After the UVA debacle, NC State gets a chance tonight against Richmond to start looking more like a team with a plan. The big question isn’t just whether the Pack wins - it’s what kind of progress shows up in the process.
The first thing to watch is whether the offense can begin to form an identity. At Virginia, NC State looked flat-out incoherent.
The group was on the field so little that it never had a real shot to find a rhythm, and even the snaps that should have worked often came apart because the execution wasn’t there. Richmond gives the Pack an opening to sort through the mess and start figuring out what actually functions.
The simplest way to put it: where’s the bread and butter?
That leads straight to the next question, which players are actually going to drive this offense. Duke Scott is the name NC State would like to lean on, and there should be better days ahead for him.
Still, it would make sense to make a more deliberate effort to get Victor Snow involved tonight. The passing game came out of Week 0 with almost nothing useful to show for it, and the receiver room still feels unsettled.
Snow may wind up needing 8-10 touches every week, and this is a good time to find out. Keenan Jackson could also end up being a focal point.
Then there’s the defense, which needs a look in a more normal game script. Against Virginia, the unit was put in a terrible spot for 60 minutes because the offense couldn’t stay on the field.
Even so, there were some encouraging signs against actual handoffs, and that’s something worth building on. Richmond does not look like a team that will threaten much downfield, so this should be a better test of how NC State handles regular passing downs and a more ordinary flow of possessions.
In Other News...
NC States Receiver Problem Is Forcing A Look At New Options
NC States opener against Virginia made the wide receiver situation hard to ignore. With the top five receivers from the previous season gone, the Wolfpack had trouble creating separation and gave quarterback CJ Bailey too little help as the passing game tried to find its footing. It was the kind of early reminder that roster turnover can show up fast, especially when a new-look group is asked to carry a meaningful role right away.
So the conversation now turns to who can step forward next. Freshmen Tyreek Copper and Amiri Acker are part of that search, both bringing strong high school rsums and the sort of upside that can matter quickly if they adapt to the college game. Second-year receiver Jerel Bolder is also in the mix as NC State looks for more dependable options, and the next few weeks should tell a lot about which of those names can help stabilize a thin position group. [Read more 🡒]
NC States First Home Game Comes With One Big Lineup Shakeup
NC States first home game of the 2026 season against Richmond comes with an immediate test of depth, and the biggest adjustment is on the defensive side after the loss of AJ Richardson for the season. Dave Doeren is expected to sort through the next-man-up options in the linebacking group, with Bailey Benson and DaKaari Nelson both in line for work at WILL, while Ondre Evans is slated to start at left cornerback.
The special teams picture is changing too, with Victor Snow handling punt and kick return duties as the Wolfpack settle into a new look for the opener. A detailed projected depth chart for offense, defense and special teams gives a pretty clear sense of how NC State plans to line up, but the real story Saturday will be how quickly those changes settle in once the home schedule begins. [Read more 🡒]
NC States Identity Is Being Tested By A New College Football Reality
Virginias season-opening win over NC State came with a drive that felt almost emblematic of the sports shifting ground, one that stretched to 23 plays and finished off the Wolfpack. Beyond the result, it served as a reminder of how much college football now runs through the transfer portal, with experienced offensive lines and roster turnover helping programs retool quickly and stay competitive.
Dave Doeren has adapted to that reality in his own way, bringing transfers into the program while still leaning heavily on development as a core part of NC States identity. The challenge is that building and keeping a roster looks different now, and the Wolfpack are trying to hold onto that approach even as the market for talent keeps pulling in another direction. [Read more 🡒]