NC State is 2-0 and playing well. They beat ECU and took out Virginia in a non conference game. Wake Forest hasn’t been exciting under new head coach Jake Dickert, but they are undefeated. The Demon Deacons need this Thursday night win to have a hope of going to a bowl game.
Notes: Tonight’s game marks the 119th meeting in the longest continuous ACC football rivalry, with NC State holding a 69-43-6 advantage. Key notes for this Week 3 game include NC State’s strong road rushing and quarterback play from CJ Bailey, and Wake Forest’s 2-0 record, albeit against weaker competition. The Wolfpack will be looking to improve their road record against the Demon Deacons, who won last year’s contest and have had recent success at home against NC State.
Why NC State Will Win
NC State’s offense should be able to take control. The Demon Deacons didn’t do much against Kennesaw State, and ripped through Western Carolina, but they haven’t faced the best competition. Turnovers were a problem in the blowout win over the Catamounts, and the running game didn’t take off against the Owls.
NC State’s attack has been terrific, with quarterback CJ Bailey hitting 70% of his throws, the running game found its footing with a huge performance against Virginia, and for the first time this year, the Wake Forest defense has to deal with playmakers.
So far, OC Kurt Roper has stressed balance, running the ball better than 55% of the time, particularly with sophomore RB Hollywood Smothers, who sliced through the Cavs for 140 rushing yards in last Saturday’s 35-31 win. Dave Doeren and Roper already know Bailey is still there and can switch to big-play mode when needed though the Pack wisely seems to be concerned about avoiding giveaways, which have proved costly in the past.
Why Wake Forest Will Win
NC State’s defense has yet to show up. Facing East Carolina, the Wolfpack did a lot of bending without breaking, giving almost 400 passing yards. Virginia did just about everything right offensively, with a perfectly balanced 257 yards on the ground and 257 more through the air.
If the Demon Deacon ground attack that found its footing last week against Western Carolina gets going, and if it can create manageable third down chances they have a punchers chance.
While we know NC State has an extra gear offensively, I am l not sure what Jake Dickert has with his first Demon Deacons side, which features a slew of portal additions. Well-traveled QB Robby Ashford, who quietly surfaced in the offseason at Wake, is on his fourth school. The Deacs did unveil a big-play offense last week vs. the Catamounts, with Ashford and RB Demond Claiborne together accounting for four long TDs.
Prediction
For NC State the offense has been able to carry the team. At home for the third week in a row, and only five days out since rolling Western Carolina, Wake Forest will be good early on but the NC State passing game will take over and control the game and ultimately will prevail. It won’t be easy but NC State will get to 3-0 with nine days off before the date at Duke.
NC State 30, Wake Forest 24
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