North Carolina State @ Duke Game Overview
NCST vs DUKERecords
NCST RecordLast 10
| Date | vs | Result | ATS | O/U |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 11, '25 |
@
WAKE
|
W 34 - 24 | W -7 | o52.0 |
| Sep 06, '25 |
UVA
|
W 35 - 31 | W -3 | o54.0 |
| Aug 28, '25 |
ECU
|
W 24 - 17 | L -13.5 | u61.0 |
| Dec 28, '24 |
ECU
|
L 21 - 26 | L -7 | u61.0 |
| Nov 30, '24 |
@
UNC
|
W 35 - 30 | W 2.5 | o53.5 |
| Nov 21, '24 |
@
GT
|
L 29 - 30 | W 7.5 | o51.5 |
| Nov 09, '24 |
DUKE
|
L 19 - 29 | L -3 | u51.5 |
| Nov 02, '24 |
STAN
|
W 59 - 28 | W -9.5 | o46.5 |
| Oct 19, '24 |
@
CAL
|
W 24 - 23 | W 9 | o45.5 |
| Oct 12, '24 |
SYR
|
L 17 - 24 | L 1 | u51.5 |
NCST Next 3 Games
NCST vs DUKE Preview
Last Meeting ( Nov 9, 2024 ) Duke 29, NC State 19
When Duke coach Manny Diaz takes assessment of North Carolina State, he sees an opponent that has figured out situations every week.
So when the teams meet in Saturday's Atlantic Coast Conference game in Durham, N.C., the Blue Devils know they have to be more efficient.
"They've been challenged each week, so they've been battle-tested," Diaz said of the Wolfpack.
NC State (3-0, 1-0 ACC) looks for its second ACC road victory after winning an in-state encounter with Wake Forest last week.
This is yet another challenge for the Wolfpack.
"We haven't played well against Duke on the road," NC State coach Dave Doeren said. "Our guys know that. It's an opportunity to go play against a good football team in their stadium and play our best. We just have to keep focusing on getting better."
Duke (1-2, 0-0) will try to snap a two-game skid after losses to Illinois and at Tulane.
"We have a chance to learn from it," Diaz said. "There are players who actually played well Saturday night and are improving. ... I like the older guys setting the tone, stepping up. I think everybody has a different sense of urgency."
Duke relied heavily on defense in Diaz's first season a year ago. And combined with a 2023 victory against NC State, the Blue Devils have let defense set the tone in recent matchups with the Wolfpack.
But that's among the reasons there are concerns for Duke, with lapses in the defensive backfield cropping up in 2025. NC State is bound to test the Blue Devils with some downfield throws.
"The biggest thing for us right now is where we are defensively," Diaz said. "The trend is the run defense has been pretty good. The pass defense is far from where it was. We're going to have to grow up in a hurry in the secondary."
Duke's defense hasn't collected an interception.
NC State quarterback CJ Bailey has thrown for five touchdowns with one interception, and he has been sacked just twice. Running back Hollywood Smothers is averaging 126.7 rushing yards per game.
Duke has thrown for eight touchdowns (all by quarterback Darian Mensah), but the Blue Devils have rushed for only two TDs.
"We want to run the ball better in the red zone," Diaz said.
A targeting call on NC State defensive end Sabastian Harsh last week means he'll miss the first half vs. Duke.
"We're not going to talk about who we're playing (in Harsh's place), but there will definitely be opportunities for guys to get more reps in that first half with him out," Doeren said.
The home stadiums for these teams are 22 miles apart. It's the first time in 26 years that NC State's first two ACC games have come away from home.
Diaz was a former NC State assistant coach under Chuck Amato.
