Yes, NC State football blitzed Richmond. Here’s what the Wolfpack really learned

AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.

N.C. State and Richmond didn’t even technically break for halftime, and officials shortened the fourth quarter to 10 minutes, yet the Wolfpack still managed to set a host of offensive records Friday night at Carter-Finley Stadium.

N.C. State (1-1) rolled past Richmond (2-1) 73-0, scoring the most points by a single team in Carter-Finley Stadium history. The Pack’s eight rushing touchdowns are a single-game program record, and its 10 overall is second all-time.

The Wolfpack led 28-0 in the second quarter when the game entered a 90-minute weather delay, which did nothing to slow the N.C. State offense.

The Pack’s stellar output, one of its best in recent history, was much-needed after its own blowout loss on national television two weeks ago.

“Proud of our players, first of all, and the way that they allowed us to coach them,” N.C. State head coach Dave Doeren said. “The way that the staff took criticism, I think everybody sat in there after underachieving two weeks ago, and had a tough pill to swallow and 14 days to have to eat it, and did a great job. That’s what you want. You want a response.”

But Friday’s monstrous win wasn’t just an offensive explosion. Defense and special teams came up big, too.

In a game when the score doesn’t matter and the outcome doesn’t impact the ACC standings, what can truly be taken away?

For one, Doeren (and basically every football coach in history) was right: Establishing the run game and making the offense multidimensional wins games.

N.C. State only picked up 76 rushing yards against Virginia, with starting running back Duke Scott netting just 20 yards.

The Wolfpack more than doubled its output in 18 minutes of play, prior to the weather delay, recording 178 rushing yards with more than 11 minutes to play in the second quarter.

Scott contributed 115 yards and two touchdowns early on, including a 65-yard touchdown rush. The junior reached the century mark in the first quarter, becoming the first N.C. State player since 2015 to reach 100 rushing yards in a quarter. He ended the night with 128 yards.

Running back Davion Gause and quarterback CJ Bailey both found the end zone and added one explosive rushing play in the first 18 minutes of game time.

The Wolfpack scored on six straight drives and seven of eight in the first half. It finished with eight rushing touchdowns.

“The O-line, they blocked their behinds off,” Scott said. “Big shoutout to those guys up front, because no matter who was back there, they all went to work. I don’t think they get enough credit sometimes, but they did an uber (great) job today.”

Success on the ground opened Bailey up for a variety of passes, and he looked far more comfortable finding his receivers. He started the evening 6 of 7 for 87 yards. Bailey resumed play with a 21-yard pass to Gause and a 42-yarder to Keenan Jackson.

Bailey finished 13 of 17 for 281 yards and one passing touchdown. He contributed 25 rushing yards and one trip to the end zone.

Will Wilson reprised his role as the short-yardage quarterback, too. The sophomore ran for 62 yards and three touchdowns. He added a 5-for-7 passing performance for 25 yards and one touchdown.

N.C. State recorded 734 total yards, including 428 rushing, in the victory, both single-game program records. The defense allowed just 110 total yards.

Here’s what else happened in the Wolfpack’s lopsided home opener.

Kicker Kanoah Vinesett’s kick traveled through the uprights with ease. He ran off the field with his teammates seconds later, but they went back to the locker room — not the sideline.

Weather played a factor in N.C. State’s home opener. Lightning was detected within eight miles of Carter-Finley Stadium at approximately 7:58 p.m., forcing a delay. There was 11:33 remaining in the first half, and the Wolfpack led 28-0.

N.C. State did not resume play until 9:25 p.m. due to safety requirements, and there was no halftime. The delay, however, didn’t affect the Wolfpack’s urgency. It only widened its margin of victory, even when the starters stood on the sidelines.

“We had a lot to prove. Just because we played good for a quarter and four minutes, I didn’t care how long we sat in there, we needed to come out hungry,” Doeren said. “We had a lot of football left, and there was 10 minutes left in the second quarter when we were able to start playing again. I’m just thankful that the guys understood.”

