaged only 1.6 yards per rush in NC State’s only scoreless third quarter of the season outside of FCS Richmond. The Wolfpack also held the Golden Bears to 5-of-18 on third down and picked off a pass in the second half, its first interception since Brody Barnhardt against Vanderbilt.
Offensively, though, the first half was rough in a familiar way. NC State struck first when Bailey hit Deandre Desinor for a 49-yard gain over a linebacker in coverage, setting up an early 7-0 lead.
After that, the Wolfpack stalled badly. Over the next seven drives before halftime, State produced just three points, logged five drives of fewer than three plays and totaled only 43 yards, including a fumble in the Cal red zone.
Bailey never really found a rhythm as a passer in the first half. After the long throw to Desinor, he completed only four of his next 13 attempts for 27 yards.
The ground game didn’t offer much help either, with NC State piling up just 45 yards on 12 carries against a Cal defense that ranks second to last in the ACC against the run. The Wolfpack also went 2-of-8 on third down before the break.
That made the halftime tie feel like a missed opportunity, especially with NC State trying to bounce back and get itself moving toward bowl eligibility. Cal wasn’t exactly lighting it up on offense, but the Wolfpack still let a manageable game drift into the middle stages.
The second half, though, brought a real shift. After Cal had scored touchdowns on opening drives in six games against Division I opponents this season, NC State’s defense forced a three-and-out to start the half. The offense then answered with a nine-play, 73-yard touchdown march to grab the lead back.
From there, the Wolfpack kept pressing. NC State added two more touchdown drives, one covering 10 plays and 75 yards and another going seven plays for 90 yards. The defense did its part by blanking Cal after halftime, and the offense kept the pressure on instead of letting the game drift.
For one game, at least, NC State looked like a team that could finish.
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NC State Just Gave Fans A New Reason To Debate This Team
The first game after a coaching change can tell you plenty about a team, and NC State offered a pretty clear snapshot in Raleigh. With Todd Goebbel taking over on an interim basis, the Wolfpack handled Cal 31-10 behind two touchdown passes from CJ Bailey and a defense that kept the Bears in check for most of the afternoon.
The game was tied 10-10 at halftime before NC State seized control with 21 unanswered points after the break, turning a tense spot into a comfortable finish. Cal managed just 269 total yards and dropped its third straight, while the Wolfpack left fans with a fresh argument about what this team might look like now that the reset has begun. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Finally Gave Wolfpack Fans A Response They Needed
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The turnaround came at a good time for a team trying to steady itself after a rough stretch, and it was the sort of win that can change the mood around a program in a hurry. The Wolfpack did not look like a team searching for answers once the second half began, which is why this result felt bigger than a single victory and more like a needed reset. [Read more 🡒]
NC States Coaching Search Just Became A Risky Fan Dream
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The appeal is obvious for a fan base that knows Rivers well, but the leap from high school sidelines to an FBS job is a massive one. NC State is weighing a search that could bring sentiment, familiarity and a built-in connection to the program into the mix, even as the risks of handing a major rebuild to someone without college head-coaching experience remain part of the conversation. [Read more 🡒]