NC State Clinches Bowl Eligibility by Defeating Florida State 21-11

NC State secured bowl eligibility with a 21-11 victory over Florida State on Friday night in Raleigh. Tight end Justin Joly delivered the clinching moment, catching a fourth-down touchdown pass with 1:47 left after the Seminoles surrendered two costly special teams turnovers in the closing minutes. The win marks the 11th time in 13 seasons under head coach Dave Doeren that the NC State Wolfpack (6-5, 3-4 ACC) have reached bowl eligibility. The Wolfpack defense set the tone, allowing just one touchdown and getting a standout performance from cornerback Devon Marshall, who recorded two interceptions and five pass breakups despite an injury-depleted secondary. The Wolfpack built a 14-3 lead in the third quarter, highlighted by a nearly nine-minute, 15-play drive capped by a Will Wilson 1-yard touchdown run. Florida State (5-6, 2-6 ACC) cut the deficit to 14-11 midway through the fourth quarter with a Duce Robinson 9-yard touchdown catch from Tommy Castellanos and a successful two-point conversion. However, Florida State’s special teams unravelled late. With under four minutes to play, a Wolfpack punt bounced off FSU blocker K.J. Kirkland’s helmet and was recovered by NC State punter Caden Noonkester. After the Seminoles forced another punt, Squirrel White muffed the return, gifting the Wolfpack the ball inside the red zone. On the next possession, CJ Bailey connected with Joly for a 12-yard touchdown, sealing the win. The Seminoles, who outgained NC State 383-286 in total yards but committed four turnovers, have now lost eight straight road games and stand at 0-4 away from Tallahassee this season. Head coach Mike Norvell called the special teams errors “catastrophic.” NC State will host rival North Carolina to close the regular season, while Florida State travels to Gainesville for a must-win game against Florida in hopes of achieving bowl eligibility. For complete stats and play-by-play, visit NC State 21-11 Florida State (Nov 21, 2025) Game Recap and the NC State 21, FSU 11: Seminoles suffer eighth straight road loss.