RALEIGH, N.C. — NC State’s first game without Dave Doeren started slowly and finished with a statement. After going into the locker room tied, the Wolfpack found the end zone on each of their first three possessions of the third and fourth quarters and beat California 31-10 Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium.
It was the first game for Todd Goebbel as interim head coach, a week after the school dismissed Doeren.
NC State struck early. CJ Bailey hit Deandre Desinor for a 49-yard touchdown on a quick four-play drive, and Kanoah Vinesett added a 43-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead. Cal, which had managed just one first down to that point, answered with a 75-yard drive capped by a 30-yard scoring catch from Chase Hendricks and tied the game on a 38-yard Towns McGough field goal as the half expired.
The Bears defense held the Wolfpack to 108 yards before the break, but the second half belonged to NC State. Bailey found Chance Robinson for a 38-yard touchdown, Darius Johnson punched in a 2-yard run to finish a 10-play, 75-yard march, and Davion Gause closed the scoring from 6 yards out at the end of a 90-yard drive.
Hendricks led all receivers with seven catches for 67 yards. Three Cal linebackers, Odera Okaka, AJ Tuitele and Kamar Mothudi, set career highs in tackles. The Bears fell to 3-6 and 2-4 in the ACC and have yet to beat the Wolfpack in two all-time meetings. Cal heads into an open week before closing its road slate at Virginia on Nov. 14.
Bailey finished with two touchdown passes, both of 38 yards or longer, as the Wolfpack offense came alive after a quiet first half. NC State still has Duke, Syracuse, a road game at Florida State and the finale at North Carolina left on its schedule.
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