With NC State quarterback Grayson McCall ruled out for Saturday’s game at No. 21 Clemson, coach Dave Doeren announced Monday that true freshman CJ Bailey will make his first career start.
Doeren told reporters at his weekly news conference that McCall is “day-to-day” after suffering an undisclosed injury in the second quarter of a 30-20 weekend win against Louisiana Tech.
McCall, who has a history of concussions, was hit by Louisiana Tech’s blitzing linebacker Zach Zimos with just over 5 1/2 minutes left in the second quarter and was slow to get up. He was 9-of-13 passing for 54 yards and rushed four times for 22 yards before exiting.
“We’re going to take our time, and when he’s ready, he’ll be ready,” said Doeren, who declined to get into specifics regarding McCall’s injury but said it wasn’t season-ending. “CJ is ready to play.”
In relief of McCall, Bailey went 13-of-20 passing for 156 yards and an interception against Louisiana Tech. He also rushed for a touchdown in the comeback victory for the Wolfpack (2-1).
“I was really proud of the way that the team rallied around CJ,” Doeren said. “At halftime, when he knew it was his time to play, he was ready for the moment.”
As NC State seeks its first win at Clemson in 22 years, Doeren is eager to see what Bailey can do with his opportunity in the ACC opener for both teams.
“They’ve got a great defensive line, and they do a lot of blitzing, so we’ve got to give them all the looks — not just him, the O-line and the protections with the backs,” the Wolfpack coach said. “Obviously, crowd noise is going to be a part of what we’re doing every day, and making sure our cadence functions in the noise that we’re going to be dealing with.
“Then just schematically, doing the things that he’s best at, and then letting him play ball. That’s the one thing about him. He’s a football player. That kid understands the game. He’s a winner, and he’s excited. I’m excited for him.”
–Field Level Media
