The Wolfpack of NC State’s 2025 season kicks off from Carter-Finley Stadium, Thursday, August 28th at 7 p.m., when the Wolfpack take on East Carolina.
This will be the 12th time that NC State has opened the season vs. East Carolina. Nine of those previous openers vs. the Pirates have been at Carter-Finley Stadium. For the first time, the Wolfpack will open the season with the team it last played. NC State and ECU met in the GoBowling Military Bowl on Dec. 28, 2024.
NC State holds a 19-14 overall record against the Pirates and 17-8 in Raleigh.
The Wolfpack will wear uniforms paying homage to its hometown with its Adidas “City of Oaks” in the opener. The uniform honors Raleigh with the city’s unofficial logo – an acorn – featured next to “NC State” on the front of the jersey.
The Wolfpack’s season opener vs. ECU will mark the 21st consecutive sellout for NC State.
Notes:
Head Coach
Blake Harrell (Western Carolina ’02)
5-1, first full season
East Carolina’s 26-21 win against NC State in the Military Bowl gave the Pirates an 8-5 record last year, a six-win improvement from 2023. The top returner on offense is QB Katin Houser, a transfer from Michigan State who threw for 2,006 yards and 18 touchdowns with ECU last year … WR Anthony Smith, a transfer from NC State, had 41 receptions for 799 yards and six touchdowns … The defense returns only one starter from 2024 — DE Ryheem Craig, a transfer from Louisville who had 53 tackles and 4.0 tackles for loss.
Head Coach
Dave Doeren (Drake ’93)
87-65, 13th season at NC State
110-69, 14th season as collegiate head coach
NC State finished last season at 6-7, snapping a streak of four consecutive winning seasons. NC State has gone 27-7 at home in the last five years. The Wolfpack returns 13 starters and one of them is QB C.J. Bailey who passed for 2,413 yards and 17 touchdowns against 10 interceptions last year. NC State also returns its leading rusher (RB Hollywood Smothers) and receiver (TE Justin Joly) from last season On defense, LB Sean Brown started all 13 games and had a team-high 96 tackles … Former East Carolina head coach Ruffin McNeill is in his sixth season on Dave Doeren’s staff, serving as special assistant to the head coach.
Why NC State has an advantage: The Wolfpack hasn’t lost to the Pirates in Raleigh since 2013. N.C. State has won the last two games against the Pirates at Carter-Finley Stadium by an average margin of nearly 42 points.
Why ECU has an advantage: Blake Harrell’s team believes it can go into Carter-Finley Stadium and leave with a victory. Quarterback Katin Houser had two interceptions against N.C. State in the postseason matchup, but rushed for 84 yards and two touchdowns.
Prediction:: NC State 31- ECU 17
NC State has too much firepower and rolls to a 1-0 start to open the 2025 campaign.
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