NC State didn’t just get back on track Friday night. It ran right through Richmond and left a trail of broken records behind it.
After two weeks of frustration, the Wolfpack looked like a team determined to erase the memory of Virginia. The result was a complete performance across the board, and the offense in particular finally found its rhythm in a massive way. It’s worth remembering the opponent - this was FCS Richmond, after all - but NC State got exactly what it needed: a chance to let it rip and start feeling good again.
Duke Scott set the tone almost immediately. By the end of NC State’s first two drives, he had already topped his rushing total from the entire UVA game and scored twice.
His second carry of the night went 65 yards for a touchdown on the opening snap of the Pack’s second possession. Before the lightning delay, he had piled up 115 yards and both scores, and he finished with 128 yards on only nine carries.
That works out to a wild 14.2 yards per touch, and the coaches pulled him once the job was done. According to the ESPN broadcast, Scott became the first ACC back to reach 100-plus rushing yards and two touchdowns since 2019.
Scott, though, was quick to put the spotlight elsewhere.
"The whole line, they 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...
The biggest thing that changed was we had a point to prove. We went to make sure we didn't put what we put on Virginia on the tape."
The passing game got its own reset, too. The receivers who struggled to separate - or to finish plays when they did - finally broke loose.
Jojo trader contributed three catches for 52 yards, and there were flashes of the high school chemistry between him and CJ Bailey. The bigger eruption came from Keenan Jackson, who turned in a 123-yard night on four receptions in his third year with the Wolfpack.
Bailey looked sharper throwing his way, too, going 13-of-17 for 281 yards and a touchdown.
Jackson pushed back on the idea that the quarterback-receiver connection suddenly changed.
"I don't think much was different. I mean, that's my quarterback," Jackson said.
"I've been with him every single day since we first stepped on campus... We both expect the best out of each other."
The stat sheet told the rest of the story. NC State piled up 734 total yards, a school record.
The 428 rushing yards broke a mark that had stood since 1975. The eight rushing touchdowns were the most in program history, and the 73 points were the most the program had scored since 1936.
Even with all of that, Scott made sure the message stayed pointed forward.
"We have a goal: the ACC Championship," he said. "This is not our peak.
This is not our final point. So we just need to keep stacking days...
It's my job as a leader to make sure that doesn't change."
That’s the part NC State will carry with it. The records matter, and the blowout matters, but the real test is whether this can travel.
Next up is Vanderbilt in Nashville, and then ACC play looms a few weeks down the road. Friday was a reset.
The next stretch will say a lot more.
In Other News...
NC State Just Landed A Huge Chance In One Crucial Recruitment
NC State has put itself in the mix for one of the most important names in the 2027 class, with CJ Rosser naming the Wolfpack in his Top 7. The No. 1 ranked player in the cycle is expected to get a closer look at the program next weekend, when he begins a round of official visits that includes Raleigh.
For NC State, the invitation is the payoff for a long recruitment that has survived multiple coaching changes and continued into this years cycle. The Wolfpack also already had Rosser on campus for an unofficial visit earlier this year, and now the program gets another chance to make its case at a stage when every visit matters a little more. [Read more 🡒]
NC States Frontcourt Picture Could Put Robert Jurkovic In Focus
As NC State turns the page toward preseason basketball, one of the more intriguing pieces of the frontcourt puzzle is Robert Jurkovic, the Slovenian forward whose background already sets him apart from most newcomers in Raleigh. Jurkovic arrives with professional experience in Slovenias Liga OTP Banka, and the Wolfpack have reasons to think his game can translate because of the efficiency and defensive presence coaches have already highlighted.
What makes Jurkovic worth watching now is not just what he can do, but where he fits. NC State is still sorting through a frontcourt picture that could use versatility, and Jurkovic has the size to play either forward or center, but his exact job description remains unsettled while legal issues continue to affect roster decisions. For a team trying to piece together its rotation, that leaves him in a spot where opportunity is real, even if the shape of it is not yet clear. [Read more 🡒]
Jonathan Paylor Just Gave NC State A Glimpse Of Its Ceiling
Jonathan Paylors return gave NC State something it has been waiting to see since he missed the 2025 season with a season-ending ACL injury. The highly regarded recruit was back on the field against Richmond, and the biggest reminder of why the Wolfpack had been so eager to get him healthy came on a 51-yard run that showed the burst and speed that made him such an intriguing part of the roster in the first place.
For a team looking to raise its ceiling, Paylors presence matters because he changes the kind of athlete NC State can put on the field and the way defenses have to prepare. Coach Dave Doeren has already pointed to how important the return is for both Paylor and the program, and the next question is how quickly that flash against Richmond turns into a more consistent role in the offense. [Read more 🡒]