NC State football opened the 2025 season with a gritty 24-17 win over East Carolina on Thursday night at Carter-Finley Stadium.
Here is what those who covered the game, including TheWolfpacker.com, are saying about the Wolfpack’s first victory of the fall.
Noah Fleischman, The Wolfpacker — How Wesley Grimes’ faith helped propel a career-best effort in NC State’s win over ECU
“Wesley Grimes didn’t feel like he reached his potential last fall, his first season at NC State. He knew he was capable of impacting games as a dynamic threat on the outside, but his confidence wasn’t as high as it had been in the past during his prolific high school years at Millbrook.
But as he prepared for the 2025 campaign, Grimes turned to his faith to look deeper within himself. He wanted his final collegiate season to be a breakout year, and praying nearly every day was his way of channeling that inner promise the once four-star recruit had.
Although Grimes was limited in NC State’s fall camp with nagging injuries, he returned to full health this past week — just in time for the Thursday night season opener against East Carolina. While his minor discomforts subsided, Grimes was also able to get out of his own head.
The Raleigh native finally felt free, and that paid off. Grimes caught four passes for a career-best 121 yards and a touchdown in the Wolfpack’s 24-17 win over the Pirates on Thursday night at Carter-Finley Stadium.
“I feel like this year, I’m more confident than I’ve ever felt in college,” Grimes said with a wide smile afterwards. “It’s always been there, I’ve always been a guy that can make plays, I just had to have confidence in myself. I think when that happens, I play loose, I play free and I have fun with it.”
Jacey Zembal, The Wolfpacker — NC State’s defense comes up big when it needed to
“The reworked NC State defense played fast and aggressive, and came up big in the end.
Temple redshirt junior cornerback transfer Jamel Johnson preserved the win by making the tackle on East Carolina tight end Desirrio Riles on fourth down and one at the 10-yard line with 37 seconds remaining.
Showing resolve on the defensive side has been an offseason goal after how last year ended. The Wolfpack went through major renovations in the personnel and coaching side, and a 24-17 win over East Carolina could lay a solid foundation moving forward.
NC State coach Dave Doeren said the defense was prepared for ECU’s fourth-down play.
“I thought it would either be a repeat of their speed option, which they scored on earlier in a similar situation or what they ran,” Doeren said. “You know, the naked crack screen that they ran on us last year in the bowl game as well.
“So “I didn’t expect them to try to run the ball up the middle. I thought it’d be something off the edges. Defense did a great job. Coach [defensive coordinator D.J.] Eliot prepared them well for that play. We practiced that play throughout the week.”
Jadyn Watson-Fisher, News & Observer — What we learned from NC State football’s 24-17 win over East Carolina
“In a rivalry game that seems to always deliver, N.C. State came out on top — its 2024 bowl game loss and on-field brawl in the rearview mirror. 3
N.C. State defeated East Carolina, 24-17, in a tough, back-and-forth contest to start the 2025 season at Carter-Finley Stadium on Thursday night.
Despite the close score, the Wolfpack got out to a hot start on both sides of the football and looked like it would run away with the game after taking a 17-0 lead.
Quarterback CJ Bailey opened the game throwing 14 of 16 for 155 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed for 14 yards and a touchdown. He received plenty of assistance, with seven different players pulling in a catch and two running backs adding yardage on the ground. Between the end of the first quarter and early in the second, N.C. State scored two touchdowns in 2 ½ minutes.”
Brian Murphy, WRAL — Last-minute defensive stand gives NC State victory over East Carolina in season opener
“Last-game melee aside, NC State coach Dave Doeren was embarrassed by his team’s defensive performance and the 326 yards rushing it allowed in last year’s Military Bowl loss to East Carolina.
He feels a lot better now.
The Wolfpack defense stuffed East Carolina on fourth-and-1 at the NC State 9 to preserve a 24-17 victory in Thursday night’s season opener at Carter-Finley Stadium.
Defensive backs Jamel Johnson and Ronnie Royal III combined to stop ECU’s Desirrio Riles after a quick catch on the play with 37 seconds remaining.
“I felt like we tarnished our reputation,” Doeren said Thursday night. “It was a game that really hurt me, seeing the way our guys couldn’t stop the run. Three hundred yards rushing, I mean, is an embarrassing thing as a head coach that considers himself a guy who knows how to play defense. And then having the actions that we did afterwards, it was embarrassing.”
Rodd Baxley, The Fayetteville Observer — Why NC State football wasn’t rattled in final minute of win vs ECU
N.C. State football is comfortable in the “chaos.”
“We train in chaos. We try to put ’em in tough situations. We did it all through training camp,” head coach Dave Doeren said after the Wolfpack’s 24-17 win against in-state rival East Carolina on Aug. 28 at Carter-Finley Stadium.
Trying to fend off the Pirates (1-0) in front of a crowd of 56,919 fans in the season opener, N.C. State (1-0) turned a chaotic moment into a closing celebration with a fourth-down stop in the final minute. With 37 seconds left, ECU tight end Desirrio Riles caught a pass at the 9-yard line, needing to get one yard to extend the drive and the Pirates’ chances of tying or winning the game.
Aaron Beard, Associated Press — NC State’s late 4th-down stop seals 24-17 win against East Carolina to open season
“N.C. State stopped East Carolina on a fourth-and-1 deep in its own end with 37 seconds left to hold on for a 24-17 season-opening win Thursday night.
After trailing 17-0 before halftime, ECU pushed all the way to the Wolfpack’s 9-yard line on a drive for the tie, with Katin Houser throwing a short pass to the left to Desirrio Riles. Almost immediately, N.C. State’s Jamel Johnson closed for the initial hit that drove Riles laterally toward the sideline, with Ronnie Royal III coming in to clean it up out of bounds.
“When it came down to it, in our red zone, we bowed up, stopped them on fourth down and we won the game,” said Wolfpack defensive end Cian Slone, who had seven tackles and three hurries.
CJ Bailey threw for 318 yards and a perfect 48-yard scoring pass up the seam to Wesley Grimes for the Wolfpack (1-0). He also joined Hollywood Smothers in rushing for a touchdown, while Grimes hauled in a career-best 121 yards.”
Donnell Coley, The Daily Reflector — ECU football: N.C. State holds off Pirates
“A double-digit halftime deficit proved too much to overcome for the East Carolina football team during Thursday’s season opener in Raleigh.
N.C. State held firm on a late fourth-down play and claimed the 24-17 victory. It marked the third Wolfpack win in the last four games of the series.
ECU (0-1) drove to the NCSU (1-0) 9 yard line with under 30 seconds to go, but was stopped on a fourth-and-1 play. Pirates QB Katin Houser finished 30-of-44 for a game-high 366 yards.
His short pass to Desirrio Riles beat the blitz, but the Wolfpack quickly rallied to stop the potential game-winning drive.
“We knew they were going to play man coverage. We were going to get [Riles] in the flat … try to get him one-one-one. And they just made a good play, good tackle on the perimeter,” said Houser.
