The Aporia · NC State enters Year 14 under Dave Doeren knowing it has a strength in returning QB CJ Bailey

NC State enters Year 14 under Dave Doeren knowing it has a strength in returning QB CJ Bailey

Read the original at Toronto Star ↗

Cite

APA MLA Chicago

Beard, A. (2026, August 19). NC State enters Year 14 under Dave Doeren knowing it has a strength in returning QB CJ Bailey. Toronto Star. https://www.thestar.com/sports/football/nc-state-enters-year-14-under-dave-doeren-knowing-it-has-a-strength-in-returning-qb-cj-bailey/article_6331d00b-5643-5392-be7c-f576ebaa3802.html

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

Quick Summary

NC State is entering its 14th season under head coach Dave Doeren, aiming to build on a bowl win streak that began in 2018. Quarterback CJ Bailey returns after throwing for 3,105 yards and 25 touchdowns last year, improving his accuracy to 68.8%. Bailey's return is seen as crucial to the team's success. N.C. State is picked to finish seventh in the ACC, but has a relatively favorable schedule with only two opponents predicted to finish ahead of them.

Written by AI on 2026-08-19, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

N.C. State is entering its 14th season under coach Dave Doeren, who has become the program's all-time leader in career wins. The team is looking to build on recent success, including a bowl win for the first time since 2017. With a new season comes changes to the lineup, as four offensive starters and three defensive starters are back from last year. However, quarterback CJ Bailey returns after throwing for 3,105 yards and 25 touchdowns in 2024, a significant improvement from his previous season's performance of 2,413 yards and 17 touchdowns. Running back Duke Scott, who had 595 yards last year, is expected to take on a leading role this season. Despite being picked to finish seventh in the ACC, N.C. State has reason to be optimistic with its veteran quarterback and experienced players returning to the field.

Written for “NC State Football Preview” on 2026-11-01, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 4% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.

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Toronto Star

⚖️ Leans right Hedges 1 of 28 claims Outlet record 64/100

“Article A discusses NC State's upcoming season with a returning QB, while Article B discusses Iowa State's new coach and revamped roster”

How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted

sentences that state something as happening or true

Uncertain

1 of 23 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

Leaning

not political

takes no side on a contested political question

Publisher signals

64/100

Toronto Star's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.

Outlets on this story

Sports

Same framing elsewhere

articles that frame the event the way this one does

Analyzed 2026-08-19 · how these are computed

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Publisher

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Who wrote this

Aaron Beard

23 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

🔮 Their high-powered offense followed by stretching the lead, getting a terrific individual effort on Elija Lofton’s leap over a would-be tackler on a catch to move the chains and ultimately set up Darian Mensah’s 9-yard scoring strike to star receiver Malachi Toney to make it 38-28 with 2:33 left.

2026-11-01 · assertive framing · Fletcher's go-ahead score, Lightfoot's defensive play help No. 1 Miami rally past UNC 38-35

🔮 “Sara and I will be cheering for N.C. State forever,” Doeren said of his wife.

2026-10-28 · assertive framing · Fired NC State football coach Dave Doeren says he'll 'always be cheering for the Wolfpack'

🔮 N.C. State fired coach Dave Doeren on Saturday, ending a 14-season tenure in which he set the program’s all-time wins mark but could not make a breakthrough leap to higher success.

2026-10-24 · assertive framing · N.C. State fires football coach Dave Doeren midway through his 14th season

🔮 The ACC’s exit fee will decline each year before leveling off around $75 million per school that season, while media deals for other leagues are expiring around that time to create at least the potential for another wave of broad realignment.

2026-10-06 · assertive framing · ACC's Phillips touts league's health amid questions of possible departures, realignment in future

🔮 And the top WNBA prospect could end up as Division I’s career steals leader along with ranking among its top 10 all-time scorers.

2026-10-05 · assertive framing · Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo has grown from freshman star to a heralded face of the sport as a senior

🔮 Nolan James Jr. did most of the work on the ground, then caught Carr’s short pass in the left flat and juked a would-be tackler off his feet to go in for a 6-yard TD and a 34-20 lead to open the fourth quarter.

2026-10-03 · assertive framing · Carr, ground game help No. 3 Notre Dame push past North Carolina 37-26 for 15th straight win

🔮 Notre Dame (4-0) ranks 98th in the Bowl Subdivision in rushing offense at 141.8 yards entering the matchup with the Tar Heels (2-1), with junior Aneyas Williams and sophomore Nolan James Jr. each starting in the backfield so far this year.

2026-10-01 · assertive framing · No. 3 Notre Dame visits North Carolina with a revamped rushing game after NFL departures

🔮 But having that cohesion back didn’t eliminate rust, nor the ability to push past a tested Florida team in what could be a preview of yet another postseason reunion.

2026-09-30 · assertive framing · In battle of Stanley Cup winners, Panthers announce return in OT win against Hurricanes

🔮 He had put it off to avoid a lengthy layoff that might interfere with the Hurricanes’ hopes as a perennial contender or the chance to represent his native Canada in the Olympics.

