NC State is already trying to move on from its Week 0 loss to Virginia, and the next test comes fast with Richmond waiting in Week 2. Dave Doeren wants a sharper response, one built on running the ball better, playing more aggressively and getting the Wolfpack back to the style he says defines them.
That matters now because the Wolfpack do not have much time to let the loss linger. Doeren said he does not like losing, but called the lesson from it potentially big if his team uses it the right way, and he said that is what he is counting on from his players. The game against Richmond gives NC State a chance to show that the opener was a setback, not a shift in direction.
The numbers from Virginia make the concern clear. NC State was held to 76 rushing yards, with Bailey leading the team at 33 yards and Duke Scott touching the ball seven times for 20 yards. That is a long way from the balance Doeren wants, especially after Scott was the second-leading rusher last season. He said Scott needs at least 20 touches a game to open up the offense and take pressure off Bailey, which shows how central the backfield remains to what NC State wants to become.
That plan fits the identity Doeren keeps returning to: controlling the line of scrimmage, stopping the run and winning the turnover margin. NC State did not do those things against Virginia, and that is the friction at the heart of the early season. The offense could not establish itself on the ground, and the team’s preferred style never really took hold, even as Doeren said he wants to get CJ in rhythm and let him make plays.
Richmond, led by Russ Huesman, gives NC State a chance to reset in a matchup where Doeren said the Wolfpack need to dominate early. The expectation is not subtle. NC State wants more aggression, a better run game and a cleaner version of itself before the schedule moves on.
What happens next is straightforward: NC State plays Richmond in Week 2, and the easiest way to judge the turnaround will be whether Scott gets the workload Doeren wants and whether the Wolfpack finally look like a team controlling the terms of the game.
