When a running back leads the ACC in rushing and cracks the top tier nationally, the spotlight naturally falls on his speed, vision, and big-play ability. But inside NC State’s locker room, left guard Anthony Carter Jr. and the rest of the Wolfpack offensive line know those numbers are just as much about the grind in the trenches.
Through the first stretch of the season, Hollywood Smothers has been a revelation. His 503 rushing yards not only pace the ACC but rank him among the top backs in the nation. To Carter, that success is as much a reflection of the offensive line’s daily work as it is Raphael’s explosiveness.
“We take a lot of pride in it,” Carter said. “It’s just understanding we got a string, you just want one more second in. We know we have backs like Hollywood and Duke that can break it at any moment. So just understanding, just putting our bodies, 600 on 300, double team, stuff like that, and making sure we stay connected and get to the second level.”
Once the line clears the path, Carter says it’s almost automatic.
“Once he gets to the second level, he can make multiple people miss and then throw the house up,” he said. “At any moment, we just know we can expect him to be able to break for a touchdown. So we just harp on making sure that we stay on our combos, communicate up front so their job is easy. But as you can tell, it’s one cut and he can be gone.”
That trust and communication have been central to NC State’s offensive rhythm. And just as much as the line works for its backs, Carter sees the same responsibility in protecting the quarterbacks, whether it’s starter CJ Bailey or freshman Will Wilson.
Bailey had some turnover issues in the Duke loss, but Carter praised the way his quarterback has responded.
“CJ, coming in with a high spirit, always wanna get better,” Carter said. “Not getting down on himself, understanding who he is as a quarterback, who he is as a leader on the team. Still sticking to his routine regardless of how the last game was. Not switching up from his routine, sticking to that routine was a big thing as well. Just still encouraging guys, going out there, having that confidence.”
Carter believes that resilience defines Bailey as much as his arm strength.
“He’s still confident, still there. Bad mistakes happen, you feel what I’m saying, as part of football. But understanding that and just fixing that, and just continuing to lead guys. So he’s been doing great, he’s still been the same guy.”
Head coach Dave Doeren has preached togetherness throughout his tenure, and that message is ringing louder during a season that’s already thrown the Wolfpack some adversity. Carter says the trust built away from the field is what allows the team to stay united when the pressure mounts on it.
“I think that’s where the off-season really keeps that bond, that relationship,” he said. “So it’s like, when we’re on the sideline and things might not be going our way, we can encourage our brothers. You may be like, all right, I need you here, get it. But understand it’s coming from a place of love, and also understand we don’t have adversity, but it’s on the leaders and the team to raise that moment up, get us out of that.”
That trust isn’t limited to veterans. When true freshman quarterback Will Wilson has been called on, Carter says the line’s confidence doesn’t waver. He recalls how even in preseason camp, Wilson wanted to shed the non-contact jersey and take full hits to prove himself.
“It’s exciting,” Carter said. “It’s crazy, because we remember when we were in camp, it was like, yeah, Will’s gonna take off the greens, or he’s gonna put him in a regular jersey and let him go full contact. He loved that.”
That toughness gave the team belief in him early, and it’s carried into game days.
“You get down there, we trust him a lot. Coaches trust him a lot to put him on that field, we trust him. We trust him just as much as we trust CJ,” Carter said. “So there’s no drop-off, we expect the same result from him. He goes out there, we know he’s gonna give his all, and we trust him. We’re gonna block for him too, so it’s love. And it’s exciting, because he’s a young person too. So it’s amazing to see him go out there and have that energy and be ready to just put his hand down and run for his own.”
For Carter, all of it—the big rushing totals, the quarterback confidence, the belief in one another—comes back to a theme he repeats often: unity. The Wolfpack offensive line doesn’t see itself as a set of individuals, but as one moving piece tasked with giving its skill players the room to shine.
That mindset, Carter says, is why NC State’s offense has the potential to keep building.
“Just having a positive mindset to understand there’s still time on the clock, we have a really good offense, as everybody can see,” he said. “We just understand, we just gotta get back that next play mentality as well.”
And if Carter and the rest of the line keep doing their part, that “next play” could mean a lot more long runs, touchdowns, and wins for the Wolfpack.
