NC State true freshman quarterback CJ Bailey will start the team's ACC opener at Clemson while Grayson McCall is day-to-day with an injury, coach Dave Doeren said Monday. Bailey earned his first meaningful playing time late in the second quarter of NC State's Week 3 game against Louisiana Tech, leading the Wolfpack to a come-from-behind 30-20 victory.
"CJ is going to run the show until Grayson is healthy," Doeren said. "I'm excited to see what CJ can do. And whoever that quarterback is wearing the red and white, the fans need to have his back. They need to be supportive. They need to pray for those kind of things when they happen, and that's what family does."
Bailey was inserted into a pressure situation against the Bulldogs with NC State trailing 7-6 at the time of McCall's injury -- this, despite being 20-plus point favorites at home. And then Bailey dug the Wolfpack into a deeper hole even early.
NC State went three-and-out on his first drive, which was followed by a 71-yard score from Louisiana Tech. Two snaps later, Bailey tried to fit the ball to wide receiver Kevin Concepcion over the middle, but a linebacker jumped the pass and pick it off. Louisiana Tech turned that interception into a field goal to open a two-possession advantage.
Bailey looked much better in the second half, however, showing tremendous poise by completing 12 of his 18 attempts for 144 yards. He also had a 1-yard rushing touchdown that gave NC State its decisive 10-point advantage midway through the fourth quarter.
NC State scored on all of its offensive drives in the second half except for the one that ended the game. The Wolfpack put 24 points on the board with Bailey leading the way, compared to just six through almost two full quarters with McCall.
Bailey provided a spark that NC State has been missing on offense all season. Though McCall came in as a highly touted quarterback transfer from Coastal Carolina, his performance with NC State has been decidedly lackluster thus far. NC State's passing attack currently ranks 13th in the ACC with an average of 210 yards through the air per game. That's largely bolstered by a 318-yard performance in the season opener against Western Carolina, in which McCall averaged fewer than 8.0 yards per attempt. The Wolfpack still haven't thrown a touchdown pass since that win against the Catamounts.
Bailey does at least add an extra dimension to NC State's offense with his athleticism. He was timed running a 4.8 40-yard dash in high school, and he has good leaping ability packed inside his 6-foot-6 frame.
While he looked good once he found a rhythm against Louisiana Tech, Clemson is obviously a different animal. The Tigers have had a top-five pass defense in the ACC in all but one season since at least 2016. In Week 2 against Appalachian State, Clemson held Preseason Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year Joey Aguilar to a 43.9% completion percentage and 5.2 yards per attempt.
That's without stating the obvious fact that it's hard to ask a true freshman like Bailey to make his first career start in a place like Clemson's Memorial Stadium, especially since the Tigers will be hungry for a big win after how their own season opener against Georgia went.
Bailey's going to need some help if NC State truly wants its offense to take a step. The Wolfpack's offensive line, which boasts four players with at least 20 career starts, got mauled in a Week 2 loss to Tennessee. Clemson's defensive front is every bit as good.
NC State's leading rusher, Jordan Waters, is averaging just 52 yards per game and four yards per carry. The Wolfpack have just one wide receiver (Concepcion) over 100 yards on the year. Tight end Justin Joly is another great safety valve, but it can't be a two-man show against the Tigers.
Bailey may be a flashy new option, especially for an NC State offense desperately searching for a spark amid a dreary start, but it might be best to temper expectations in his first career start.