RALEIGH — Go get it.
That’s the motto that freshman quarterback Will Wilson has emblazoned on the wristband he wears every single day as a reminder to himself.
The 6-foot-1, 230-pound QB is part of the NC State Wolfpack’s small-yardage package, something that has become more and more prevalent as the 2025 season went along.
And Saturday night, under the lights of Carter-Finley Stadium, Wilson went and got himself a school record four rushing touchdowns, the most by a quarterback in a single game, to lead his team to a 42-19 win over rival UNC Tar Heels.
“The only thing that goes through my mind is just go get it,” Wilson said. “That’s the mindset with everything you do in life. Just go get it every single time, don’t think twice about it.”
Wilson joins an illustrious list of quarterbacks that have helped lead the Wolfpack to these past five wins over the Tar Heels: CJ Bailey, Brennan Armstrong, Ben Finley and Devin Leary.
“It’s a blessing,” Wilson said. “A lot of freshmen don’t get this opportunity, so I take full advantage of it. But it means the most just being out there, being able to contribute and play for the seniors and give them a win.”
On top of the four touchdowns, Wilson also helped the team convert two fourth downs and a third down as well to keep drives alive.
“Dude’s a freak of an athlete,” Fordham said. “He’s a big guy, he’s a powerful runner, thick lower-body so he’s very hard to get down. He’s a heck of a player and I’m very proud of him.”
And while Wilson was a big piece, Bailey was still the offensive leader against UNC, picking up 201 yards and two touchdowns through the air along with 65 yards on the ground.
“I was introduced to the rivalry last year and it was hectic, especially at the end,” Bailey said. “I just wanted to make a statement coming into this game and we did. We put up 42 points as an offense and it was great.”
While the Wolfpack absolutely dominated the Tar Heels in most every facet of the game, it was the trenches where NC State made the biggest statement en route to a fifth-straight win in the rivalry.
“It was a dominating performance,” said NC State coach Dave Doeren. “We just executed, tackled well, leveraged the football and played more physical than they played.”
“That’s a big D-line,’ Doeren said. “They have a big, big D-line and we were pushing them back, pushing them back. Got to give our offensive line, tight ends a lot of credit in this football game. I think they really did a great job against a front that has caused a lot of people problems.”
NC State bullied UNC all night at the line of scrimmage, moving piles at will, picking up those extra yards time after time after time, holding UNC to just 70 yards on the ground, while racking up 185 yards themselves and picking up a season-high four sacks.
“It’s something we’d been trying to focus on the last couple of games and something that we had been getting better at and it showed tonight,” said senior linebacker Caden Fordham. “Guys were doing their job, keeping the rush lanes tight.”
Doeren, who’s won 9 of his 13 total matchups against UNC, wanted to make a statement Saturday and boy did he ever.
“To me, losing to them is unacceptable,” Doeren said. “I take a lot of pride in this rivalry game. It’s very meaningful and it goes back to my first day on the job. Can’t tell you how many people welcomed me and at the end said, ‘Whatever you do, beat them.’ So that really resonated and our kids really understand what it means to this fanbase.”
Overall NC State just did whatever they pleased against Bill Belichick’s Tar Heels all night and the score reflected that.
UNC had nothing left to play for other than pride, as they were officially eliminated from bowl eligibility before the game even started, but they were thoroughly embarrassed in Raleigh, much to their own undoing.
The Tar Heels committed 14 penalties (11 accepted), for a total loss of 129-yards, with multiple of them coming on early drives which could have potentially changed the trajectory of the game had they just kept their composure.
Instead, a group that has been undisciplined and out of sorts all season, continued to show little growth and even poorer preparation, not what you’d expect for that $10 million price tag.
“They were certainly the better team tonight,” Belichick said in a terse and tense presser that featured multiple deflections and repeated phrases. “They did everything better than we did. Coaching, plays, offense, defense, special teams. They were the better team, they deserved to win.”
The blowout loss to NC State is just another in what’s been a series of bad looks for the Chapel Bill era, which ended its first season with a 4-8 record with losses to Wake Forest, Duke and NC State for the first time since 1989.
While the book on UNC’s season is now closed, NC State awaits their postseason destination.
