The Wolfpacker Show: NC State beats La. Tech, CJ Bailey Shines
NC State football improved to 2-1 Saturday afternoon with a 30-20 win over Louisiana Tech — a Conference USA program coming off of a bye week. The Pack relied on the arm of freshman CJ Bailey and a strong second-half defensive performance to lead the team to victory.
Starting quarterback Grayson McCall and standout cornerback Brandon Cisse both left this game with undisclosed injuries, and their teammates stepped up around them. Bailey scored his first collegiate touchdown and led the Pack on three consecutive drives ending in points. A host of NC State defensive backs helped put together a dominant second half.
The Wolfpack trailed 17-6 going into halftime, but the program did not let the deficit snowball into another loss. NC State now sits 2-1 on the year thanks to Bailey’s emergence, an impressive rushing day for sophomore running back Kendrick Raphael and 2 timely turnovers forced by the defense.
After spending some time reflecting on this contest, The Wolfpacker Show hosts Noah Fleischman and Ethan McDowell sat down to record another episode.
During this episode of The Wolfpacker Show…
*** The hosts shared their initial thoughts on the win, discussing how NC State overcame adversity to pull out a win during a game that ended up a lot closer than expected.
*** Ethan and Noah broke down the Wolfpack defense’s showing, highlighting the impressive performance from a secondary that looks super deep through a couple of games. They dove into some of the turning points in this contest, including DK Kaufman’s pick six to start the second half.
*** Offensively, they talked about the Pack’s pass protection and a rushing attack that showed modest improvement before spending most of the segment discussing Bailey, who really impressed both hosts with his poise in the pocket and ability to progress through his reads and improvise.
*** Then, the hosts gave out some game balls, recognizing Bailey and a few other players for their standout performances against Louisiana Tech.
*** To wrap up the show, Noah and Ethan briefly discussed Clemson. This showdown against the Tigers could be hugely consequential for the ACC championship race. Each host shared one reason they are optimistic and one reason they remain concerned going into this road trip to Death Valley.
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