It's now been four days since NC State's 34-8 loss to Virginia to open the 2026 season, so we're putting a bow on it with our final thoughts. The Wolfpack stumbled out of the gate to open a critical season for Dave Doeren, but what went wrong and what went a little right in the loss?

On this episode of Coffee With Cory, Michael Clark joins the show to break down some film of NC State's loss, discuss what went wrong on both sides of the ball and a few players who showed promise despite the Wolfpack's loss. Get all of that and more on the latest Coffee With Cory!

***We highly suggest watching this video on YouTube***

[00:00] Intro & Game Overview

[02:20] Michael Clark discusses final thoughts

[7:00] Offensive film breakdown

[22:45] Defensive film breakdown

[33:00] What went right, what went wrong?

As we've discussed ad nauseam, NC State football did not start the season on the right foot -- to say the very least. The Wolfpack scored just one touchdown while gaining 168 total yards on offense. The defense allowed an atrocious 258 rushing yards and two passing touchdowns on 45-plus-yard plays.

So yeah, there aren't many positives to pull from Week 0. But on this Coffee With Cory, we'll point out five players who stood out and deserved their flowers for their efforts despite the outcome. We'll discuss all of that and more on the latest Coffee With Cory!

0:00 Introduction

1:50 Jackson Waller (Honorable Mention)

3:57 Popo Aguirre

6:29 Ronnie Royal III

9:01 Ke'von Carter

10:46 Spike Sowells

13:26 Vander Ploog

After an offseason of hope and optimism that this time might be different for NC State football, it all came crashing down in Week 0. Sure, there are still 11 games left on the season, but Saturday was a humbling reminder of the Wolfpack's struggles under Dave Doeren in big-game situations and CJ Bailey's struggles on the road.

On this episode of the Pack Power Weekly Podcast, we'll discuss NC State's lopsided loss to Virginia, CJ Bailey's woefully bad performance, how the offense can improve, how the defense missed the mark against Beau Pribula and other sports outside of football, too. Get all of that and more on this edition of the Pack Power Podcast!

0:00 – Intro & Postgame Breakdown: NC State’s 34–8 Loss to Virginia

3:45 – Offense Struggles: CJ Bailey, Rushing Game, & Lack of Big Plays

12:10 – Defensive Breakdown: UVA’s Ground Attack & Third-Down Failures

22:30 – Record-Breaking Drive: Analyzing UVA’s Massive 23-Play Drive

31:15 – Coaching & Execution: Dave Doeren’s Postgame Remarks

43:00 – Positives & Individual Performances (Special Teams, Roster Flashpoints) 52:40 – Looking Ahead: Fixing Mistakes Before Week 1 & Audience Q&A

NC State football didn't just lose in Week 0, it was trounced by a Virginia team that looked like the more physical and prepared team on Saturday. The Wolfpack defense wasn't much to write home about, but the offense was the most glaring issue after gaining just 168 TOTAL yards against a Virginia team missing its best defensive player.

On this episode of Coffee With Cory, we take a look back at the offensive struggles, CJ Bailey's lackluster outing, the inability to get separation by the receivers and Duke Scott getting grounded with limited run blocking ahead of him. We'll touch on all of that and more on the latest Coffee With Cory!

On a national stage, NC State came out flat to start Week 0 against Virginia and was flat-out embarrassed in a 34-8 road loss to open the 2026 season. CJ Bailey played one of the worst games of his career while the defense was gashed by Beau Pribula and the UVA rushing attack all afternoon.

On this episode of the Postgame Podcast, Cory Smith and Michael Clark take a look back at what went so disastrously wrong for NC State against Virginia, dissect CJ Bailey's performance, discuss the struggles on offense as a whole and the defense's inability to stop the run. Get all of that and more on the postgame podcast!

We're just over 24 hours away from NC State football FINALLY kicking off the 2026 season against Virginia in Charlottesville. The Wolfpack holds a four-game winning streak and is 4-0 against the Hoos in the Dave Doeren era, but will head into a hostile environment with Virginia selling out its stadium for the first time in 18 years.

On this episode of Coffee With Cory, we'll take a look at three priorities for NC State against Virginia, including CJ Bailey utilizing his dual-threat ability -- again -- getting Duke Scott and the ground game going, and being disciplined on defense on the road. Get all of that and a prediction for Week 0 on the latest Coffee With Cory!

When NC State football kicks off the 2026 season, there will be a new voice on the sidelines for the first time in nearly three decades. Wolfpack alum and long-time media personality Jeff Gravley will be taking over the role from Tony Haynes as the sideline reporter, taking on a new challenge for NC State this fall.