2026-09-28 · assertive framing · Hurricanes' Jarvis still grinding back from shoulder surgery as Stanley Cup champions open season

🔮 Still, Doeren’s squad couldn’t feel relaxed until James London’s 42-yard field goal went wide left with 45 seconds left.

2026-09-27 · assertive framing · Scott's TD run helps NC State shake off blown lead, Vanderbilt loss by beating Appalachian State

Also by Aaron Beard

Fletcher's go-ahead score, Lightfoot's defensive play help No. 1 Miami rally past UNC 38-35

2026-11-01 · Toronto Star

Fired NC State football coach Dave Doeren says he'll 'always be cheering for the Wolfpack'

2026-10-27 · Toronto Star

N.C. State fires football coach Dave Doeren midway through his 14th season

2026-10-24 · Toronto Star

ACC's Phillips touts league's health amid questions of possible departures, realignment in future

2026-10-06 · Toronto Star

Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 23 articles by Aaron Beard →

Topics

N.C. N.C. State NFL RALEIGH Wolfpack

Subjects

N.C. State ORG · 5× NFL ORG · 4× Wolfpack ORG · 4× Bailey PERSON · 3× Louisville GPE · 2× Miami GPE · 2× Virginia GPE · 2× Dave Doeren PERSON · 1× N.C. GPE · 1× RALEIGH GPE · 1×

Narrative

“This year will be way different because we took a lot of time this offseason to work on the details, do the little things, just making sure we make our layup plays,” said cornerback Brian Nelson II, who started three games last year.

framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-08-19

🔮 The lineup will look different with four offensive starters and three defensive starters back, while quarterback CJ Bailey returns and running back Duke Scott (595 yards) thrived in spot work last year as he inherits a leading role.

2026-08-19 · Toronto Star

NC State enters Year 14 under Dave Doeren knowing it has a strength in returning QB CJ Bailey · assertive framing

Claims (23 extracted, 1 hedged)

N.C. State RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — 2025 record: 8-5 Expectations N.C. State has been a regular bowl team under Dave Doeren, now entering his 14th season and the program’s career wins leader. asserted

State → enter → season

He’s won eight or nine games in seven of the past nine years, while the Wolfpack closed with a bowl win for the first time since 2017. asserted

Wolfpack → win → 2017

Yet an 11-win season in 2002 with longtime NFL star Philip Rivers at quarterback remains the only time in program history that N.C. State has reached double-digit wins. asserted

State → remain → wins

The lineup will look different with four offensive starters and three defensive starters back, while quarterback CJ Bailey returns and running back Duke Scott (595 yards) thrived in spot work last year as he inherits a leading role. asserted

he → look → role

N.C. State is picked to finish seventh in the 17-team ACC, and only two of nine league opponents are picked ahead of the Wolfpack. asserted

opponents → pick → Wolfpack

Both of those — the opener against Virginia on Aug. 29 that was originally slated for Brazil and a visit from Louisville on Oct. 3 — come early. asserted

that → slat → Oct.

Strengths start with veteran QB’s return asserted

Strengths → start → return

He went from throwing for 2,413 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2024 to 3,105 yards and 25 TDs last season. asserted

He → go → yards

The slender 6-foot-6 junior has also become a more accurate passer on higher volume (68.8% last year). asserted

junior → become → volume

“All those reps I took from my freshman year to now has been crucial to my game,” Bailey said. asserted

Bailey → take → game

Bailey has also run for 11 touchdowns the past two seasons, even with short-yardage specialist Will Wilson (10 TDs last year) as the backup. asserted

Bailey → run → backup

“His leadership jumps off the table,” Doeren said. asserted

Doeren → jump → table

“Last year he was an offensive leader, this year he’s a team leader. asserted

he → ’ → ?

And it’s different. asserted

it → ’ → ?

He can feel it. asserted

He → feel → it

He can talk to anybody, he’s got complete confidence and they have complete confidence in him. asserted

they → talk → him

And he knows that. asserted

he → know → that

Weaknesses start with defensive questions asserted

Weaknesses → start → questions

The Wolfpack ranked 12th in the Bowl Subdivision in scoring defense (20.0) and 20th in total defense (329.5 yards) over star linebacker Payton Wilson’s last two seasons in 2022 and 2023, according to Sportradar. uncertain

Wolfpack → rank → Sportradar

But N.C. State has fallen dramatically the past two seasons since with Wilson in the NFL, ranking 97th in scoring defense (28.7) and 107th in total defense (401.5). asserted

State → fall → defense

Safety Asaad Brown Jr. is the leading returning tackler (64), and his 10 starts match nickelback Jackson Vick as the two most experienced returning starters. asserted

starts → lead → starters

Safety Tristan Teasdell is back after starting five games last year while logging 370 snaps for the most on the team by a true freshman. asserted

Teasdell → start → freshman

who → take → games