RALEIGH — Facing a top-10 rush defense was always going to be tough sledding for NC State star running back Hollywood Smothers. Even so, Smothers still found a way to make an impact against Pitt in the Wolfpack’s 53-34 loss.
The running back finished the game with eight carries for 86 yards, 65 of which came on one play. He also caught three passes for 25 yards.
There goes Holiday Smoothie 😉#1Pack1Goalpic.twitter.com/eFCuYxEGIw
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) October 25, 2025
A frustrated Smothers spoke to members of the media following the loss, expressing his feelings about the team’s progress after the bye week and the emphasis the team placed on the same details during preparations.
Smothers’ Thoughts
On how the team can get out of the slump it’s currently in
- “We just need to get better, man. Learn from our mistakes. I got to say… We’ve got to figure out what’s going wrong. Like offensively-wise, we’ve got to get a rhythm. Defense out there struggling; we’ve just got to figure out how to make plays. That’s all it comes down to at the end of the day.”
- “Who can make more plays? What’d they have, 30 first downs? We got 15. We’ve just got to keep competing I think. We’ve got to capitalize.”
On why the offense continued to struggle with consistency
- “Really, it’s just the details. Like the little details in football. From what people want to see from the outside, just probably having the right alignment or taking the extra step. It’s just the little things that we’ve got to zone in and focus on being consistent so we can catch a flow.”
On the struggles of sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey and if he’s had mental struggles during slump
- “CJ is good… That’s the unique thing about him. He won’t ever get too down. As a leader, we need that from him. Even when he’s struggling… He’s always there, he’s always front and center.”
- “He knows the things we’ve got to fix on offense. He’s not ducking his head; he’s not being a loser. You call it what it is, but he’s being who he’s been all year.”
On finally returning home after the two road games and how NC State must approach final four games
- “We’ve got to go game-by-game. Can’t win the game next week or a week from now. You’ve got to focus on right now. Focus from Monday through Saturday. Just one day at a time.”
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