NC State Wolfpack Learning From Last Year's Mistakes

The NC State Wolfpack Football Team wants to be better than they were last season. And you can talk about all the things that went wrong last season when it came down to the X's and O's.

But one thing they will have to clean up as well is what happened on the field with the fights they had last season. That is something that did not get overlooked by this coaching staff as they are getting ready for the 2025 season.

Having brawls on the field like the Wolfpack had last season can cause a team as a whole a lot of problems. You can have a good season, and one brawl can change it all, with players being hurt as well as coaches. But players can get suspended as well. That can be a major setback for any team. That is one thing that the Wolfpack made sure they addressed early on as they got back to football

"N.C. State’s final two games of 2024 against UNC and East Carolina devolved into on-field brawls. Eight players were ejected in the final seconds of the Military Bowl game," said Jadyn Watson-Fisher of The Charlotte Observer. "The Wolfpack and Tar Heels both received a public reprimand and institutional fine from the ACC. Earlier in the game, each team received unsportsmanlike penalties, as well. No official fines or consequences were incurred by N.C. State or ECU."

“I learned that we weren’t tested a lot when it came to keeping our composure. We weren’t tested a lot, and that’s why those fights broke out,” NC State quarterback Bailey said.

“That’s something that we wanted to change this year. It was really embarrassing last year that we had those two fights at the end of the year. That’s one thing we preach in this year and in the spring and in fall camp: Every fight we have, we’re on the line. We’re running. You cannot. You’ve got to know how to control your emotions.”

“I told our team in the locker room, that’s the most embarrassed I’ve been as a coach — not because we lost but because of how we behaved at the end of it,” head coach Dave Doeren said.

“I’m not going to be part of football like that, so they can change or they can find a new coach, because I’m not going to do it anymore. To me, it’s disrespectful to the game of football. It’s disrespectful to the staff and the fans. They understand. They understand what this game is about. It’s about winning the football game. If it’s my way, it’ll be in blowout fashion.”