It’s a scary time to be an NC State football fan, and there seems to be no relief in sight.
The Wolfpack walked off Acrisure Stadium after a 53-34 loss to Pittsburgh with their heads hung low, failing to redeem its 36-7 loss to Notre Dame the week prior. At 4-4, the Wolfpack finds itself between a rock and a hard place, and with four daunting opponents down the stretch, the opportunity of a .500 record hangs by a thread.
“It’s simple, we’ve gotta play complementary football,” said graduate linebacker Caden Fordham. “We haven’t done that all year, in my opinion.”
With only four games left, the Wolfpack has an especially hard schedule that could leave it with a sub-.500 record. The team has to make some changes, or this could be a horrific end to the season for Pack fans.
“You have got to make some plays, and we are not making enough of those plays in key moments [on either side of the football],” said head coach Dave Doeren in Monday’s presser ahead of Georgia Tech.
The next two games are by far the biggest challenge of the season for the Pack. No. 8 Georgia Tech and No. 10 Miami have been battle-tested all season, and they have proved to be worthy of their respective top-10 rankings. This is the first top-10 team that the Wolfpack has faced all year, and based on its last outing, it isn’t ready for either.
Georgia Tech has been stifling hot this season. Led by redshirt senior quarterback Haynes King, the Yellowjackets have propelled themselves to the top of the ACC. The Wolfpack narrowly lost 30-29 to the Yellowjackets last season, but neither team is the same as last season. The NC State defense will have to be on its A-game if it wants to stop King from torching the secondary and scrambling for first downs.
“I have so much respect for how he plays,” Doeren said. “He’s throwing the football really accurately, doesn’t turn the ball over … he’s got excellent talent around him.”
Miami has been equally as hot as Georgia Tech, and while it isn’t the higher-ranked team, it might be a more challenging matchup for NC State. The Miami offensive line is arguably the best in the ACC after adding transfer center James Brockermeyer, along with freshman Max Buchanan and Seuseu Alofaituli. Combine this with a seasoned quarterback like Carson Beck, and the Miami offense could overpower the Wolfpack defense.
After battling two of the best teams in the country, the Pack turns around to host Florida State, a previously ranked team with something to prove after four straight losses. Head coach Mike Norvell has had a tumultuous last two years, potentially putting his job on the line. Running up the score in Raleigh would help his case — and he has the offense to do it.
Florida State’s high firepower offense scored 174 total points through the first three games of the season, and currently leads the ACC in rushing yards per game. However, the Seminoles have won one conference game since beating Louisville in the 2023 ACC Championship game. This, coupled with the Carter-Finley night-game atmosphere, gives the Pack a shot, but Florida State is currently favored.
On the other side of that gauntlet, it’ll play host to North Carolina to cap the season. NC State has won four straight games against the Tar Heels, with this being the only outing remaining where the Wolfpack are favored. Nevertheless, rivalry game tension brings out the competitiveness on both sides and creates a great game. While the Wolfpack has dominated UNC recently, don’t be surprised if UNC and head coach Bill Belichick play like their lives depend on it.
The Wolfpack looks to the future, where either opportunity or disaster awaits it. Battled and bruised, the Wolfpack will just play the best football that it can, and hopefully won’t make the 0-4 finish a nightmare come true.
“Win these four games,” said redshirt sophomore running back Hollywood Smothers after the loss to Pitt. “We’ve got to win; there is no other choice. I’m tired of losing.”
