NC State’s Week 4 meeting with App State now has a prime-time spotlight.
The ACC announced Monday afternoon that the Wolfpack and Mountaineers will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 26, with ESPNU carrying the game from Carter-Finley Stadium. It will be the second straight home game on the network for NC State, which also drew ESPNU for Friday night’s home opener against Richmond.
The Wolfpack will take that stage after a blowout win to open the home slate, rolling past Richmond 73-0. CJ Bailey and the ground game helped fuel a school-record outing, as NC State piled up 734 total yards, scored 10 touchdowns and found the end zone eight times on the ground.
Before App State arrives, though, NC State still has a couple of tests to navigate. The Wolfpack heads to Vanderbilt this coming weekend, and that road trip sits between two Power Four matchups before the ACC schedule picks back up.
App State, meanwhile, comes into the matchup at 2-0 after beating East Carolina in Greenville this past weekend. Malachi Singleton has delivered under center for head coach Dowell Loggains, but the offense has also leaned on Mike Anthony’s scheme to keep defenses guessing.
The Mountaineers controlled the tempo against the Pirates, holding the ball for 36:06 and stringing together several long drives. They also forced two turnovers on defense, putting together the kind of balanced effort that fit the description of “complementary football” to a T.
That sets up a matchup with plenty of intrigue for next Saturday night. App State could walk into Raleigh unbeaten, while NC State will try to stay perfect at home and carry momentum into the heart of its schedule.
In Other News...
NC States Rout Revealed An Offensive Standout Nobody Saw Coming
NC States 73-0 rout of Richmond did more than pad the scorebook. It also produced a revealing offensive snapshot, with seven different players earning Pro Football Focus grades of 90.0 or better and a few performances standing out well beyond the usual blowout filler. Quarterback CJ Bailey posted a career-best 92.6, running back Duke Scott checked in with a new high of 92.2, and freshman Dylan McCoy made his offensive debut count with a 90.9.
The most surprising number on the sheet may have come from Isaiah Shirley, the defensive tackle who somehow led the offense in grading with a 97.3 while lined up as an extra blocking tight end. For a Wolfpack team looking to sort out who can help in more than one role, that kind of usage only adds to the intrigue, especially when it comes from a player who is not supposed to be the story on that side of the ball. [Read more 🡒]
Eemeli Yalaho Is Giving NC State A Real Frontcourt Question
Eemeli Yalaho has quickly become one of the more interesting frontcourt pieces in NC States preseason picture, and not just because of where he came from. The Finnish forward arrived with a reputation for efficiency, toughness on the glass and enough defensive versatility to matter in more than one lineup, and those traits are exactly why he looks like a real candidate to carve out minutes when the Wolfpack sort out their rotation.
What makes Yalaho such a compelling piece is the role he could play on both ends of the floor. He is expected to share forward minutes with another player, and his improving physical condition only adds to the intrigue around how much he can handle early in the season. If the offense comes along the way the staff believes it can, NC State may have found a frontcourt answer that gives the Wolfpack more balance than it had a year ago. [Read more 🡒]
RJ Keene Could Give NC State A Bench Weapon It Needs
RJ Keene is shaping up as the kind of perimeter piece NC State has been trying to add, a guard whose value may come less from volume and more from the specific things he can do well. Looking ahead to the 2026-27 season, the staff appears to see him as a reliable bench option who can fit around the starters, bring energy on defense and stretch the floor when the Pack needs a clean look from outside.
What makes Keene interesting is the possibility that his role could be defined before he ever steps into a major one. The early read is that he projects as a defensive specialist and 3-point threat behind the starting wings, which would give NC State a different kind of depth than it has had in recent seasons. If that profile holds, the real question becomes how quickly he can turn those tools into trustworthy minutes when the rotation starts to tighten. [Read more 🡒]