On this episode of Coffee With Cory, Jeff Gravley joins us to discuss taking over as the NC State football sideline reporter, what he learned from Tony Haynes, the growing confidence from Dave Doeren about this year's team and his fondest memories of covering the Wolfpack and the Triangle. Get all of that and more on the latest Coffee With Cory!

• [00:00] - Introduction & Welcome Jeff Gravley
• [00:33] - Jeff's New Role: Transitioning to NC State Football Sidelines
• [02:34] - Preparing for the Sidelines & Learning from Tony Haynes
• [05:22] - QB Room Progress & Will Wilson’s Passing Development
• [05:57] - Dave Doeren’s Outward Confidence in the 2026 Roster
• [06:54] - Player-Led Leadership & Collective Responsibility
• [09:48] - New Leadership Structure: Captains & Assistant Captains
• [12:16] - Broadcasting Background & Storytelling at NC State
• [16:00] - Experiencing NC State’s 1983 National Title Run as a Student
• [18:45] - Career Highlights: 2016 Rio Olympics, Final Fours & Young LeBron James
• [21:52] - Memorable Carter-Finley Moments: 1986 Hail Mary Catch
• [22:48] - Goals & Final Thoughts Heading into Game Week

Last season, Spike Sowells Jr. emerged as a starter as a true freshman, battled through injuries to remain on the field and was named a Freshman All-American with NC State. Now, he returns to a team with a retooled offensive line, moved back to his true position at center and is ready to take the next step in his development in the trenches.

On this episode of Coffee With Cory, Spike Sowells Jr. joins us to discuss his breakout freshman campaign with NC State, how he's improved this offseason, his many talents off the field, being baptized before spring camp and the importance of Week 0 against Virginia. Get all of that and more on the latest Coffee With Cory!

• [00:00] Intro & Season Opener Excitement vs. Virginia
• [00:50] Reflecting on Freshman Season & Speed of the College Game
• [03:52] Portal Decision & Committing to NC State
• [05:00] Offensive Line Growth & Transfer Additions
• [06:50] Moving to Center & Building Chemistry with CJ Bailey & Will Wilson
• [08:10] Blocking Dynamics with Mobile Quarterbacks
• [09:31] Off-the-Field Passions: Photography, Clarinet, Golf & DIY Mechanic Projects
• [11:20] Personal Faith, Getting Baptized & Family Support
• [12:55] NFL Pedigree: Growing Up Guided by Father Spike Sowells Sr.
• [16:29] Addressing the Matchup with Virginia’s Experienced O-Line
• [17:48] Team Expectations & Goal of Winning the Joe Moore Award

NC State football will play its first Week 0 game against an ACC opponent on Saturday afternoon, with a trip to Charlottesville to face a Virginia team looking to build off a double-digit win season last fall. But it's not just about Week 0 for the Wolfpack, the end goal is trying to reach double-digit wins themselves and book a trip to Charlotte in December.

Before the 2026 season officially kicks off in Charlottesville on Saturday, Pack Power Editor Cory Smith is joined by Michael Clark and Charlie Gribble to give game-by-game predictions for the entire fall. The guys will do a deep dive into each game, give their thoughts on the outcome and what it could mean for the Wolfpack.

• [00:00] - Introduction & Show Overview
• [01:04] - Week 0: at Virginia (UVA)
• [04:43] - Week 1: vs. Richmond
• [05:18] - Week 2: at Vanderbilt
• [11:06] - Week 3: vs. App State
• [14:00] - Week 4: vs. Louisville
• [20:20] - Week 5: vs. Wake Forest
• [25:16] - Week 7: at Stanford
• [28:18] - Week 8: vs. California (Cal)
• [32:22] - Week 9: vs. Duke
• [36:12] - Week 10: vs. Syracuse (Senior Day)
• [39:30] - Week 11: at Florida State (FSU)
• [44:30] - Week 12: at North Carolina (UNC)
• [48:30] - Season Success Barometer & Win-Total Predictions
• [56:08] - Key Roster & Defense Questions for 2026
• [01:03:29] - Final Thoughts & PackPower247 Wrap-Up

Get all of that and more on the latest Pack Power Podcast!

NC State football will play its first Week 0 game against an ACC opponent on Saturday afternoon, with a trip to Charlottesville to face a Virginia team looking to build off a double-digit win season last fall. The Wolfpack and Cavaliers are both looking to solidify themselves as ACC contenders, but only team will come away 1-0 in conference play before Week 1 even arrives.

To preview the Pack's matchup against the Hoos, Jacquie Franciulli of Wahoos247 joins us to break down what to expect on Saturday. We look at Beau Pribula taking over at quarterback, the weapons around him, names to know on defense, and Jacquie's prediction for Saturday.

Get all of that and more on the latest Postgame Podcast!