NC State walks into Saturday with more than a football game on its hands. The Wolfpack are trying to steady themselves after a chaotic week, and a win over Cal would go a long way toward settling things down.
The biggest storyline remains the coaching shakeup. NC State moved on from Dave Doeren midseason in an unprecedented decision by AD Boo Coorigan, leaving the program to sort through the rest of the year while the coaching search swirls around it.
The speculation has already turned toward former State star Philip Rivers, but Rivers poured cold water on the noise when AL.com writer Ben Thomas asked him about the opening. “There’s nothing there at this point,” Rivers said.
“There’s nothing imminent.”
Todd Goebbel is now the interim coach, and he’ll be the one guiding the Wolfpack the rest of the way. “Our mission is to make sure that these prideful men have a great experience competing for the rest of the season,” Goebbel said.
On the field, NC State is trying to clean up a lot after last week’s loss to Stanford. The defense gave up big plays to Cardinal playmakers and allowed the most rushing yards to one player all season, a 150-yard outing. The effort on that side of the ball was hard to miss, and the Wolfpack will be watching closely to see what changes, if any, show up under new defensive coordinator Charlton Warren after DJ Eliot was fired last week.
The offense has its own problems, mostly tied to injuries. Even so, CJ Bailey did what he could against Stanford, throwing for 256 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 59 yards. It still wasn’t enough to push NC State over the top.
Bailey said the Wolfpack still believes it can answer the moment against Cal. “This game is going to be one of those games where we put the world on notice again.
All eyes are on us right now,” Bailey said. “We’re going to show the world that we’re still the team that can do it, and still a team that can compete at a high level.”
Saturday will also bring a tribute to Chuck Amato, one of the program’s notable figures. NC State will wear a helmet sticker in his honor.
Amato, as a player, helped the Wolfpack win a share of the ACC title in 1965, and later spent seven seasons as head coach. His 2002 team finished 11-3, the best record in school history.
Cal comes to Raleigh at 3-5, and the Bears’ path to a road win looks pretty clear from the outside: make Bailey stay in the pocket. That’s the view from Cal beat writer Jake Curtis, who pointed to Bailey’s legs as a real concern for the Bears’ defense. Cal has struggled against mobile quarterbacks, especially when they get outside the pocket.
The Bears have their own issues, too. Curtis said Cal “can’t run the ball, and it can’t stop the run.”
Leading rusher Adam Mohammed has 346 yards in four games, but an injury has kept him out for the last four games and left him questionable for Saturday. The offensive line has also had trouble creating room consistently.
One name to watch for Cal is Chase Hendricks. With several receivers, including Ian Strong, questionable, Hendricks could wind up as the most experienced wideout available and may see plenty of targets. Curtis said he’s capable of turning those opportunities into big gains.
NC State and Cal kick off at 12:00 pm on the ACC Network.
In Other News...
NC State Just Gave Fans A New Reason To Debate This Team
The first game after a coaching change can tell you plenty about a team, and NC State offered a pretty clear snapshot in Raleigh. With Todd Goebbel taking over on an interim basis, the Wolfpack handled Cal 31-10 behind two touchdown passes from CJ Bailey and a defense that kept the Bears in check for most of the afternoon.
The game was tied 10-10 at halftime before NC State seized control with 21 unanswered points after the break, turning a tense spot into a comfortable finish. Cal managed just 269 total yards and dropped its third straight, while the Wolfpack left fans with a fresh argument about what this team might look like now that the reset has begun. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Finally Gave Wolfpack Fans A Response They Needed
After a sluggish opening half, NC State finally gave its fans the kind of response they had been waiting to see, flipping the game against Cal with a much sharper second-half effort on both sides of the ball. CJ Bailey settled in after the break, the offense found a rhythm, and the Wolfpack defense did its part by keeping Cal from building on its early edge.
The turnaround came at a good time for a team trying to steady itself after a rough stretch, and it was the sort of win that can change the mood around a program in a hurry. The Wolfpack did not look like a team searching for answers once the second half began, which is why this result felt bigger than a single victory and more like a needed reset. [Read more 🡒]
NC States Coaching Search Just Became A Risky Fan Dream
Philip Rivers has quickly become one of the most intriguing names in NC States coaching search, and for good reason. The former Wolfpack quarterback already has deep ties to the program, and his current role at St. Michael Catholic High School gives him a coaching rsum that feels familiar enough to spark real conversation while still leaving plenty of questions about how it would translate to the college game.
The appeal is obvious for a fan base that knows Rivers well, but the leap from high school sidelines to an FBS job is a massive one. NC State is weighing a search that could bring sentiment, familiarity and a built-in connection to the program into the mix, even as the risks of handing a major rebuild to someone without college head-coaching experience remain part of the conversation. [Read more 🡒]