The Wolfpacker Show: Reflecting on NC State's 29-19 loss to Duke
NC State, which won its previous two games, was looking to extend its season-best winning streak to three games when Duke visited Carter-Finley Stadium. But an early two-score deficit proved to be too much to overcome in a 29-19 loss on Saturday afternoon in Raleigh.
The Wolfpack (5-5, 2-4 ACC) enters an open week before playing at Georgia Tech and North Carolina to close the 2024 regular season. The Wolfpacker Show broke down what went wrong for NC State in its second straight loss to Duke in as many seasons.
In this episode, the hosts discussed:
– Ethan and Noah shared their initial reactions to the loss, including how the defense played one of its better games of the season, while the offense sputtered once it entered the red zone for much of the afternoon.
– After opening the podcast, the hosts broke down NC State’s defensive play against Duke. The Pack asserted itself for much of the afternoon, even though the Blue Devils jumped out to a quick 12-0 lead — 5 points of which were helped by NC State’s offense giving Duke a safety and a short field to work with. Ethan and Noah highlighted the Wolfpack’s rushing defense, which held the Blue Devils to just 1.1 yards per carry in the loss.
– Although the defense gave NC State’s offense a chance, the Pack could not find a way to consistently cash in when it got close to the end zone. The Wolfpack kicked four straight field goals before junior wide receiver Wesley Grimes scored NC State’s first — and only — touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter. The hosts talked about what went wrong in both the red zone and the Wolfpack’s run game struggles that reappeared against Duke.
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– In addition to the up and down run game, the Wolfpack’s passing attack was the least efficient with freshman quarterback CJ Bailey under center. He was 16-of-39 passing for 184 yards with a touchdown and an interception against Duke. The Pack’s wideouts logged five drops, which only snowballed NC State’s struggles in its aerial attack against the Blue Devils. The hosts discussed what they saw in depth.
– NC State sits one win away from clinching bowl eligibility, but is there a path to the postseason in the event the Wolfpack loses its last two games? Yes. Noah explained how.
– The hosts closed the show by awarding game balls to those that stood out in the Wolfpack’s 29-19 loss.
The Wolfpacker Show is available in audio and video on TheWolfpacker.com’s YouTube channel.
