If NC State wants to go bowling this season, it has reached must-win territory. NCSU needs to find two more victories in its final three games to qualify for the postseason. The first test is resurgent Louisville coming to Raleigh on Saturday evening.
The Cards are a four-point favorite over NC State. Can the Wolfpack pull off the minor upset? We make our game predictions:
Matt Carter
At some point a harsh reality has to set in on this season: it's a young, short-handed football team that it fighting an uphill battle. It almost feels like in high school football where a coach is playing a bunch of players who would normally be on the JV team but they got pulled up because they were so good and there were too many holes on the varsity squad.
That's where NC State head coach Dave Doeren and the Pack are right now.
The good news is sometimes those teams play their best football late in the year. For NC State to have that happen, it's going to need the light to flick on for redshirt freshman quarterback Devin Leary. He's had no luck in his first two starts, both of which were challenging outings. Falling behind a combined 49-0 to arguably the two best teams (when fully healthy) in the ACC is not close to ideal.
Sometimes a quarterback is an instant success, like Philip Rivers was for the Wolfpack. But sometimes it takes a couple games, like it did for Russell Wilson. The hope is that Leary might be one of the latter examples.
If he is, good quarterback play can help elevate a team beyond its capabilities. It's just hard to pick NC State right now until you see that actually happen. Hence I am going with Louisville to win 33-20.
Previous predictions
Week 1 vs. ECU — Prediction: 34-17 NC State; Actual: 34-6 NC State
Week 2 vs. WCU — Prediction: 51-10 NC State; Actual: 41-0 NC State
Week 3 at WVU — Prediction: 20-14 NC State; Actual: 44-27 West Virginia
Week 4 vs. Ball State — Prediction: 38-27 NC State; Actual: 34-23 NC State
Week 5 at Florida State — Prediction: 34-24 Florida State; Actual: 31-13 Florida State
Week 6 vs. Syracuse — Prediction: 30-27 NC State; Actual: 16-10 NC State
Week 7 at Boston College — Prediction: 24-21 NC State; Actual: 45-24 Boston College
Week 8 at Wake Forest — Prediction: 34-21 Wake Forest; Actual: 44-10 Wake Forest
Week 9 vs. Clemson — Prediction: 52-10 Clemson; Actual: 55-10 Clemson
Jacey Zembal
If there ever was an ACC game that I would have dubbed a stone-cold lock for NC State going into this season, it would have been this contest against Louisville.
The Cardinals were a good example of being on the precipice of something special with star quarterback Lamar Jackson, who probably still doesn't get enough credit for what he achieved at Louisville. UL went 8-5 in 2017 with Jackson, and NC State scored a big home victory on a Thursday night over the Cards. Some have picked that win as the best of the Dave Doeren era.
NC State obliterated Louisville 52-10 last year, and the Cardinals looked like a dumpster fire. Head coach Bobby Petrino had been fired the week before, and the future looked super bleak after a 2-10 campaign and 0-8 in the ACC.
UL then hired Appalachian State head coach Scott Satterfield, which drew solid praise from the pundits, but few expected much this season. It started with a "moral victory" performance in losing 35-17 against Notre Dame in the season opener. What has transpired since then is it has developed a big-play offense, and Satterfield has developed a sense of pride among UL's players on the field.
Louisville is 5-4 overall and 3-3 in the ACC, and needs a win among its final three games of NC State, vs. Syracuse and at Kentucky to become bowl eligible. It is conceivable that the Cardinals could win all three, and that should get Satterfield at least a mention for the annual ACC Coach of the Year awards.
I have Louisville winning 31-17.
Previous predictions
Week 1 vs. ECU — Prediction: 38-17 NC State; Actual: 34-6 NC State
Week 2 vs. WCU — Prediction: 48-3 NC State; Actual: 41-0 NC State
Week 3 at WVU — Prediction: 27-10 NC State; Actual: 44-27 West Virginia
Week 4 vs. Ball State — Prediction: 27-17 NC State; Actual: 34-23 NC State
Week 5 at Florida State — Prediction: 27-24 Florida State; Actual: 31-13 Florida State
Week 6 vs. Syracuse — Prediction: 26-19 NC State; Actual: 16-10 NC State
Week 7 at Boston College — Prediction: 27-24 NC State; Actual: 45-24 Boston College
Week 8 at Wake Forest — Prediction: 31-20 Wake Forest; Actual: 44-10 Wake Forest
Week 9 vs. Clemson — Prediction: 45-17 Clemson; Actual: 55-10 Clemson
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