--Field Level Media
NCST vs DUKEInjury report
North Carolina State's Injuries
| Player | POS | Status | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R. Jackson | OG | Out - Undisclosed( Nov 14, '25) | Nov 14, '25 | |
| Jackson is dealing with an undisclosed injury and will not take the field for the Wolfpack. | ||||
| T. Thomas | LB | Probable - Suspension( Nov 13, '25) | Nov 13, '25 | |
| Thomas has been suspended for the first half of the next game for the Wolfpack but should be available thereafter. | ||||
| A. Farrow | DL | Questionable - Undisclosed( Nov 13, '25) | Nov 13, '25 | |
| Mitchell is dealing with an undisclosed injury and is uncertain to take the field for the Wolfpack. | ||||
| T. Mitchell | OG | Out - Undisclosed( Nov 13, '25) | Nov 13, '25 | |
| Mitchell is dealing with an undisclosed injury and will not take the field for the Wolfpack. | ||||
| T. West | OT | Out - Undisclosed( Nov 13, '25) | Nov 13, '25 | |
| West is dealing with an undisclosed injury and will not take the field for the Wolfpack. | ||||
| I. Jones | RB | Out - Undisclosed( Nov 13, '25) | Nov 13, '25 | |
| Jones is dealing with an undisclosed injury and will not take the field for the Wolfpack. | ||||
| B. Barnhardt | S | Out - Undisclosed( Nov 13, '25) | Nov 13, '25 | |
| Barnhardt is dealing with an undisclosed injury and will not take the field for the Wolfpack. | ||||
| S. Dixon | LB | Out - Undisclosed( Nov 13, '25) | Nov 13, '25 | |
| Dixon is dealing with an undisclosed injury and will not take the field for the Wolfpack. | ||||
| D. Fagan | S | Out - Undisclosed( Nov 13, '25) | Nov 13, '25 | |
| Fagan is dealing with an undisclosed injury and will not take the field for the Wolfpack. | ||||
| A. Richardson | LB | Out - Undisclosed( Nov 13, '25) | Nov 13, '25 | |
| Richardson is dealing with an undisclosed injury and will not take the field for the Wolfpack. | ||||
| J. Paylor | WR | Out - Undisclosed( Nov 13, '25) | Nov 13, '25 | |
| Paylor is dealing with an undisclosed injury and will not take the field for the Wolfpack. | ||||
| I. Crowell | CB | Out - Undisclosed( Nov 13, '25) | Nov 13, '25 | |
| Crowell is dealing with an undisclosed injury and will not take the field for the Wolfpack. | ||||
| S. Brown | LB | Out - Undisclosed( Nov 13, '25) | Nov 13, '25 | |
| Brown is dealing with an undisclosed injury and will not take the field for the Wolfpack. | ||||
| H. Smothers | RB | Questionable - Undisclosed( Nov 01, '25) | Nov 01, '25 | |
| Smothers is dealing with an undisclosed injury and is uncertain to take the field for the Wolfpack. | ||||
| J. Joly | TE | Questionable - Undisclosed( Nov 01, '25) | Nov 01, '25 | |
| Joly is dealing with an undisclosed injury and is uncertain to take the field for the Wolfpack. | ||||
| J. Sensabaugh | CB | Out - Undisclosed( Oct 11, '25) | Oct 11, '25 | |
| Sensabaugh is dealing with an undisclosed injury and will not take the field for the Wolfpack. He will miss the remainder of the 2025 season. | ||||
| T. Hinton | S | Out - Undisclosed( Oct 11, '25) | Oct 11, '25 | |
| Hinton is dealing with an undisclosed injury and will not take the field for the Wolfpack. He will miss the remainder of the 2025 season. | ||||
Duke's Injuries
| Player | POS | Status | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| K. Johnson | LB | Out - Undisclosed( Nov 13, '25) | Nov 13, '25 | |
| Johnson is dealing with an undisclosed injury and will not take the field for the Blue Devils. | ||||
| M. Kane | CB | Out - Undisclosed( Nov 13, '25) | Nov 13, '25 | |
| Kane is dealing with an undisclosed injury and will not take the field for the Blue Devils. | ||||
| V. Floyd | CB | Out - Undisclosed( Nov 13, '25) | Nov 13, '25 | |
| Floyd is dealing with an undisclosed injury and will not take the field for the Blue Devils. | ||||
| N. Kutufaris | OG | Out - Undisclosed( Nov 13, '25) | Nov 13, '25 | |
| Kutufaris is dealing with an undisclosed injury and will not take the field for the Blue Devils. | ||||
| E. Scott | OG | Out - Undisclosed( Nov 13, '25) | Nov 13, '25 | |
| Scott is dealing with an undisclosed injury and will not take the field for the Blue Devils. | ||||
| J. Brown | OG | Out - Undisclosed( Nov 13, '25) | Nov 13, '25 | |
