Nov 11, 2023; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; The North Carolina State Wolfpack helmet rests on the bench during the second half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images William Howard-Imagn Images

Will NC State Snap Bowl Losing Streak?

Originally posted on NC State Wolfpack on SI
By Tucker Sennett | Last updated Aug 5, 2025 2:00 PM ET

North Carolina State fell to a new low last season, losing its fifth straight bowl game after a difficult loss to East Carolina in the 2024 Military Bowl.

Entering the 2025 season, the expectations around the program are that head coach Dave Doeren will turn things around in his 13th year in charge of the Wolfpack.

"I felt like our accountability wasn't where it needed to be as a program last year and that's on me," Doeren said on ACC Network. "We set out January on to push this program back to where we were, knocking on the door and being in the top 25."

The Streak

The losing streak has been all-around ugly for NC State. The last bowl victory for the Wolfpack came in 2017, when Doeren led the team to a 52-31 victory over Todd Graham's Arizona State in the Sun Bowl.

The following season marked the beginning of the streak. The Wolfpack entered the 2018 Gator Bowl with nine wins, but were thoroughly dominated by Jimbo Fisher and Texas A&M in a 52-13 loss.

Doeren and the Wolfpack returned to the Gator Bowl in 2021, when the team lost to Kentucky 23-21.

Technically, NC State claims a forfeit win in the Holiday Bowl the following December over UCLA, as the Bruins did not participate in the game due to the pandemic affecting too many players.

The team then lost the Duke's Mayo Bowl to Maryland in 2022 in an ugly 16-12 game. The final two bowl losses came in 2023 to Kansas State in the Pop Tarts Bowl and, of course, last year's loss to ECU.

Snapping the Streak

With numerous projections predicting NC State to finish with around six wins in the 2025 season, the Wolfpack should have a chance to exorcise some of its bowl demons this winter.

According to College Football News, NC State projects to make a return to the Sun Bowl in El Paso this winter against the University of Arizona.

If that prediction were to hold true, it would be a full circle moment for Doeren and the Wolfpack, considering the last bowl victory came against an Arizona school in the Sun Bowl.

NC State's schedule is no cakewalk, meaning the path to a bowl game isn't automatic. The team will still need to grind its way to the six-win mark to have a chance to redeem its reputation in the postseason.

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This article first appeared on NC State Wolfpack on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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