This was the fourth ACC game of the season with some sort of delay. Clemson-LSU and Duke-Tulane were both delayed due to weather, while Florida State-SMU was delayed this week due to a power outage.

The message was clear: Losing at the line of scrimmage and the turnover margin loses games.

N.C. State took it to heart. It wasn’t the only reason the Wolfpack won, but it certainly helped.

Junior nickelback Ty White recovered a fumble on the second play of the second quarter to regain possession. The Wolfpack scored a touchdown off the turnover.

Fifth-year nickelback Jackson Vick joined the turnover party on the following drive. He intercepted Ashten Snelsire’s pass with 10:39 remaining in the second quarter. Wilson scored the 1-yard touchdown and gave N.C. State a 35-0 lead.

Cornerback Brian Nelson said the defense is built on forcing turnovers and seeing the offense succeed provides motiviation. Wide receiver Keenan Jackson said the feeling is mutual.

“When you come off the field, (after) you score on offense, and defense gets a quick stop, you know you get that same juice,” Jackson said. “You don’t have no time for the momentum to die down. They bounce off each other. It’s a ping pong.”

Once N.C. State pulled the starters, freshman linebacker Elijah Satchell sacked backup Richmond quarterback Jack Callaghan. He forced a loss of downs and the Pack scored two plays later.

“A lot of guys are hitting hard, swarming to the ball, running to the ball,” safety Ronnie Royal said during fall camp. “That’s our identity.”

That didn’t show up in Game 1, but the impact of that effort was clear in Game 2.

No, this isn’t about the actual timing or weather delays. One of the biggest issues in the first contest was the offense’s inability to find a rhythm and stay on its play schedule. That wasn’t an issue against the Spiders.

Every quarterback — yes, all three — made progress down the field and converted on third down.

N.C. State converted on 4 of 13 third-down conversions against the Cavaliers. Friday, the Pack went 8 for 10 with an average third-down distance of 6.2 yards.

The defense held Richmond to 1 for 12 and an average distance of 7.5 yards. The ability to convert and have manageable third-down distances made a key difference in the win.

It’s been a long time coming.

Junior running back Jonathan Paylor made his first appearance for the Wolfpack since Dec. 28, 2024, in the Military Bowl. The Burlington, North Carolina, native received the handoff from Bailey in the second quarter for a gain of 1 yard.

Following Satchell’s sack, Paylor ran for 51 yards to put the Pack on the 3-yard line. Wilson ended the drive with a score.

Paylor was expected to be part of the running back rotation in 2025, but he suffered a preseason injury and missed the entire season.

He was cleared for activities this preseason, but the staff did not provide details regarding Paylor’s timeline for returning. He was listed as “out” on the ACC availability report ahead of the Virginia game.

It’s unclear exactly how big of a role he will play, considering the running back room features Scott and Gause, but his appearance was a positive sign for the position group and Paylor himself.

“He’s been waiting two years to play,” Doeren said. “We got him a touch on a reverse, and then he got a really nice run on an outside play, a power read run that he got. I hate that he didn’t get in the end zone, but as you return from an injury like an ACL, getting your live work and having success and running through people — that’s a big confidence thing for him. It’s huge for the team.”

N.C. State starting center Spike Sowells left the game after the break and was spotted on the sideline in sweatpants. It’s unclear what led to his departure. He played behind Jalen Grant a year ago and stepped into the full-time starting role after Grant’s graduation.

Teague Andersen shifted to center in the sophomore’s absence, and Rico Jackson entered the lineup. Andersen has played center in practice but never in a game, but held things down with Sowells unavailable.

During fall camp, Doeren complimented Sowell’s growth. The sophomore stepped into a vocal leadership position and now has a “commanding presence” on the field.

Sowells ended the 2025 season with an injury and missed the bowl game.

This story was originally published September 11, 2026 at 11:42 PM with the headline “Yes, NC State football blitzed Richmond. Here’s what the Wolfpack really learned.”