At halftime of its game against Louisiana Tech, NC State football was in bad shape. Trailing 17-6 to a team that has won a combined nine games across the last three seasons, fans trickled out of Carter-Finley Stadium in despair. However, the Wolfpack rallied behind a new signal-caller to secure a 30-20 victory for its second win of the season. Here are some takeaways from the Pack’s comeback victory.
The chosen one?
The biggest news of the game was graduate quarterback Grayson McCall’s undisclosed injury in the second quarter, causing freshman quarterback CJ Bailey to take over the offensive reins.
Bailey had previously appeared in just one game this season, playing the final minutes against Tennessee and not recording a single pass attempt. Though unexpectedly entering the game, Bailey not only stepped up, he excelled.
Bailey completed 13 of his 20 pass attempts for 156 yards while tacking on 27 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. Bailey revived a Wolfpack offense that couldn’t find the endzone in the first half. On the first drive of the second half, he led the Wolfpack on its first touchdown drive of the game, completing all seven of his passes for 62 yards before a three-yard touchdown from sophomore running back Kendrick Raphael finished the drive off.
Bailey later found the endzone on a one-yard rush for the first touchdown of his collegiate career. Not everything went right for Bailey as he threw an interception on his third pass of the game. He nearly threw a second interception trying to force a pass on Louisiana Tech’s side of the field.
Decision making can be taught, but Bailey has the necessary skills to lead the offense. If McCall’s injury proves to be more severe, he’ll be thrown into the fire in his first collegiate start as NC State faces off against Clemson in Death Valley, known as one of the most hostile environments in college football.
Defensive back depth
In an odd turn of events, graduate cornerback Aydan White was ruled out of the contest before it even began with an undisclosed injury, causing the Wolfpack to rely on its backup cornerbacks to step up. To make matters worse, sophomore cornerback Brandon Cisse went down with a leg injury in the first half.
Senior cornerback Corey Coley stepped up in their absence, leading the defensive backs with five tackles and a pass defended. Junior cornerback Devon Marshall was also making plays with three solo tackles and two passes defended.
However, nobody made a bigger play than senior safety DK Kaufman. The Auburn transfer picked off Louisiana Tech quarterback Jack Turner on the first drive of the second half, taking it home for the Pack’s first touchdown of the day. The play provided a spark to the defense as it forced two more punts and a turnover on downs to secure the win for the Wolfpack.
Special teams, special plays and special players
Though some may say NC State has looked questionable throughout the first three games of the season, the one thing that has stayed consistent is the Wolfpack’s special teams. Redshirt sophomore kicker Kanoah Vinesett showed off his leg, making all three of his field goal attempts against Louisiana Tech, including a 52-yard kick to give the Wolfpack a 23-20 lead.
Vinesett has yet to miss a kick through his three games as starting kicker, making all five of his field goal attempts and all nine of his extra point attempts. Vinesett is the latest in a long line of proficiency at the kicker position, including Lou Groza Award winner Chris Dunn and NFL kicker Brayden Narveson. As long as Vinesett remains consistent, a guaranteed make on every kick heavily benefits the Pack.
Few punters are as consistent as redshirt junior Caden Noonkester. The former walk-on has been the starter since 2023 and has been one of the Wolfpack’s best players.
Noonkester bobbled a snap and nearly fumbled on his first punt of the day, but recovered to kick the ball, albeit just 21 yards down the field. However, Noonkester quickly recovered, booting the pigskin 55 yards down the field to aid the Wolfpack defense after a quick three-and-out from the offense. Noonkester’s final punt came after yet another failed drive from the Wolfpack as he kicked the ball 54 yards downfield deep into Louisiana Tech territory.
Noonkester has averaged 43.7 yards across his 11 punts this season and was one of the few bright spots in a lackluster matchup against Tennessee. Noonkester’s ability to give the Wolfpack defense room to work has been crucial in its two victories, and will be sure to come into play later in the season.
