NC State got the kind of night that can reset a locker room in a hurry.
After a 90-minute weather delay on Friday, the Wolfpack rolled past Richmond with 45 points and, in the process, piled up a program-record 734 yards of total offense. They also set a Carter-Finley Stadium mark with 73 points, a statement performance built around cleaner execution, faster confidence, and a lot fewer mistakes.
Dave Doeren said the message before the game had nothing to do with the opponent on the other sideline. “It’s not about who you play; it’s about how you play,” he said in his postgame press conference Saturday. That was the theme he carried into the week, and the Wolfpack clearly heard it.
“It wasn't about the team we were playing; it was about 11 guys doing their job, doing it, consecutive plays over and over and over, making fewer mistakes, and just executing,” Doeren said. “And so I’m proud of them.”
He added that he wanted the team to keep its edge for the full game. “I wanted to see them execute for four quarters and continue to play with that energy and level of fun that we played with,” Doeren said. “And I think that's really critical for this team to play loose, to play well, and they did that today.”
The defense delivered a much-needed response too, posting its first shutout since Sept. 2, 2021. Richmond never reached the red zone, and NC State finished with 2 sacks, 6 tackles for loss, and 2 turnovers.
“We definitely needed this win,” State Cornerback Brian Nelson II said. “We definitely needed some momentum in the locker room just to get our confidence back.”
Nelson said the difference showed up in the way the group played together after feeling short in Week 0.
“We felt like we were underachieving. We felt like we let each other down,” Nelson said. “But, you know, the difference between this game was that we felt like we all played together, played with each other, and just really went out there and just played as a whole team.”
The offense was every bit as sharp, and CJ Bailey bounced back from his Week 0 struggles with a clean, efficient outing. He completed 13 of 17 passes for 281 yards and a touchdown, while also adding 25 rushing yards and a score on 6 carries.
Keenan Jackson made it clear how much trust the team has in its quarterback. “That’s my quarterback,” Jackson said.
“I’ve been with him every single day since we first stepped on campus my freshman year in January. So you know when you step on that field, we both expect the best out of each other.”
That connection showed up all night. Jackson finished with a team-high 123 receiving yards, and afterward he made sure to spread the credit around.
“A lot of guys played their tails off tonight,” Jackson said. “I’m proud of the whole team.”
Duke Scott was another big reason the Wolfpack offense kept humming. On NC State’s first offensive series, he broke a 45-yard run into Richmond territory. On the next possession, he ripped off a 65-yard touchdown run.
Scott finished with 128 rushing yards on just nine carries and two touchdowns, then gave the line its due. “The O-line blocked their behinds off,” Scott said. “Big shout-out to those guys up front because no matter who was back there, they all went to work.”
For NC State, the night wasn’t about piling on Richmond. It was about rediscovering what the group believes it can be.
“We know we are a great team,” Nelson II said. “We know that we’re really good. And it’s a matter of just believing that throughout the whole season and also getting other people to realize we have something special at this program.”
The Wolfpack now turns to Week 3 with that momentum in hand. “We’ve got to keep that same energy,” Jackson said. “We’ve got to come into work next week ready to work and take advantage of every single day and get ready for Vandy.”
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For Doeren, the stakes are familiar: keep the Wolfpack moving in the right direction and the noise fades, but stumble through the next few weeks and the questions around the program only get louder. In a year when several Power Four jobs are already drawing attention, NC State does not need much more turbulence, which makes this upcoming stretch one of the more important ones on the calendar. [Read more 🡒]