The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1530878
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025 ■ 25 to outrun double coverage. The ball fell right into the redshirt freshman's hands even though he was blanketed by two defenders late in the fourth quarter at UNC's Kenan Stadium. That catch set up the winning touch- down three plays later, with Smothers scoring on a 2-yard plunge. Rogers' grab guided the Wolfpack to its fourth consecutive win over the Tar Heels and allowed NC State to become bowl-eligible. Top Three Defensive Plays of the Year 1. Senior safety DK Kaufman's strip-sack touchdown against NIU. With Northern Illinois backed up on its own 16-yard line, Kaufman came screaming off the left side of the of- fense's formation on a corner blitz. He had free run right at Huskies quarterback Ethan Hampton, who had no idea the Auburn transfer was coming. Kaufman jarred the ball loose and was able to scoop it up and score a touch- down. That gave NC State a 14-7 lead in a game that it went on to win by a touch- down in Raleigh. 2. Kaufman's pick six against Louisiana Tech. Vann came flying up the middle in the third quarter, apply- ing pressure on quarterback Jack Turner, who fired a pass just as his arm was hit, allowing Kaufman to catch it as if he were a center fielder in baseball. From there, Kaufman used his return skills to his advantage. He bolted 33 yards for a touchdown, helping pull NC State within one score of the Bulldogs. The Wolfpack ended up winning the game, 30-20, and the pick six swung the mo- mentum. 3. Graduate cornerback Aydan White's 87-yard pick six against Ten- nessee. It was White's only interception of the regular season, and he, too, bene- fitted from a Vann quarterback pressure. With the Volunteers looking to score, the defensive end hit quarterback Nico Iamaleava, producing an errant throw. White settled in underneath the wobbly pass and found nothing but open field in front of him. His third-quarter score was the only touchdown of the game for NC State. Offensive Breakout Player During previous coaching stints at Virginia and Syracuse, offensive coordi- nator Robert Anae had enjoyed success with tight ends in his Flex-Y position. It took slightly longer at NC State, but Anae found a perfect fit for that spot in the transfer portal. Former Connecticut tight end Justin Joly was able to slot into the Wolfpack offense seamlessly, and it paid off. Joly had at least 3 catches in each of the last five regular-season games for the Wolfpack, including a 95-yard ef- fort at Cal on Oct. 19. The 6-foot-3, 251-pound junior led NC State with 620 receiving yards on 40 catches this fall. Joly averaged 15.5 yards per catch, which also led the Wolfpack offense. Defensive Breakout Player In his first campaign as NC State's starting nose tackle, junior Brandon Cleveland more than delivered. He had a career-best 34 total tackles, including 3.5 for a loss, with 0.5 sacks and a pass defended through 12 games. Cleveland was stellar late in the regu- lar season, compiling 14 total tackles against Duke, Georgia Tech and North Carolina, the best three-game stretch of his Wolfpack career. The stout anchor of the defensive line had a career-best 6 tackles in NC State's 30-29 loss at Georgia Tech. Best Interview It came after the regular season con- cluded, but it easily shot to the top of the list of NC State's best quotes this year. Hours before Bill Belichick was named UNC's head coach, CJ Bailey was asked about the possibility of facing the eight-time Super Bowl champion. "Shoot, Bill Belichick will get it, too. We're going five [consecutive] years," Bailey said, referencing the Pack's cur- rent four-game win streak over its rival. "No matter who the coach is for UNC, we're going to kick them." ■ Against Stanford, CJ Bailey led an offensive effort that produced 59 points and 527 yards. The freshman threw for 234 yards and a career-high 3 touchdowns with no interceptions. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE FOOTBALL