NC State learns finalized 2019 football schedule
The dust has not completely settled on potential players transferring in or class of 2019 recruits being signed, but NC State should have a solid schedule for next year.
ESPN.com has Clemson ranked No. 1 in the country and Syracuse at No. 15 in its “way-too-early top 25 poll,” which came out Jan. 8. Syracuse comes to Raleigh on Oct. 10 for the first of two Thursday night games for NC State, and both teams will have a bye week beforehand. The second Thursday game is at Georgia Tech on Nov. 21, and the Wolfpack host defending national champion Clemson on Nov. 9.
NCSU will enjoy its second off week following the game at Boston College on Oct. 19, giving the Wolfpack extra time to prepare for its road trip to Wake Forest on Nov. 2. NC State closes the regular season with UNC at Carter-Finley Stadium on Nov. 30.
NC State already knew the dates for its first four games, and the opponents for next year, but found out Wednesday when they would play its ACC foes. Below is a snapshot of what next year’s opponents look like in mid-January:
East Carolina Pirates
Date: Aug. 31
2018 record: 3-9 overall, 1-7 AAC
Bowl appearance: None
Returning starters from last game: 15 (7 offense, 6 defense, 2 special teams)
Players entering NFL Draft early: None
2018 meeting against NC State: NC State won 58-3
Top returning leaders
Rushing: QB Holton Ahlers, 119 attempts for 592 yards and six touchdowns
Passing: Ahlers, 127-of-263 passing for 1,785 yards and 12 touchdowns
Receiving: WR Deondre Farrier, 30 catches for 272 yards and two touchdowns
Tackles: FS Davondre Robinson, 77 tackles
Interesting note: Rising sophomore quarterback Holton Ahlers decided to stay home and picked ECU over NC State. He took control of the offense Oct. 20, and passed for 406 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 69 yards in a 37-10 loss to Central Florida. He went on to pass for 449 yards against Memphis and 360 yards at Tulane. Ahlers missed the NC State game due to injury. Ahlers and the Pirates will be in their first year under former James Madison coach Mike Houston.
Western Carolina Catamounts
Date: Sept. 7
2018 record: 3-8 overall, 1-7 Southern
Returning starters from last game: 14 (6 offense, 7 defense, 1 special teams)
Players entering NFL Draft early: None
Top returning leaders
Rushing: QB Tyrie Adams, 194 carries for 1,006 yards and 10 touchdowns
Passing: Adams, 188-of-300 passing for 2,417 yards and 16 touchdowns
Receiving: WR Nate Mullen, 55 catches for 600 yards and two touchdowns
Tackles: OLB Michael Murphy, 92 tackles
Interesting note: Quarterback Tyrie Adams was named second-team All-American by STATS as an all-purpose back. He became one of 10 Football Championship Subdivision quarterbacks all time to pass for 2,000-plus yards and rush for more than 1,000 in the same season.
At West Virginia Mountaineers
Date: Sept. 14
2018 record/ranking: 8-4 overall, 6-3 Big 12; No. 20 in Associated Press poll
Bowl appearance: Lost 34-18 to Syracuse in the Camping World Bowl
Returning starters from last game: 14 (7 offense, 6 defense, 1 special teams)
Players entering NFL Draft early: Linebacker David Long
Top returning leaders
Rushing: RB Kennedy McKoy, 145 attempts for 802 yards and eight touchdowns
Passing: QB Jack Allison, 23-of-45 passing for 352 yards and one touchdown
Receiving: WR Marcus Simms, 46 receptions for 699 yards and two touchdowns
Tackles: FS Kenny Robinson Jr., 77 tackles
Interesting note: New coach Neal Brown, who was hired away from Troy, inherits a good group of running backs led by McKoy, who is from North Davison High in Lexington, N.C. He rushed for 802 yards and added 224 receiving yards. Rising senior running back Martell Pettaway added 623 rushing yards and six touchdowns, and prized sophomore Leddie Brown added 446 rushing yards and four scores.
Ball State Cardinals
Date: Sept. 21
2018 record: 4-8 overall, 3-5 MAC
Bowl appearance: None
Returning starters from last game: 21 (10 offense, 10 defense, 1 special teams)
Players entering NFL Draft early: None
Top returning leaders
Rushing: RB James Gilbert, 152 attempts for 659 yards and seven touchdowns
Passing: QB Drew Plitt, 85-of-131 passing for 1,008 yards and six touchdowns
Receiving: WR Riley Miller, 61 catches for 878 yards and seven touchdowns
Tackles: SS Bryce Cosby and OLB Ray Wilborn, 83 tackles
Interesting note: Former quarterback Riley Neal was getting praised as an NFL Draft prospect, but elected to graduate and transfer to Vanderbilt. He passed for 1,917 yards and 11 touchdowns and rushed for 357 yards and five scores in nine games played last year.
