NC State QB CJ Bailey ‘doesn’t flinch’ in comeback win at Cal

He could have been rattled in this new situation. NC State, winless in ACC play, trailed by 13 going into the fourth quarter with an ineffective run game more than 2,800 miles away from home at Cal on Saturday afternoon. But freshman quarterback CJ Bailey was quite the opposite. 

Bailey, who made just his fourth-career start against the Bears, had a unique sense of calmness about him on the sidelines. He wasn’t panicking, rather Bailey was trying to pick his teammates up. The Pack’s offense, which sputtered through the first half, just needed its first score to give the unit life, he thought.

And, well, Bailey helped engineer that drive early in the period. An eight-play, 75-yard series that resulted in a redshirt junior wide receiver Dacari Collins 1-yard touchdown reception. That score capped a drive where Bailey made back-to-back explosive throws to junior tight end Justin Joly and redshirt freshman running back Hollywood Smothers that went for 29 and 28 yards, respectively. 

It seemed that series unlocked the Pack’s offense. 

And the biggest change wasn’t how Bailey was throwing the ball — he was 13-of-15 passing for 171 yards in the first half — but he wasn’t taking sacks. The first-year quarterback took a season-most six sacks in the first three quarters, a byproduct of being “antsy” and “indecisive,” he said. 

Once Bailey stayed on his feet and kept the Pack ahead of the chains, the offense cruised down the field. In all, the Pack scored 14 unanswered to beat Cal 24-23 on Saturday afternoon at California Memorial Stadium as Bailey led the would-be game-winning drive with just over six minutes to play, connecting with Smothers for a 41-yard touchdown pass. 

It was Bailey’s ability to stay composed in a pressure-packed situation that ended up being key in the Wolfpack’s ability to stage a furious fourth-quarter rally in the Golden State. 

“He doesn’t flinch,” NC State coach Dave Doeren said of Bailey afterwards. “He stays positive. He’s just got that ‘it’ factor when it comes to how he manages things and overcomes — even when he makes a bad play, it doesn’t rattle him. He’s tough. He’s going to be a hell of a player.”

Bailey finished the afternoon 25-of-36 passing for 306 yards with two touchdowns and no turnovers to pace the Pack to its first ACC win of the season. He did not log more than two incompletions in a row in the fourth quarter, while he was 8-of-12 passing in crunch time. Bailey is the first Wolfpack quarterback to record back-to-back 300-yard games since Devin Leary did it in 2021. He is the first true freshman signal-caller to do it with the Pack since Philip Rivers opened his college career with 397 and 401 yards in his first two career starts.

The more impressive piece of Bailey’s outing was he didn’t throw an interception against one of the best defenses in college football at creating havoc in the pass game. Cal entered the night first in the FBS with 13 interceptions through its first six games, but Bailey was able to keep the ball out of harm’s way. The victory marked just Bailey’s second game where he attempted a pass without an interception this fall.

Smothers, who spent last season at Oklahoma around current Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, has been impressed with Bailey’s maturation as he gains more experience as the Pack’s starting quarterback.

“CJ’s getting better and better every game,” said Smothers, who finished the game with six receptions for 87 yards and a touchdown. “Everybody believes in CJ. CJ’s got it. He’s got it. It comes natural to him. We just have to keep believing in him and he’s going to get the job done. CJ’s got everything he needs to be great.”

Bailey, who has appeared to grow after each start he makes in relief for an injured Grayson McCall, may have the skill set to be NC State’s future at quarterback. But he also is surrounded by elite talent that he seems to enjoy playing with. The signal-caller completed at least one pass to eight different players, five of which logged at least four receptions in the victory. 

The Miami, Fla., native deflected some of the credit to those pass catchers, naming sophomore wideout KC Concepcion, Joly and Smothers by name. 

“It feels really great to know that I’ve got good playmakers and good guys around me that will help the team out,” Bailey said. “I’m glad to have those guys because they made big plays and they changed the game.”

Bailey’s sense of confidence comes through experience, even though he is in his first season of college football. The quarterback led Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna Prep to three state championship appearances with two titles before enrolling with the Wolfpack. 

His battle-tested spirit paid off on the road at Cal. He channeled his inner high school self, which included an innate ability to have an offense rally around him at the controls of the unit. That appeared against the Bears, and it gave Bailey a unique sense of confidence in a make-or-break game for the Pack’s bowl eligibility hopes later this season. 

And as senior defensive end Davin Vann, who logged three tackles with two sacks, watched from the sidelines, he was amazed at how Bailey handled himself in a tough moment. But that also solidified his belief in the Pack’s freshman signal-caller. 

“He’s young and it’s very hard to keep composure, especially when you’re getting sacked or things aren’t going your way,” Vann said. “His ability to keep his composure is very impressive. He continues to show me why he has the ability to play at this level and why he will succeed at this level and beyond.”

Bailey continues to grow each week. His ability to lead a fourth-quarter comeback on the road proved to be another checkpoint in his development as the Wolfpack goes its first of two open weeks.