The head coach talked about one aspect of the offense he's enjoyed seeing early in the 2025 season.
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Led by the sophomore duo of CJ Bailey at quarterback and Hollywood Smothers at running back, NC State's offense is off to a fairly strong start through three games in 2025. The team scored 24 points in the opener and followed that up with back-to-back 30-plus point scoring efforts in wins over Virginia and Wake Forest.
Bailey and Smothers both looked improved throughout both wins after strong first seasons with the Wolfpack in 2024. Head coach Dave Doeren made the decision to promote Kurt Roper to offensive coordinator during the offseason in an effort to preserve some continuity around Bailey. So far, Doeren believes he made the right move and one trend has him even more excited about the decision than before the season. Sep 11, 2025; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey hands off to Hollywood Smothers in the first half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Luke Jamroz-Imagn Images / Luke Jamroz-Imagn ImagesWhile many college offenses lean on the run game or the pass game and not both, Doeren and Roper came away with a different view when it came to developing their offense for 2025. The duo wanted to take advantage of the talent between Bailey and Smothers and settled on a more balanced approach than many other programs. In the first three games, the Wolfpack has 115 rushing attempts and 89 pass attempts. "I think 50/50 is good. There's going to be some games we're going to have to throw it more. It's week-to-week on how people defend you," Doeren said on theSep 11, 2025; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey throws a pass in first half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Luke Jamroz-Imagn Images / Luke Jamroz-Imagn Images The willingness to attack both through the air and on the ground gives NC State an advantage when it comes to making in-game adjustments. The Virginia matchup posed some issues for the initial game plan, but Roper made changes that helped the Wolfpack come away with the win. "We didn't expect them to play a lot of cover two and they did because of their corners," Doeren said. "I think early in the game, we shipped their corners, so they started helping them and we had to adjust and go to the run game a little more than we probably thought we would going into that game." Roper and Doeren simplified things. When the defense loads up the box, they trust Bailey to make plays. When the box is light, they trust Smothers to make plays. So far, that formula seems to be working.Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.
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