At Florida State Seminoles
Date: Sept. 28
2018 record: 5-7 overall, 3-5 ACC
Bowl appearance: None
Returning starters from last game: 17 (7 offense, 8 defense, 2 special teams)
Players entering NFL Draft early: Defensive end Brian Burns
2018 meeting against NC State: NC State won 47-28
Top returning leaders
Rushing: RB Cam Akers, rushed 161 times for 706 yards and six touchdowns
Passing: QB Deondre Francois, 227-of-396 passing for 2,731 yards and 15 touchdowns
Receiving: WR Tamorrion Terry, 35 catches for 744 yards and eight touchdowns
Tackles: S Hamsah Nasirildeen, 91 tackles
Interesting note: Opposing teams had 36 sacks against Florida State, who lost three starters from the offensive line to graduation. The Seminoles only averaged 2.8 yards per carry and 91.1 rushing yards per contest. FSU returns rising redshirt junior Jauan Williams at right tackle and junior Mike Arnold at right guard. Former starter Landon Dickerson of Hickory, N.C., also returns after two injury-riddled season. He got injured in the second game this past season.
Syracuse Orange
Date: Oct. 10 (Thursday)
2018 record: 10-3 overall, 6-2 ACC; No. 15 in AP poll
Bowl appearance: Defeated West Virginia 34-18 in Camping World Bowl
Returning starters from last game: 15 (5 offense, 8 defense, 2 special teams)
Players entering NFL Draft early: None
2018 meeting against NC State: Syracuse won 51-41
Top returning leaders
Rushing: RB Moe Neal, rushed 155 times for 869 yards and five touchdowns
Passing: QB Tommy DeVito, 44-of-87 passing for 525 yards and four touchdowns
Receiving: WR Sean Riley, 64 catches for 756 yards and three touchdowns
Tackles: SS Evan Foster, 86 tackles
Interesting note: Syracuse freshman kicker Andre Szmyt went 30 of 34 with a long of 54 yards and made all 61 extra points for 151 points. Szmyt and NC State freshman kicker Christopher Dunn could be competing for All-ACC honors the next three years. Szmyt was first in the country in made field goals and Dunn was fifth.
At Boston College Eagles
Date: Oct. 19
2018 record: 7-5 overall, 4-4 ACC
Bowl appearance: ServPro First Responder Bowl was cancelled
Returning starters from last game: 9 (5 offense, 3 defense, 1 special teams)
Players entering NFL Draft early: Cornerback Hamp Cheevers
2018 meeting against NC State: NC State won 28-23
Top returning leaders
Rushing: RB AJ Dillon, 227 attempts for 1,108 yards and 10 touchdowns
Passing: QB Anthony Brown, 158-of-285 passing for 2,121 yards and 20 touchdowns
Receiving: WR Kobay White, 33 receptions for 526 yards and three touchdowns
Tackles: OLB Isaiah McDuffie, 85 tackles
Interesting note: Star running back AJ Dillon has rushed for 2,697 yards in two seasons, and he missed two games last year, including against NC State, and the bowl game was canceled. NC State legend Ted Brown rushed for 4,602 rushing yards in his Wolfpack career, leaving Dillon 1,905 rushing yards away from tying the ACC career record.
At Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Date: Nov. 2
2018 record: 7-6 overall, 3-5 ACC
Bowl appearance: Defeated Memphis 37-34 in Jared Birmingham Bowl
Returning starters from last game: 13 (6 offense, 5 defense, 2 special teams)
Players entering NFL Draft early: Wide receiver Greg Dortch.
2018 meeting against NC State: Wake Forest won 27-23
Top returning leaders
Rushing: RB Cade Carney, 188 attempts for 1,005 yards and eight touchdowns
Passing: QB Sam Hartman, 161-of-291 passing for 1,984 yards and 16 touchdowns
Receiving: WR Sage Surratt, 41 receptions for 581 yards and four touchdowns
Tackles: MLB Justin Strnad, 105 tackles
Interesting note: Rising junior Jamie Newman filled in for an injured Sam Hartman at quarterback, giving the Demon Deacons two potential answers at the position. Newman got his first start and against NC State in 2018, and passed for 297 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for 44 yards in a 27-23 win for the Demon Deacons. He capped his four-game starting stretch with 328 passing yards and 91 rushing yards and accounted for four touchdowns (three rushing) in the bowl win over Memphis.
