NC State’s week has been shaped by everything except the game in front of it. The coaching search has spiraled into the kind of noise that can swallow a program whole, with Russell Wilson and Philip Rivers now part of the conversation, but the Wolfpack are trying to keep their eyes on Duke and nothing else.
That’s been the message from Goebbel and his staff, and he made it clear Thursday that the approach is simple: stay put, stay present, and don’t let the moment drift. “If you’re going to talk a certain message, you better stick with it,” Goebbel said on Thursday.
“The message is, we just had a really good Thursday. We didn’t reflect back; we’re not moving forward.
Our focus is on today’s practice. I thought our kids did a really good job of being where their feet are.
And that will be our message all the way until the season ends.”
That mindset matters because Duke is not a soft landing spot. The Blue Devils are the only team left on NC State’s schedule with a winning record, and Manny Diaz comes back to Raleigh with a spotless mark against the Wolfpack at 4-0. Duke has also been rolling lately, beating Virginia and Boston College by a combined 63-18 over its last two games.
For NC State, the timing of Duke Scott’s return gives the offense a lift. He’s back after missing the last three games, and his 358 rushing yards still lead the team.
Goebbel was effusive about him, saying, “He’s earned the number one, and he’s a tremendous young man and player,” Goebbel said. “He checked every box we needed, and he’s been a very valuable asset to this program.”
The Wolfpack will need that help, because Duke’s ground game is the real problem. Nate Sheppard leads the ACC with 972 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns from scrimmage, and NC State’s defense is going to have to deal with that load all afternoon.
NC State did give itself a little breathing room with its dominating win over Cal last week, a result that offered some relief in a season that has already taken plenty of hits. But this one feels bigger. A win over a 6-2 Duke team would say plenty about where the Wolfpack are mentally as the season winds down.
Our team of college football experts sees a tight one, but the picks lean Duke across the board. One projection has Duke winning 31-20, another has the Blue Devils taking it 24-20, and the third has NC State falling 27-23.
In Other News...
NC State Still Has One Big Lineup Concern Before Duke
The ACCs second availability report for NC States trip to Duke brought some notable movement, and not all of it was encouraging for a Wolfpack team trying to sort out its lineup before a key matchup. Four players who had been listed as probable the day before are no longer on the report, including three defensive starters, which at least suggests some of those situations may have improved as game day approaches.
The bigger concern now sits on offense, where Preston Douglas has been ruled out and two other important pieces remain questionable. Duke Scott and Teague Andersen are still in limbo, leaving NC State with at least one significant lineup decision still hanging over the buildup to the Duke game. [Read more 🡒]
Philip Rivers Could Be Coaching For More Than A Playoff Win
Philip Rivers has spent the past four seasons building a coaching rsum at St. Michael Catholic High School, where the former NC State quarterback has been on the sideline since 2021 after an 18-season NFL career. Now his next move could pull him back into the college game, with NC State searching for its next head coach and Rivers emerging as the name to watch.
The process has already moved beyond idle speculation, with university officials meeting with Rivers and the schools Board of Trustees set to approve the next coachs contract. For Wolfpack fans, the appeal is obvious - a familiar face with deep ties to the program and a long football pedigree - but the final step still has to be taken before any reunion becomes official. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Has Early Momentum But One Issue Could Test The Pack
NC State opened the Justin Gainey era with a comfortable 83-64 win over Campbell, and the early signs were encouraging for a team trying to settle in under a new head coach. Ven-Allen Lubin gave the Wolfpack a strong inside presence in the opener, helping set the tone as the Pack handled business and moved quickly into the next challenge on the schedule.
East Tennessee State arrives in Raleigh after dropping its season opener to Arizona State, and it brings a different kind of test for NC State. The Wolfpack already showed it can take care of one overmatched opponent, but the next step is proving that momentum holds when the competition tightens and the details matter a little more. [Read more 🡒]