North Carolina State University Athletics
Saturday, November 15
Coral Gables, FL
3:30 p.m.
NC State
at
Miami
Another Ranked Test Awaits the Wolfpack in Miami
11/14/2025 5:34:00 PM | Football
RALEIGH, N.C.—The final regular-season road trip takes the Wolfpack to Miami Gardens, Fla., as NC State prepares to face No. 16 Miami Hurricanes on Saturday, Nov. 15, at 3:30 p.m. from Hard Rock Stadium. The game will air on ESPN, marking the Wolfpack's second straight appearance against a Top 25 team after defeating No. 8 Georgia Tech two weeks earlier.
NC State and Miami have played 18 times in a series that dates back to 1939. The first seven games (between 1939 and 1971) were played in Miami. Since Miami became a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2004, NC State has faced the Hurricanes just seven times. The last six games between NC State and Miami have been close, with an average margin of victory of 7.4 points. Three of those seven games have been decided by three points or less.
The Wolfpack offense racked up 583 total yards in the win over eighth-ranked Georgia Tech last time out. That was the 15th-most yards in a single game in school history - the seventh-best mark ever against an ACC opponent (highest vs. a league school under head coach Dave Doeren). The Wolfpack currently ranks 17th in the P4 (fourth in the ACC) in total offense with 438.6 yards per game. If the season ended today, that would be the fifth-best mark in school history for a single season. Offensive coordinator Kurt Roper was named the CBS Sports Offensive Coordinator of the Week following the win over the Yellow Jackets.
The Wolfpack's victory over No. 8 Georgia Tech marked the second victory over a Top 10 opponent for NC State under head coach Dave Doeren. Doeren's Wolfpack also knocked off ninth-ranked Clemson (27-21 in 2OT) in 2021. It marked the third-largest margin of victory for the Wolfpack over a top 10 team in at least the past 75 years! What's most impressive about the victory? The Wolfpack did it without its leading rusher (Hollywood Smothers - who also leads the ACC) and its leading receiver (Justin Joly).
With five wins entering Game 10, NC State needs one more win to become bowl eligible. The Wolfpack has qualified for five straight bowl games and 10 in Dave Doeren's previous 12 years as head coach. NC State has two streaks of five straight bowl games under Doeren - most consecutive for any head coach in school history. The longest bowl streak in school history was seven between 1988-1994 under head coaches Dick Sheridan and Mike O'Cain.
CJ Bailey tallied 374 yards of total offense in the victory and posted the fourth 300+ yard passing game of the season (sixth of his career). He threw for two touchdown passes and rushed for another. Bailey was named the Walter Camp Offensive Player of the Week, The Davey O'Brien QB of the Week, the Maxwell Award Player of the Week and was a Manning Star of the Week for his performance. For the season, Bailey has 19 TD throws, the second-best mark in the ACC (14th in the FBS). That mark ranks 12th in school history for a single season. His 36 career touchdowns is the ninth best mark ever for a Wolfpack QB. He's amassed 2,411 passing yards in 2025 - marks that are third and ninth respectively in the ACC and FBS this week. His 4,824 career mark ranks 10th in school history.
Duke Scott, the Wolfpack's redshirt freshman running back, got the start due to the injury to Hollywood Smothers and rushed for nine yards on his first carry of the game en route to 196 rushing yards on the night. That tied as the No. 11 mark in school history, was the most since 2018 and was the highest total for a P4 freshman in 2025. Scott was named ACC Rookie and Running Back of the Week for his efforts, and also won the Shaun Alexander National Freshman of the Week Award. He was the runner up for AP National Player of the Week. He tallied 207 total yards in the contest, posted the Pack's longest rush of the season (69 yards), and scored a touchdown on a 30-yard rush. He finished the game averaging 8.2 yards per carry.
NC State has boasted five individual 100+ yard rushing games this season: four by Hollywood Smothers and one by Duke Scott. That's the most since the 2018 campaign, and the Wolfpack still has (at least) three games left to play. Earlier this season, Smothers became the first Pack player since Nyheim Hines (2017) to rush for 100+ yards in three straight games.