Clemson Tigers
Date: Nov. 9
2018 record: 15-0 overall, 8-0 ACC; No. 1 in AP poll
Bowl appearance: Defeated Notre Dame 30-3 at the Cotton Bowl in the CFP semifinals and beat Alabama 44-16 in CFP national championship game
Returning starters from last game: 12 (7 offense, 4 defense, 1 special teams)
Players entering NFL Draft early: Defensive end Clelin Ferrell, linebacker Tre Lamar, defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and cornerback Trayvon Mullen
2018 meeting against NC State: Clemson won 41-7
Top returning leaders
Rushing: RB Travis Etienne, rushed 204 times for 1,658 yards and 24 touchdowns
Passing: QB Trevor Lawrence, 259-of-397 passing for 3,280 yards and 30 touchdowns
Receiving: WR Justyn Ross, 46 receptions for 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns
Tackles: OLB/nickel Isaiah Simmons, 89 tackles
Interesting note: Sophomore quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who was Rivals.com’s No. 1-ranked prospect in the class of 2018, will be in contention for the Heisman Trophy after leading the Tigers to the national title. He passed for more than 300 yards in five games, including 308 yards and a touchdown against NC State.
Louisville Cardinals
Date: Nov. 16
2018 record: 2-10 overall, 0-8 ACC
Bowl appearance: None
Returning starters from last game: 15 (5 offense, 8 defense, 2 special teams)
Players entering NFL Draft early: None
2018 meeting against NC State: NC State won 52-10
Top returning leaders
Rushing: QB Malik Cunningham, 79 attempts for 497 yards and five touchdowns
Passing: QB Jawon Pass, 162-of-300 passing for 1,960 yards and eight touchdowns
Receiving: WR Dez Fitzpatrick, 31 receptions for 422 yards and three touchdowns
Tackles: OLB C.J. Avery, 56 tackles
Interesting note: New Louisville head coach Scott Satterfield went an impressive 51-24 in six years at Appalachian State, his alma mater. The former Hillsborough (N.C.) Orange High standout played quarterback for the Mountaineers from 1991-95. One of Satterfield’s new hires at UL is good friend and former NC State and Appalachian State offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford, who is the new offensive coordinator for the Cardinals.
At Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Date: Nov. 21 (Thursday)
2018 record: 7-6 overall, 5-3 ACC
Bowl appearance: Lost 34-10 to Minnesota in Quick Lane Bowl
Returning starters from last game: 12 (6 offense, 4 defense, 2 special teams)
Players entering NFL Draft early: None
Top returning leaders
Rushing: QB Tobias Oliver, 152 carries for 876 yards and 12 touchdowns
Passing: Oliver, 7-of-16 passing for 167 yards and two touchdowns
Receiving: WR Jalen Camp, 11 catches for 186 yards and zero touchdowns
Tackles: SS Tariq Carpenter, 55 tackles
Interesting note: New head coach Geoff Collins arrived from Temple, where he went 15-10 overall and 11-5 in the AAC. Collins had previously been a defensive coordinator at Florida and Mississippi State. He also was the defensive coordinator at his alma mater, Western Carolina, from 2002-05, and was an assistant there in 1993-94.
North Carolina Tar Heels
Date: Nov. 30
2018 record: 2-9 overall, 1-7 ACC
Bowl appearance: None
Returning starters from last game: 15 (8 offense, 7 defense, 0 special teams)
Players entering NFL Draft early: Wide receiver Anthony Ratliff-Williams and left tackle William Sweet.
2018 meeting against NC State: NC State won 34-28 in overtime
Top returning leaders
Rushing: RB Michael Carter, 84 carries for 597 yards and two touchdowns
Passing: QB Nathan Elliott, 201-of-325 passing for 2,169 passing yards and 11 touchdowns
Receiving: WR Dazz Newsome, 44 catches for 506 yards and two touchdowns
Tackles: FS Myles Dorn, 55 tackles
Interesting note: UNC has struggled to replace Mitchell Trubisky at quarterback the last two years, but might have two options for new head coach Mack Brown. Rising sophomore Cade Fortin passed for 276 yards and a touchdown against NC State and showcased a strong arm. UNC then flipped four-star quarterback recruit Sam Howell from Florida State, who finished his prep career with 203 total touchdowns and more than 15,000 passing yards at Monroe (N.C.) Sun Valley High.
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