N.C. State took a big step forward defensively Saturday in its win against Northern Illinois. It has another chance to improve this week with in-state rival Wake Forest coming to town.
The Wolfpack finally played four quarters of solid defense, something it hadn’t done all year. Some of it was luck. Safety DK Kaufman said his sack and scoop-and-score against NIU were designed plays, but he said he feels like some of his success is God putting him in the right place at the right time. But a lot of it was sheer will and urgency.
The team showed that in the second half when N.C. State gave up just three points and staved off Northern Illinois’ comeback attempt. Kaufman and linebacker Caden Fordham said the success started in preparation and they anticipate another tough week.
“We felt like we weren’t practicing the way we know how to practice. And we turned that up this week, and we’re going to have to continue to do that to get to where we want to go,” Fordham said Saturday. “We never like getting our pride tested. That’s a big thing we stand by here at NC State is playing tough football. I felt like we came out and did that today, but we got to continue to do so.”
The offensive side of the football still needs a lot of work. It’s unclear whether CJ Bailey will start or Grayson McCall will be cleared to play. Regardless of who is in the backfield, N.C. State hasn’t found a consistent rhythm with either quarterback. The Pack is averaging 326.6 yards of total offense per game, which ranks 109th nationally and 16th in the ACC. Its 93 first downs are 69th in the country and 10th in the league.
Additionally, it ranks 104th in FBS on third-down conversions after finishing 1 of 11 against the Huskies. Head coach Dave Doeren said part of the struggles come from the first- and second-down offense. When it’s not moving the ball efficiently — which it isn’t consistently — it’s statistically much harder to get a first down on third-and-8 or third-and-9.
Now, it’ll face a Wake Forest offense that can move the ball downfield. The Deacs rank 13th in the nation for passing offense (310.5 yards per game) and typically capitalize.
They score 29.8 points per game, which ranks 67th in the country and 12th in the ACC, but the average is skewed by its 40-6 loss to Ole Miss. Outside of that game, Wake Forest averaged 37.6 points in its three other contests and its defense ultimately gave away would-be wins.
Entering Saturday, the Pack could use a similar performance as last week; defense and special teams excelling to give the offense a chance to be competitive. Racking up points against the Deacs’ mediocre defense would simply be a bonus.
Players to watch: Deacs wide receiver corps
Wake Forest’s defense might not blow anyone out of the water, but the team’s wide receivers paired with quarterback Hank Bachmeier have carried the team in the first four games of the season.
Taylor Morin and Donavon Greene are two of Bachmeier’s favorite targets, and they should play an active role against the Wolfpack.
Morin ranks No. 5 in the ACC for receiving yards per game (81.3) and No. 3 for receptions per game (6.0). Additionally, those numbers are good enough to come in at No. 38 and No. 30, respectively, in the national charts.
Greene lands at No. 11 for receiving yards per game (67.8) and No. 20 in catches each game (4.0) in the league, despite limited snaps in the last couple of games. He finished with 9 yards on one catch against Louisiana on Saturday and didn’t play the second half against Ole Miss.
Deuce Alexander and Horatio Fields have also stepped into the receiver rotation, combining for 351 yards and a trio of touchdowns.
Bachmeier has generally looked comfortable throwing to the quartet of receivers and is completing 66.7% of his passes through four games. Against the Ragin’ Cajuns, he went 29 of 35 for 254 yards, one touchdown and one interception, his first of the year.
The N.C. State defense needs to bring a similar level of focus and energy to Carter-Finley in order to give its own offense a chance to keep up.
Vegas betting odds
N.C. State opened as a 6-point favorite over Wake Forest, according to FanDuel and ESPN Bet.
Circa Sports listed the Wolfpack as a 9-point favorite, with an over/under of 56.5 points. The ESPN Bet moneyline was set at -225 for the Pack and +190 for the Deacs, while FanDuel listed the moneyline at -205 and +168.
NC State vs Wake Forest game info
Teams: N.C. State Wolfpack (3-2, 0-1 ACC) vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (1-3, 0-1 ACC)
Where: Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh
Date: Saturday, Oct. 5
Time: 12 p.m.
TV: The CW
Stream: fubo TV, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, DIRECTV Stream
Series history: N.C. State leads the all-time series 69-42-6, with the last win coming last November. Led by quarterback Brennan Armstrong in his return to the starting lineup, the Wolfpack defeated the Deacs, 26-6, in Winston-Salem. The Pack has won two in a row and three of the last four meetings.
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