The margin for error for NC State in its pursuit of a first-ever ACC Atlantic Division title narrowed after it lost 31-30 last Saturday at Miami.
But the dream has not been vanished.
The Wolfpack (5-2 overall and 2-1 in ACC) though will need to return to its winning ways Saturday against visiting Louisville (4-3, 2-2) to have realistic chances of playing for the conference title.
Can NC State get back on track? The Wolfpacker staff make their guesses.
Matt Carter
This is a nerve-wracking game from a NC State perspective.
The setup does not look particularly appealing. The deflating loss at Miami, filled with self-inflicted wounds, damaged the Pack’s promising ACC title game hopes, and to add insult, NC State lost the heart and soul of the defense in standout redshirt junior linebacker Isaiah Moore.
Meanwhile, Louisville is feeling good after a two-touchdown win over Boston College, a nice way to come out of the bye, and has the exact type of dual-threat quarterback in Malik Cunningham that you’d feel a whole lot better about defending if the veteran Moore was on the field.
This is also a hugely important game. A win over Louisville preserves everything. A loss could doom a lot. And the Cards are certainly good enough to beat NC State. Louisville had fourth quarter leads in both of its ACC losses – at Wake Forest and home against Virginia. In the latter, it blew a 17-point advantage in the fourth.
I expect a good performance from the Wolfpack. Whether that leads to a win remains to be seen. My hunch is NC State narrowly pulls it out with the home field advantage proving to be the difference.
Matt Carter's prediction: NC State 30, Louisville 27
Previous predictions:
Week 1: NC State 41, South Florida 21 (actual: NC State 45-0)
Week 2: NC State 33, Mississippi State 30 (actual: Mississippi State 24-10)
Week 3: NC State 42, Furman 6 (actual: NC State 45-7)
Week 4: Clemson 21, NC State 9 (actual: NC State 27-21)
Week 5: NC State 38, Louisiana Tech 17 (actual: NC State 34-27)
Week 6: NC State 28, Boston College 24 (actual: NC State 33-7)
Week 7: NC State 31, Miami 23 (actual: Miami 31-30)
Justin H. Williams
NC State's one-point road loss to Miami last weekend didn't sink the Pack's season, but it did make every contest left on the schedule a must-win if the program wants to retain control of its destiny in reaching a first-ever ACC Championship game appearance.
Five games remain, and the journey starts this week against a hot Louisville team that's four points away from being undefeated in conference play.
Add to the context that the Wolfpack will now be without captain and linebacker Isaiah Moore and starting left guard Chandler Zavala due to season-ending injuries.
An NC State team that was already missing three starters on defense, including preseason ACC Defensive Player of the Year redshirt sophomore linebacker Payton Wilson. Prior to last Saturday, the Pack's defense was among the best in the nation on paper. One would have to expect some drop off after losing two All-ACC caliber linebackers.
Can defensive coordinator Tony Gibson pull the right levers enough to slow down Louisville's offense and dual-threat quarterback Malik Cunningham? And can the Wolfpack offense put enough points on the board to outscore the best opposing offense it's faced yet?
NC State returning to Carter-Finley Stadium can play a huge role in this game. The Pack is 4-0 at home thus far, and I don't think that changes this weekend.
As good as Lousiville's offense has been, its defense has been equally leaky, particularly in coverage. Now it faces a Wolfpack offense that is featuring one of the most underrated quarterbacks at the Power Five level, redshirt sophomore Devin Leary.
Ultimately, a fired-up NC State team finds a way to take care of business at home to advance to 3-1 in ACC play ahead of an upcoming two-week road stretch against Florida State, and the big one, Wake Forest.
Justin H. Williams’ prediction: NC State 38, Louisville 33
Previous predictions:
Week 1: NC State 41, South Florida 16 (actual: NC State 45-0)
Week 2: NC State 38, Mississippi State 28 (actual: Mississippi State 24-10)
Week 3: NC State 48, Furman 16 (actual: NC State 45-7)
Week 4: Clemson 20, NC State 16 (actual: NC State 27-21)
Week 5: NC State 49, Louisiana Tech 22 (actual: NC State 34-27)
Week 6: NC State 27, Boston College 20 (actual: NC State 33-7)
Week 7: NC State 34, Miami 23 (actual: Miami 31-30)
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