NC State heads west for a Friday night ACC trip to Stanford with a chance to shake off last week’s stumble and keep its season moving in the right direction. The Wolfpack are coming off a 38-14 home loss to Wake Forest as 4.5-point underdogs, but that came after back-to-back wins, including an upset of Louisville.
Stanford, meanwhile, has been all over the map. The Cardinal dropped two straight before putting Elon away 34-7 at home as 33.5-point favorites to get back on track. Earlier this season, Stanford had also pulled off an upset of Georgia Tech, but the low points have been brutal: a 57-3 loss at Wake Forest as a 14.5-point underdog and a 58-7 defeat at Notre Dame as a 40.5-point dog.
These teams already met once, and NC State handled business in convincing fashion. The Wolfpack rolled to a 59-28 win at home in the first-ever meeting between the schools in 2024.
The biggest name to watch is NC State quarterback CJ Bailey. He has started for the Wolfpack through his first three years and has shown real growth since his freshman season, when he threw 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Last year, he sharpened that to 25 touchdowns against nine picks. This season, Bailey has slipped a bit with nine touchdowns and four interceptions, but his 1,507 passing yards still rank 41st in the nation.
Stanford has already seen Bailey have one of his cleanest outings. In that 59-28 win as a freshman, he completed 18 of 20 passes and threw three touchdowns.
The Cardinal’s season has been defined by extremes. They’ve shown they can spring an upset, but they’ve also been overwhelmed when the game has tilted the other way.
NC State, for its part, has at least shown more resilience on the road lately. After getting blasted 34-8 at Virginia to open the year, the Wolfpack came back with a 35-31 loss at Vanderbilt and were competitive enough against Wake Forest last week to score 14 points.
It’s still a tricky spot for a team chasing its first road win, especially with the favorite’s label attached, but NC State is the pick here.
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Stanford Faces A Short-Week Test With Bowl Hopes Suddenly Real
Stanford heads into a short-week matchup with North Carolina State still carrying the boost of a win over Elon, and the timing could not be much more interesting for Tavita Pritchards team. After spending much of the early season trying to find traction, the Cardinal now have a chance to turn a modest burst of momentum into something more meaningful, with junior linebacker Sam Mattingly and running back Micah Ford among the players expected to help set the tone.
Fords status is worth watching after he showed up on the injury report Wednesday, but Stanfords broader outlook is what makes this one compelling. A road test against an ACC opponent can say a lot about where the Cardinal really stand, and with bowl eligibility suddenly in view, the coming stretch feels a lot bigger than the schedule might have suggested a week ago. [Read more 🡒]
Stanford Faces A Bigger Test Than NC States Record Suggests
Stanford gets one more chance to settle in at home before the calendar turns to a long road stretch, and the Cardinal will need to make it count against a North Carolina State team that looks more dangerous than its record says. Stanford is coming off a win over Elon, where Micah Ford tied a program record for rushing touchdowns, and this matchup arrives with the kind of situational weight that can change how a season feels in a hurry.
It is also the last time Stanford will play at Stanford Stadium until late November, which adds a little extra urgency to a game already shaped by rarity. NC State has had a bye to prepare, brings a solid third-down offense and a defense led by linebacker Popo Aguirre, who is piling up tackles and disruptive plays, so the Cardinal are staring at more than just a 3-3 opponent on paper. [Read more 🡒]
Stanfords New-Look Roster Gets An Early Test In Oregon
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The early signs, though, show there is still plenty to sort out before the games count. In a recent preseason exhibition against Santa Clara, Stanford fell 83-78, a useful reminder that chemistry and roles will take time to settle with so many new faces in the mix. Julius Price, Anthony Batson Jr. and Christian Bliss each gave the Cardinal a scoring boost, offering a glimpse of the pieces Smith will lean on once the regular season arrives. [Read more 🡒]