On Saturday, we went over our best guesses for who will be the statistical leaders for NC State this year.

Now here is our prediction for how the season will unfold on a game-by-game basis:

Sept. 2 vs. South Florida: The Bulls’ 1-8 record was certainly influenced by being relatively short on numbers on its roster due to opt outs and injuries last year. Second-year head coach Jeff Scott noted they have about 30 more players on its practice fields this preseason.

That said, six of their eight losses in 2020 were by double digits and five of those by at least 20 points. NC State takes the opener to go 1-0.

Sept. 11 at Mississippi State: The crucial early-season showdown carries a lot of weight on how the season might unfold. The Bulldogs seem to be bit of an unknown in head coach Mike Leach’s second season, but don’t be fooled by its 4-7 2020 record. It defeated a ranked Tulsa team in the Armed Forces Bowl, and three of its seven losses, including at No. 9 Georgia, were by seven points or less.

A storyline this week will be NC State’s track record against SEC teams. Since beating Mississippi State in the 1994 Peach Bowl, the Pack is just 2-9 against the conference, with one win coming over South Carolina in 1999 in a tropical storm and the other in the 2016 Independence Bowl over Vanderbilt.

The guess here is a road defeat and Pack falls to 1-1.

Sept. 18 vs. Furman: NC State will win handily, and is 2-1.

Sept. 25 vs. Clemson: The Tigers will feature a lot of new names on offense at the skill positions, surely all talented but also not as proven. Thus getting the Tigers earlier may be advantageous, but it’s still a tall order.

NC State falls to 2-2.

Oct. 2 vs. Louisiana Tech: Louisiana Tech went 5-4 in the regular season last fall and reached the New Orleans Bowl, where it was whacked by Georgia Southern, 38-3. It should be noted that some of its other notable games, like at No. 16 BYU and hosting Marshall, resulted in final lopsided scores.

Head coach Skip Holtz’s squad keeps it tight for a half, but NC State pulls away to move to 3-2.

Oct. 16 at Boston College: This is a crucial game on the schedule for the Wolfpack, as the winner is likely in the driver’s seat for a potential top-two finish in the Atlantic. Both teams will be coming off byes, leaving them well-prepared.

NC State’s defense rises to the occasion, and the Pack pulls off a significant victory to improve to 4-2.

Oct. 23 at Miami: NC State went toe-to-toe with the Hurricanes in Raleigh a year ago, but quarterback D’Eriq King’s signature performance of 2020 pulled Miami past the Wolfpack. King is once again a thorn in NC State’s side this Saturday, and NC State is 4-3.

Oct. 30 vs. Louisville: Head coach Scott Satterfield was the darling of Louisville after his first season with the Cardinals. Year two though was a huge disappointment, and chatter of Satterfield’s interest in the opening at South Carolina did not endear him to the faithful.

What will year three bring? Our guess is something in between, but not enough to overtake NC State. We have the Wolfpack getting a sneaky important win in its effort to maximize its record in 2021. The Pack is now 5-3.

Nov. 6 at Florida State: The Seminoles are in rebuilding mode, and while it should be improved from a rough season in 2020, there is a ways to go, still. The difference between the two teams was obvious last fall at Carter-Finley Stadium, and it’s hard to see that gap being totally closed in a year’s time and in a new venue.

The Pack gets the road win and is 6-3.

Nov. 13 at Wake Forest: Playing in Winston-Salem has been a house of horrors for NC State over the years. The Pack is just 2-10 at Wake Forest’s home stadium over the past 12 outings there. The Deacons’ slow mesh run-pass option offense is a challenge for any defense, especially late in the year when Wake Forest’s traditionally has its offense humming.

This proves to be another tough game for NC State. A loss leaves the Pack at 6-4, and once again will look like a missed opportunity when the year is over.

Nov. 20 vs. Syracuse: NC State takes out some frustration on a struggling Syracuse team in a lopsided win that sets up a big regular season finale with the Pack at 7-4 overall.

Nov. 26 vs. North Carolina: After a pair of lopsided losses over the past two years to its archrival, NC State gets its revenge against a UNC team that enters the preseason with high expectations despite some significant losses from last year’s squad, especially in its running back and receiver rooms.

The win concludes the Pack’s regular season at 8-4 overall and 5-3 in the ACC.

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