On Saturday, NC State will look to snap a nine-game road losing streak at Clemson, a place the Wolfpack have not won a game at since 2002. That means their starting quarterback in this upcoming contest was not alive the last time they won in Death Valley.
In fact, CJ Bailey is set to become the first NC State true freshman quarterback to start a road game since Philip Rivers in 2000.
Before he gets the chance to etch his name into Wolfpack lore, let’s explore how Bailey made his way from Miami, Fla., to Raleigh.
Of Course CJ Bailey Attended High School In a Town Called Hollywood
An electrifying athlete who was timed running a 4.8-second 40-yard dash in high school, Bailey is a true freshman at NC State from Hollywood, Fla., a suburb of Miami.
The 6’6″ quarterback played his prep football at Chaminade-Madonna Prep, where he won state championships as a sophomore and junior, was a team captain, and was twice named Florida’s Offensive Player of the Year.
Bailey completed over 71 percent of his passes and had 3,125 yards as a senior. For his high school career at Chaminade-Madonna Prep, he totaled 9,005 passing yards with 116 total touchdowns. He was a consensus three-star recruit and early enrollee who chose the Wolfpack over fellow ACC schools Louisville and Miami.
Thrust into action last week against Louisiana Tech after veteran transfer and Week 1 starter Grayson McCall was knocked out of the game with an undisclosed injury, Bailey led the Wolfpack to a comeback victory, going 13 of 20 for 156 yards and an interception through the air, to go along with a rushing touchdown.
The challenge only gets more difficult this week against the No. 21 Clemson Tigers, but head coach Dave Doeren said he and the whole team have confidence in the youngster.
“It’s his team. It’s all hands on deck,” he said. “CJ is going to run the show until Grayson is healthy. I’m excited to see what CJ can do. And whoever that quarterback is wearing the red and white, the fans need to have his back. They need to be supportive. They need to pray for those kinds of things when they happen, and that’s what family does.”
Bailey Offers Glimpse Into Future for Wolfpack … Or Perhaps the Present
Clemson has only two active home winning streaks against ACC opponents that are longer than the nine straight it has won against NC State in Death Valley. The Tigers have won 15 straight against Duke and 12 straight against Wake Forest.
The last time NC State defeated an AP-ranked Clemson team on the road? You have to go back to 1994 when Doeren was in his first season as a high school football coach in the state of Kansas.
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“I’m expecting to go into Death Valley, hearing a crowd and hearing everybody screaming, trying to get inside our heads, but I’m expecting it,” Bailey said this week. “We’re practicing for it, so I’ll be prepared and ready for it when I get there.”
Bailey’s time playing big-time high school football in Florida should be helpful, though there isn’t much you can do to prepare for the atmosphere at Death Valley.
Good luck. As Taylor Swift would say, “You’re on your own, kid.”
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