NC State’s stumble in Nashville left the Wolfpack with more than a mark in the loss column, and the road ahead doesn’t get any softer. The next three opponents on the schedule all had their own Week 3 stories, and two of them are shaping up to be real measuring sticks for State.
Start with App State, which held off Charlotte 26-21 to stay unbeaten. Malachi Singleton was the engine, throwing for 331 yards and two touchdowns, while the Mountaineer defense slammed the door on the run game and limited Charlotte to 36 rushing yards.
One wrinkle worth watching: App State has piled up double-digit penalties in each of its last two games. That kind of sloppiness could matter in Week 4, especially with NC State trying to shake off the frustration from last weekend.
The Wolfpack have owned this series, winning all six previous meetings, and they’ll be looking for a bounceback when the teams meet.
Louisville, meanwhile, delivered the loudest result of the group. The Cardinals and SMU turned Saturday into a track meet, combining for 72 points and 921 total yards.
Both teams ran for more than 250 yards, and Louisville got a career-high 163 rushing yards from Keyjuan Brown. The game swung back and forth with eight lead changes before the Cardinals finished off a 41-31 win over a ranked SMU team.
That’s the kind of victory that sends a message, and it keeps Louisville in the conversation for the ACC race. NC State has had a rough time with the Cardinals, losing the last two matchups and going 2-4 against Louisville at home.
Louisville plays Wake Forest on Sept. 26 before heading to Raleigh.
Wake Forest’s Week 3 trip to Miami ended in a 33-20 loss to the No. 5 Hurricanes.
The second quarter was the turning point, when Miami ripped off 17 unanswered points and took control. The Demon Deacons also made life harder on themselves with 13 penalties for 122 yards.
NC State beat Wake Forest 34-24 in Winston-Salem last season, and the Wolfpack are 2-1 in the last three meetings, though they dropped the most recent one in Raleigh. The rematch in Raleigh is set for Oct.
For NC State, the path is pretty clear: App State should be a game the Wolfpack can handle, but Louisville and Wake Forest are the ones that will really tell the story of this season. First up is App State in Week 4, and State will be trying to get back to .500.
In Other News...
NC State Fans Have Every Reason To Debate This Offensive Split
NC States offensive snap counts from the Vanderbilt game offered a clear look at how the staff leaned on certain pieces while trying to find the right balance across the unit. Center Teague Andersen and left guard Yousef Mugharbil were on the field for every one of the 80 offensive snaps, a sign of how much stability the Wolfpack wanted up front, while tight ends Preston Douglas and Hunter Provience both logged career-high workloads as the offense spread the ball around.
The production behind those usage numbers gives the split even more to talk about. Douglas reached career highs in receptions and receiving yards, Keenan Jackson posted career-best marks in catches and touchdowns, and Davion Gause made his touches count in the run game. For a team still sorting out how best to distribute snaps and chances, Vanderbilt left NC State with enough promising signs to keep the conversation going. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Just Added Another Weapon In The Facility Arms Race
NC State has pushed further into the modern college football arms race with a renovation inside the Murphy Center that turned the third-floor dining hall into a world-class fueling center. Completed in 2026, the project modernized the kitchen and dining spaces with an eye toward student-athlete health, recovery and performance, giving the program another upgraded corner of its football operation.
Now the focus shifts from the renovation itself to how the school plans to monetize it. NC State is seeking board approval to sell naming rights to the refreshed space for $2 million, with the money earmarked for the Carter-Finley Capital Fund, a move that shows how facility upgrades and fundraising increasingly go hand in hand in Raleigh. [Read more 🡒]
TJ Warren Is Still Filling It Up In His New Chapter
TJ Warrens next chapter opened with a familiar sight for anyone who watched him at NC State or during his NBA peak: the ball finding the net often and in a hurry. Making his professional debut overseas with Paris Basketball, Warren scored 22 points in a victory over Nanterre 92 in the French Super Cup, going 8-of-12 from the field while adding two rebounds and two blocks.
For a player who spent nine seasons in the NBA before the last two in the G League, the move to Paris already marked a notable shift, but the early production suggests he can still be an impact scorer in a different setting. Wolfpack fans have long known Warren as a bucket-getter, and his first game in France offered a reminder that the scoring touch has traveled with him. [Read more 🡒]