NC State head coach Dave Doeren was quick to credit his team’s toughness and togetherness after the Wolfpack rallied for a comeback win to stay unbeaten at 3-0.
“Defensively, two halves. I mean, what a great second half. Held them to like 30 yards and I think they stopped them every time they were on the field,” Doeren said. “Two great interceptions, and loved Isaiah Shirley’s play. Such a key play at a key moment.”
After watching his team surrender a kickoff return for a touchdown on the opening play, Doeren said he was proud of the response. “We’ve been down a couple times. These guys know how to fight back. They believe. They don’t flinch. There’s no division.”
Tonight’s top moments, all in one video 💥#1Pack1Goal pic.twitter.com/DQ38AMR9KH
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) September 12, 2025
Doeren singled out quarterback CJ Bailey’s leadership and accountability after a three-touchdown, turnover-free performance. “What you don’t see is how he leads the team,” Doeren said. “If he makes a mistake, he’s the first one to say, ‘That’s on me.’ It’s easy to follow a guy like him.” Running back Hollywood Smothers also impressed, but Doeren said it was the junior’s team-first mindset that stood out: “I congratulated him on his career-best rushing day and he said, I don’t care about that. We won.”
Doeren emphasized the chemistry forged in the offseason among 41 new players. “We put them in so many game-ending situations in practice. It’s comfortable for them now. They excel. When those happen, you revert back to your training. And they believe.”
Reflecting on the road win, Doeren grinned: “I love winning. To quote Bull Durham, it’s like better than losing. That’s what we do this for.”
MORE COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS:
- Brent Venables preaches patience with Michael Hawkins Jr.
- Deion Sanders expected to name Ryan Staub starting quarterback
- Coach Prime calls QB Martin Luther Staub
- Travis Hunter on his special family moment during NFL debut
- Ryan Staub delivers with perfect timing for Colorado
- Deion Sanders say Colorado is everybody’s Super Bowl
- Randy Moss and Deion Sanders lean on each other through cancer battles
- Deion Sanders to Arch Manning ‘be you’