NC State looks to regroup from Tennessee loss by hosting Louisiana Tech

Louisiana Tech (1-0) at N.C. State (1-1), Saturday, noon ET (ACC Network)

BetMGM College Football Odds: N.C. State by 21 1/2.

Series record: N.C. State leads 2-0.

What’s at stake?

N.C. State stumbled badly in its marquee matchup against now-No. 7 Tennessee and fell out of the AP Top 25. The goal now is regrouping from that 51-10 loss and show some progress after seven quarters of shaky play through two games. The Bulldogs opened with a win against Nicholls State of the Championship Subdivision and then had an immediate open date.

Key matchup

The Wolfpack’s ground game against the Bulldogs’ defense. There are multiple concerns after the Wolfpack’s first two games but the lack of anything consistent on the ground stands out. N.C. State struggled for three quarters of the opener against FCS program Western Carolina, including twice being stopped on fourth-and-1 run plays. Then came a 39-yard effort on 28 attempts against Tennessee, with Duke transfer Jordan Waters running seven times for minus-4 yards. Coach Dave Doeren said adjustments include having run plays that get “vertical” quicker instead of running laterally toward the line of scrimmage.

Players to watch

Louisiana Tech: RB Marquis Crosby. He ran for a team-best 44 yards in the opener in his return from missing the 2023 season due to injury. He ran for 918 yards and nine touchdowns in 2022.

N.C. State: QB Grayson McCall. The Coastal Carolina transfer faces big expectations, but struggled (15 of 22, 104 yards passing with an interception) against the Volunteers. That included a back-breaking pick-6 late in the first half of that game.

Facts & figures

The teams first met in the 2013 opener, which was Doeren’s first game as head coach. N.C. State also beat Louisiana Tech in 2021. ... The Bulldogs won the opener despite losing starting quarterback Jack Turner to injury, though Blake Baker came on in relief to throw for 207 yards and a touchdown. ... Louisiana Tech had six sacks against Nicholls. ... Louisiana Tech went 3-9 in each of Sonny Cumbie’s first two seasons. ... N.C. State has made 254 straight PATs going back to 2017, a streak of 78 games. It’s the nation’s longest active streak of attempts without a miss. ... Wolfpack cornerback Aydan White returned an interception 87 yards for a touchdown against Tennessee and had an 84-yarder against Texas Tech in 2022, giving him two of the eight longest returns in school history.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football.