The NC State coaching staff is able to lean on past experiences in handling what transpired against Tennessee last Saturday.

NCSU coach Dave Doeren remarked Thursday that if the Wolfpack had tied it up 10-10 instead of throwing a pic-six and start to fall behind 17-3 in the second quarter, the outcome might have been altered. The pick-six snowballed and led to a shocking 51-10 loss against Tennessee, who moved up to No. 7 in the country.

NC State was left to pick up the pieces, but Doeren knows from past experiences what levers to push or not push. Doeren has been coaching in college since 1995. He can also turn to assistant to the head coach Ruffin McNeill, whose experience date back to 1985 as a Clemson graduate assistant/linebackers coach.

NC State’s response will come at 12 p.m. Saturday against Louisiana Tech (1-0) on the ACC Network. The game will be at Carter-Finley Stadium.