| Brown is dealing with an undisclosed injury and will not take the field for the Blue Devils. | ||||
| M. Sahakian | OG | Out - Undisclosed( Nov 13, '25) | Nov 13, '25 | |
| Sahakian is dealing with an undisclosed injury and will not take the field for the Blue Devils. | ||||
| M. Factor | LB | Out - Undisclosed( Nov 13, '25) | Nov 13, '25 | |
| Factor is dealing with an undisclosed injury and will not take the field for the Blue Devils. | ||||
| N. Morris Jr. | LB | Out - Undisclosed( Nov 13, '25) | Nov 13, '25 | |
| Morris Jr. is dealing with an undisclosed injury and will not take the field for the Blue Devils. | ||||
| T. Moore | S | Out - Knee( Nov 13, '25) | Nov 13, '25 | |
| Moore is recovering from a torn ACL and will not take the field for the Blue Devils. | ||||
| E. Schaper | LB | Out - Undisclosed( Nov 03, '25) | Nov 03, '25 | |
| Schaper is dealing with an undisclosed injury and will not take the field for the Blue Devils. He is expected to miss the remainder of the 2025 season. | ||||
QB Passing StatsRecent Games
| Date | Score | YDS | Att | Comp | Comp % | Y/A | TD/Int | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C.Bailey | Sep 11, 2025 | WAKE 24 - NCST 34 | 201 | 32 | 23 | 71.9 | 6.3 | 3/0 | 155.6 |
| C.Bailey | Sep 6, 2025 | NCST 35 - UVA 31 | 200 | 23 | 16 | 69.6 | 8.7 | 1/0 | 157.0 |
| C.Bailey | Aug 28, 2025 | NCST 24 - ECU 17 | 318 | 34 | 24 | 70.6 | 9.4 | 1/1 | 153.0 |
| C.Bailey | Dec 28, 2024 | NCST 21 - ECU 26 | 230 | 26 | 19 | 73.1 | 8.8 | 3/1 | 177.8 |
| C.Bailey | Nov 30, 2024 | UNC 30 - NCST 35 | 242 | 20 | 14 | 70.0 | 12.1 | 2/1 | 194.6 |
| Date | Score | YDS | Att | Comp | Comp % | Y/A | TD/Int | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D.Mensah | Sep 13, 2025 | TULN 34 - DUKE 27 | 313 | 51 | 30 | 58.8 | 6.1 | 3/1 | 125.9 |
| D.Mensah | Sep 6, 2025 | DUKE 19 - ILL 45 | 334 | 34 | 23 | 67.6 | 9.8 | 2/1 | 163.7 |
| H.Belin IV | Sep 6, 2025 | DUKE 19 - ILL 45 | 22 | 5 | 2 | 40.0 | 4.4 | 0/0 | 77.0 |
| D.Mensah | Aug 28, 2025 | DUKE 45 - ELON 17 | 389 | 34 | 27 | 79.4 | 11.4 | 3/0 | 204.6 |
| H.Belin IV | Jan 2, 2025 | MISS 52 - DUKE 20 | 236 | 44 | 25 | 56.8 | 5.4 | 2/1 | 112.3 |
| M.Murphy | Nov 30, 2024 | WAKE 17 - DUKE 23 | 235 | 34 | 26 | 76.5 | 6.9 | 1/1 | 138.4 |
NCST vs DUKE Offense vs Defense
Key Stats League ranks in parenthesis
| OFFENSE |
Off. Rank | Stat | Def. Rank | DEFENSE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 415.0 | (57) | Yards | (98) | 373.3 |
| 6.1 | (58) | Yards/Play | (101) | 5.7 |
| 175.3 | (80) | Rush Yds | (65) | 147.3 |
| 38.3 | (64) | Rush Att | (93) | 41.3 |
| 4.6 | (88) | Yards/Rush | (54) | 3.6 |
| 239.7 | (39) | Pass Yds | (108) | 226.0 |
| 29.7 | (49) | Pass Att | (63) | 24.7 |
| 21.0 | (25) | Comp | (97) | 16.7 |
| 70.8 | (7) | Comp% | (126) | 67.6 |
| 11.4 | (89) | Yards/Comp | (106) | 13.6 |
| 8.1 | (46) | Yards/Att | (120) | 9.2 |
| 154.9 | (37) | QB rating | (107) | 157.9 |
| League Avg. |
|---|
| 369.0 |
| 5.6 |
| 153.3 |
| 35.6 |
| 4.3 |
| 216.3 |
| 30.1 |
| 18.8 |
| 62.5 |
| 11.5 |
| 7.2 |
| - |
More Stats
| OFFENSE |
Off. Rank | Stat | Def. Rank | DEFENSE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.7 | (76) | Sacks | (61) | 2.7 |
| 3.7 | (59) | Sack Yds | (--) | 14.7 |
| 0.3 | (95) | Intercepts | (--) | 0.0 |
| 0.0 | (--) | Fumbles | (4) | 0.3 |
| 6.0 | (43) | Penalties | (79) | 7.3 |
| 57.3 | (40) | Penalty Yds | (100) | 66.0 |
| League Avg. |
|---|
| 1.9 |
| 12.8 |
| 0.7 |
| 0.5 |
| 6.0 |
| 52.3 |
Points
| OFFENSE |
Off. Rank | Stat | Def. Rank | DEFENSE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31.0 | (71) | Score | (87) | 32.0 |
| 8.0 | (49) | 1st Q | (98) | 7.0 |
| 8.0 | (91) | 2nd Q | (93) | 9.0 |
| 11.7 | (17) | 3rd Q | (76) | 7.0 |
| 3.3 | (103) | 4th Q | (79) | 9.0 |
| League Avg. |
|---|
| 26.8 |
| 6.0 |
| 8.2 |
| 5.8 |
| 6.6 |
Special Teams
| OFFENSE |
Off. Rank | Stat | Def. Rank | DEFENSE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.0 | (124) | Yards/Punt Ret | (--) | 0.0 |
| 19.0 | (98) | Yards/KO Ret | (4) | 27.7 |
| 5.0 | (79) | FG Att | (43) | 4.0 |
| 3.0 | (116) | FG Made | (54) | 4.0 |
| 60.0 | (123) | FG% | (81) | 100.0 |
| League Avg. |
|---|
| 10.6 |
| 21.1 |
| 25.6 |
| 19.6 |
| 76.6 |