Linebacker and team captain Caden Fordham currently is tied for the Power 4 lead in tackles with 10.2 per game - the top mark in the ACC. He has led or tied the team in tackles six times in nine games this season and has five double-figure tackle outputs. His 15 stops versus Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech were a career high.
NC State and Miami have played 18 times in a series that dates back to 1939. The first seven games (between 1939 and 1971) were played in Miami. Since Miami became a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2004, NC State has faced the Hurricanes just seven times. The last six games between NC State and Miami have been close, with an average margin of victory of 7.4 points. Three of those seven games have been decided by three points or less.
The Wolfpack offense racked up 583 total yards in the win over eighth-ranked Georgia Tech last time out. That was the 15th-most yards in a single game in school history - the seventh-best mark ever against an ACC opponent (highest vs. a league school under head coach Dave Doeren). The Wolfpack currently ranks 17th in the P4 (fourth in the ACC) in total offense with 438.6 yards per game. If the season ended today, that would be the fifth-best mark in school history for a single season. Offensive coordinator Kurt Roper was named the CBS Sports Offensive Coordinator of the Week following the win over the Yellow Jackets.
The Wolfpack's victory over No. 8 Georgia Tech marked the second victory over a Top 10 opponent for NC State under head coach Dave Doeren. Doeren's Wolfpack also knocked off ninth-ranked Clemson (27-21 in 2OT) in 2021. It marked the third-largest margin of victory for the Wolfpack over a top 10 team in at least the past 75 years! What's most impressive about the victory? The Wolfpack did it without its leading rusher (Hollywood Smothers - who also leads the ACC) and its leading receiver (Justin Joly).
With five wins entering Game 10, NC State needs one more win to become bowl eligible. The Wolfpack has qualified for five straight bowl games and 10 in Dave Doeren's previous 12 years as head coach. NC State has two streaks of five straight bowl games under Doeren - most consecutive for any head coach in school history. The longest bowl streak in school history was seven between 1988-1994 under head coaches Dick Sheridan and Mike O'Cain.
CJ Bailey tallied 374 yards of total offense in the victory and posted the fourth 300+ yard passing game of the season (sixth of his career). He threw for two touchdown passes and rushed for another. Bailey was named the Walter Camp Offensive Player of the Week, The Davey O'Brien QB of the Week, the Maxwell Award Player of the Week and was a Manning Star of the Week for his performance. For the season, Bailey has 19 TD throws, the second-best mark in the ACC (14th in the FBS). That mark ranks 12th in school history for a single season. His 36 career touchdowns is the ninth best mark ever for a Wolfpack QB. He's amassed 2,411 passing yards in 2025 - marks that are third and ninth respectively in the ACC and FBS this week. His 4,824 career mark ranks 10th in school history.
Duke Scott, the Wolfpack's redshirt freshman running back, got the start due to the injury to Hollywood Smothers and rushed for nine yards on his first carry of the game en route to 196 rushing yards on the night. That tied as the No. 11 mark in school history, was the most since 2018 and was the highest total for a P4 freshman in 2025. Scott was named ACC Rookie and Running Back of the Week for his efforts, and also won the Shaun Alexander National Freshman of the Week Award. He was the runner up for AP National Player of the Week. He tallied 207 total yards in the contest, posted the Pack's longest rush of the season (69 yards), and scored a touchdown on a 30-yard rush. He finished the game averaging 8.2 yards per carry.
NC State has boasted five individual 100+ yard rushing games this season: four by Hollywood Smothers and one by Duke Scott. That's the most since the 2018 campaign, and the Wolfpack still has (at least) three games left to play. Earlier this season, Smothers became the first Pack player since Nyheim Hines (2017) to rush for 100+ yards in three straight games.
Linebacker and team captain Caden Fordham currently is tied for the Power 4 lead in tackles with 10.2 per game - the top mark in the ACC. He has led or tied the team in tackles six times in nine games this season and has five double-figure tackle outputs. His 15 stops versus Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech were a career high.
Players Mentioned
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