NC State football at midseason: CJ Bailey, feast-or-famine defense and Dave Doeren's future
It’s time to adjust expectations as N.C. State football hits the midpoint of the 2024 season.
After entering the season as a projected challenger for the ACC championship and a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff, the Wolfpack (3-3, 0-2 ACC) will be battling for a bowl bid in the final six weeks of the regular season.
In its three games against major conference opponents, N.C. State gave up 51 points to Tennessee in Charlotte, saw Clemson drop 59 in Death Valley and blew a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter against Wake Forest in Raleigh.
“With our fans, I know all of us wanted better than 3-3. Trust me, no one's more disappointed than me and our players. But I also know N.C. State's about fighting and not giving up. That's where we're at. We've been in worse situations — and rallied — and had really good finishes. That's what we're going to try to do,” head coach Dave Doeren said.
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“We got six games, six opportunities. We'll take them all one at a time. We'll work our butts off. A lot to play for and a lot to fight for. I know it's frustrating. I feel your pain. But I know one thing about this school, we don't quit. We dig in and fight and we stick together.”
Here are three observations about the Wolfpack halfway through the season.
CJ Bailey is growing as NC State football quarterback
Grayson McCall’s sobering injury situation is the cloud that hangs over N.C. State’s offense, but true freshman CJ Bailey has proven he can be the Wolfpack’s quarterback of the future. There have been growing pains, including three interceptions, but Bailey has accounted for four touchdowns in the last three games. The 6-foot-6 quarterback, who completed 66.7% of his passes for 272 yards against Wake Forest, looks the part.
Feast-or-famine defense for Wolfpack without Payton Wilson
For the third time in 12 seasons under Doeren, N.C. State has allowed two opponents to reach 50 points in the same year. Sixth-year defensive coordinator Tony Gibson has consistently fielded a top-25 defense as one of the top assistant coaches in the nation, but things are different this season.
This season, the Pack is feeling the absence of linebacker Payton Wilson, the reigning ACC Defensive Player of the Year, with a feast-or-famine unit that has failed to string together success. N.C. State is 11th nationally in takeaways, but 119th in scoring defense, allowing an average of 33.6 points per game. If the Pack doesn’t start showing more resistance on that side of the ball, it’s hard to see things turning around this season.
Are NC State fans tired of Dave Doeren?
N.C. State fans are known for their loyalty and, arguably, the best tailgating scene in the ACC. Win or lose, those fans typically pack Carter-Finley Stadium — in the first half, at least — on a weekly basis. Many of those fans seem ready to move on from Doeren, but could N.C. State find someone better?
It doesn’t seem likely. Doeren is the first coach in program history to lead N.C. State to eight or more wins in four straight seasons. There should probably be a shakeup on his staff, but Doeren has proven he can keep the Wolfpack near the top of the ACC.
Given the current NIL landscape, it’s tough to see a program like N.C. State consistently garnering the funds to compete against big-money schools in the Big Ten and SEC. But Doeren’s speciality is development, and he’s been as good as anyone in the ACC not named Clemson at maintaining a consistent winner. Still, risky or not, fans might be ready for a new face.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: NC State football: Are Wolfpack fans ready to move on from Dave Doeren?
