NC State left Week 4 with a 41-31 win over West Virginia and a 2-2 record, but the Wolfpack’s next stretch in ACC play looks like a real measuring stick.
The first challenge comes quickly. NC State hosts Louisville in Week 5, and the Cardinals arrive after taking a hit of their own. Louisville, ranked No. 16 after a big win over SMU in Week 3, was upset at home by Wake Forest, falling 30-27 and dropping to 1-1 in the ACC race.
Wake Forest did its damage in the second quarter, when Louisville’s defense gave up 21 points. The Cardinals’ offense, which had been expected to carry plenty of weight, was held to just 6 points after halftime. Before Saturday, Louisville’s rushing game had been averaging 229 yards per game, but Wake Forest bottled it up for only 75.
That result makes Louisville vulnerable, but history has not been kind to NC State in this matchup. The Wolfpack have lost the last two meetings with the Cardinals and are 2-4 against Louisville at home.
Wake Forest, meanwhile, keeps playing spoiler. The Deacs went on the road and knocked off a ranked Louisville team that had been projected to contend with Miami for the ACC title this season.
NC State will get that opponent at home on Oct. 10, and the recent series has been a mixed bag for the Wolfpack. State beat Wake Forest 34-24 in Winston-Salem last season, is 2-1 in the last three meetings, but lost the most recent game in Raleigh.
Stanford also turned in a notable Week 4 result, rallying past Georgia Tech 34-27 behind a career day from quarterback Davis Warren. Warren threw for 396 yards and three touchdowns as the Cardinal erased a 20-10 halftime deficit. Stanford scored on three straight drives in the second half to finish the comeback.
NC State has seen Stanford only once, in the Cardinal’s first ACC season in 2024, and the Wolfpack won that Nov. 2 meeting 59-28. This year’s trip to Stanford is set for Oct. 23.
For now, the Wolfpack’s path gets tougher. The offense has done enough to keep games moving in the right direction, but the defense has let leads slip over the last two weeks. If that doesn’t change, the next two ACC matchups could get uncomfortable in a hurry.
In Other News...
NC State Gets A Wake Forest Setup Fans Are Tired Of Seeing
NC States Week 6 trip to Wake Forest now has a familiar early start, with the ACC setting the game for noon on The CW. Its the kind of kickoff Wolfpack fans have seen far too often in conference play, the sort that turns a league matchup into a morning routine and leaves little room for any buildup once Saturday arrives.
The timing adds another layer to a game that already carries some recent history. NC State has won four of the last six meetings with Wake Forest, but the most recent home game in the series went the other way, and the Demon Deacons come in 3-1 under new coach Jake Dickert. For the Wolfpack, it is another chance to handle a rival that has given them problems in this spot before, even if the television slot is one they would probably rather avoid. [Read more 🡒]
NC States Louisville Game Plan Just Got Much More Complicated
Louisvilles preparation for NC State has taken an immediate turn, with head coach Jeff Brohm saying quarterback Lincoln Kienholz is a game-time decision after suffering an injury in the Cardinals recent loss. Kienholz has been an important part of Louisvilles offense, so his status adds a layer of uncertainty to a matchup the Wolfpack already had reason to study closely.
For NC State, the challenge now is less about one opponent and more about two possible versions of the same offense. If Kienholz cannot go, Louisville could turn to backup Davin Wydner or Briggs Cherry, forcing the Wolfpack to account for a different rhythm, different tendencies and a different kind of preparation right up until kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Had Several Players Step Up When This Game Got Tight
NC State got the kind of win that can settle a team down for a week, even if it took a little more work than it appeared it might early on. The Wolfpack beat App State 41-31 and moved back to .500, with several players making sure the night did not turn into one of those frustrating losses where a lead slips away and nobody can quite stop the momentum.
Keenan Jackson, Popo Aguirre, Jackson Vick, CJ Bailey and Duke Scott all had a hand in keeping the game pointed NC States way when App State pushed back late. It was the sort of effort the Pack will want to bottle going forward, because the margin tightened, the pressure rose and the game still ended with NC State finding enough answers on both sides to finish the job. [Read more 🡒]