The Wolfpacker Show: The impact of NC State's loss to Wake Forest
NC State lost 34-30 to Wake Forest Saturday afternoon — a slow unraveling of a defeat punctuated by 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. The Wolfpack gave up 3 fourth-down conversions over the final 15 minutes and only possessed the ball for 3:33 of that stretch.
Now standing 3-3 for the first time since 2013, NC State’s ACC title game aspirations appear out of reach. Instead, this squad needs to win 3 of its final 6 games to achieve bowl eligibility. Wake Forest came into this game 1-3 with no wins over an FBS team in 2024. This week, the Demon Deacons ran for 161 yards on the Pack, averaging 5.2 yards per carry while controlling the decisive fourth quarter.
Starting quarterback Grayson McCall returned to the lineup in this game but left during his first drive following a hit to the head. An injury cart took him off the field, and he was released from the hospital Saturday evening.
The Wolfpack hosts Syracuse Oct. 12 for an 8 p.m. kickoff. After watching the game inside Carter-Finley Stadium and talking to head coach Dave Doeren and the players about the loss, The Wolfpacker Show hosts Noah Fleischman and Ethan McDowell recorded another episode to recap the rivalry matchup.
During this episode of The Wolfpacker Show…
*** Noah and Ethan shared their initial takes on the loss. There’s no way to sugarcoat it. This was a bad loss for the Pack. Wake Forest is statistically the worst defensive team in the conference.
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*** The hosts talked about both sides of the ball and agreed that it’s impossible to pin this defeat on either the offense or defense. Both sides of the ball played well at points and struggled down the stretch. It was a collective defeat for the Pack.
*** Then, they discussed how this loss impacts the rest of NC State’s season. There is not going to be an easy game left on NC State’s schedule. Syracuse and Cal are the program’s next two opponents.
*** Ethan and Noah wrapped up the show by handing out some game balls, recognizing individual performances from tight end Justin Joly, wide receiver Keenan Jackson, linebacker Devon Betty and NC State’s medical staff.
The Wolfpacker Show is available in audio and video on TheWolfpacker.com’s YouTube channel.
