Duke Routs NC State 41-3

Duke outgained NC State 461-217 in a lopsided Saturday win inside Carter-Finley Stadium.

Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in Football

Duke defeated NC State 41-3 on Saturday inside Carter-Finley Stadium. NC State was outgained 461-217 and struggled on third down, converting just 3 of 14 attempts.

Why it matters

The lopsided result exposed NC State's inability to sustain drives, with seven punts on 11 possessions and four three-and-outs. The loss leaves the Wolfpack facing questions about their offensive consistency in Raleigh.

NC State went 3-of-14 on third down and 1-of-3 on fourth down while punting seven times on 11 drives. Duke outgained the Wolfpack 461-217, but the extraction does not detail the play-calling or personnel decisions behind those totals.

The players

Duke

Duke is a private research university in Durham, North Carolina, and a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

NC State

North Carolina State University is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh and a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Pro Football Focus

Pro Football Focus is a sports analytics company that grades individual player performance on each play.

The details

NC State managed only 12 first downs in the loss, and four of its drives ended in three-and-outs. Freshman wideout Amiri Acker and senior tight end Hunter Provience were the Wolfpack's highest-graded offensive players according to Pro Football Focus.

Saturday, November 7, 2026: Duke defeats NC State 41-3 at Carter-Finley Stadium.

Season Trajectory

The extraction does not provide standings, playoff implications, or prior-season comparisons for NC State or Duke, so the broader season impact of this 41-3 result cannot be established from the available facts. Readers should treat the lopsided score as a single-game result without a documented wider trend.

NC State's offense produced just 217 yards and seven punts, which matters for Raleigh fans tracking the Wolfpack's season. The extraction does not describe any roster or scheduling consequences beyond this single result.