What they’re saying after NC State football’s loss at No. 17 Duke

NC State could not find consistency on offense, which doomed the Wolfpack in a 24-3 loss at No. 17 Duke Saturday night at Wallace Wade Stadium. The red and white are now riding a two-game ACC losing streak as it heads into the bye week. 

Here is what those who covered the game are saying about the Pack’s third loss of the 2023 campaign. 

Noah Fleischman, The Wolfpacker — NC State to do ‘soul searching’ in bye week after loss at No. 17 Duke

“The Wolfpack’s open week comes at a crucial point of its season. NC State is riding a two-game ACC losing streak, and it has its toughest two-week stretch on the other side: home against Clemson and Miami. 

There’s an opportunity for the Pack to win those games, but it is going to take a lot of improvements to do it. Sophomore quarterback MJ Morris, who took over as NC State’s starter ahead of last week’s 48-41 win over Marshall, said there’s a chance for the Wolfpack to use the bye week as a learning moment. 

“We’re going to do a lot of soul searching to see how we want to finish this season,” Morris said of the bye. “We want to finish off the right way. … We gotta do something to fix it. I feel like this comes at the right time. Definitely a lot of work to be done.”

Ethan McDowell, The Wolfpacker — NC State fails to make much noise in statement loss

“NC State fans packed the visiting stands Saturday night. In the moments leading up to kickoff, chants of “WOLF-PACK” rang out throughout Duke’s Wallace Wade Stadium. By the end of the third quarter, many of those same fans headed for the exits.

With an opportunity to make a statement, the team didn’t have much to say against the No. 17 Blue Devils. The Wolfpack committed 6 penalties for 50 yards in the first quarter, dropped a few passes and threw a costly interception that led to a quick touchdown. 

All of that, combined with Duke’s 4 first-half completions for 107 yards, set the tone for a 24-3 disappointing defeat on the road. 

This was an in-state rivalry game, a matchup that this program cares a lot about. Head coach Dave Doeren said the team came in with the right mentality, but Duke was clearly the tougher, more disciplined team Saturday night. The Blue Devils only ran 42 plays (the Wolfpack finished with 70) but maintained control of the matchup for the final 3 quarters.”

Andrew Carter, News & Observer — NC State’s football season officially enters danger zone during listless loss at Duke 

“Toward the end of the first half here Saturday night at Wallace Wade Stadium, amid a downpour that sent spectators scurrying for cover — and why would anyone have really wanted to stick around to watch this — it was as if both Dave Doeren and Mike Elko had come to some brief, mutual understanding. 

Whaddya say, pal? I’ve seen enough, you? Want to just call it a half? Yes? Yes. 

The worst thing about the first half for N.C. State might’ve been that the game was only halfway over. By then Duke was well on its way to a 24-3 victory and, even though there were two quarters left to play, there wasn’t much doubt about where this was headed. For a moment, with State backed up deep in its own territory, Duke had called a timeout, as if maybe it was going to try to make the Wolfpack punt. 

And why not? State had done so little right during the first 30 minutes that it was easy enough to understand how Elko, the Blue Devils’ second-year head coach, might want to give the Wolfpack one more chance to make a mistake.”

Steve Wiseman, News & Observer — Why Duke’s win over NC State displayed resiliency capable of taking the Blue Devils far

“It’s time to believe what our eyes are seeing from Duke football. 

Heck, maybe it’s past time. 

On Saturday night, in their home stadium that had as many red-clad NC State fans as their own supporters, the No. 17 Blue Devils played without their starting quarterback. 

The quarterback who did play completed just four passes. 

Duke’s defense stung from its last appearance at Wallace Wade Stadium two weeks earlier, when Notre Dame drove on its last possession for the touchdown that delivered a 21-14 victory after the Blue Devils couldn’t stop a fourth-and-16 play. 

Yes, all those mental and physical challenges hovered in Duke’s orbit.

And it didn’t matter.”

Caleb Dudley, The Chronicle — ‘My confidence is high’: No. 17 Duke football’s win against N.C. State shows that the Blue Devils are set for the future

“Coming into this season, all the talk surrounding Duke was its immense returning talent. But as we all know, things can change very fast, and you can lose players unexpectedly at any moment. The Blue Devils have experienced this firsthand, as injuries to quarterback Riley Leonard and tight end Nicky Dalmolin the past few weeks, among others, could have had season-derailing potential.

When it could have chalked up struggles to untimely injuries and laid down during ACC play, the Blue Devils instead responded with an astounding rejection of this narrative, embracing a next-man-up mentality to dismantle N.C. State at home Saturday night 24-3, proving that the future, both immediately and in the long-term, is extremely bright.”