The North Carolina State Wolfpack hit the road for the first time this season to head up to Norfolk, Virginia to take on the Old Dominion Monarchs out of Conference USA.
This game will be each team’s toughest test to date, as both come in 2-0, having beaten Sun Belt, MAC, and FCS teams to get to this stage.
NC State Game 3 Preview: At Old Dominion Monarchs
ODU went to Ypsilanti, Michigan and outlasted the Eastern Michigan Eagles 38-34, then beat the Norfolk State Spartans 24-10 in their cross-town rivalry.
NC State beat the Troy Trojans 49-21 to open their season, and then blasted the FCS’s Eastern Kentucky Colonels 35-0 to reach 2-0 for the third straight season.
Also for the third straight season, the Wolfpack’s early season slate isn’t one to be tremendously excited about. With due respect to the four teams NC State plays, this non-conference schedule is as tepid as day old bath water.
ODU will likely be the toughest test the Pack has before opening ACC play against Louisville. Nothing in these first four games will get NC State for Louisville, Virginia Tech or anybody else coming up in conference play.
Hey, even Syracuse is 2-0 and doesn’t seem like the walk through it did in the preseason.
Whatever can be gleaned from wins over Troy and EKU may not matter in the grand scheme of this season. For the time being, the NC State offense seems poised to set its team up for good things each game. When they have to go against VA Tech in Blacksburg, or Clemson, we shall see what kinds of points they can put up.
The ODU game will be the return of running back Shadrach Thornton, who served a two game suspension for a violation of team policy. It wouldn’t shock me if Thornton has to split time with Matt Dayes, who has proven to be a more than capable backup in Thornton’s absence.
When the running game stalls on the road against the likes of a Boston College or Florida State, we’ll see just who coach Dave Doeren wants to trot out on offense to combat some of the tougher defensive fronts the Pack will see.
NC State got by ODU last season 46-34 in Raleigh. To keep it that close again this year the Monarchs will need the Wolfpack secondary to revert back to its porous form of seasons ago. The Monarchs lost their pass happy quarterback Taylor Heinicke to graduation, and have redshirt freshman Shuler Bentley under center this season.
ODU hasn’t had passing on its mind as much as it’s had handing the ball to running back Ray Lawry. Lawry has rushed for 438 yards in two games thus far.
If that sounds like a lot, it is. Lawry leads FBS this season in rushing yards and is tied with Alabama’s Derrick Henry in rushing touchdowns with six. Expect Lawry to be out to prove something against a Power Five opponent.
Against competition comparable to NC State’s, Lawry has 59 carries and a little over one in ten have been touchdowns.
The Wolfpack’s leading rushers combined have 69 carries. Jacoby Brissett has attempted 45 passes, while Bentley has thrown 54 times. ODU likes to run a lot of plays, and put up a lot of points in shootouts. If they can get NC State off balance and into a score fest, they have a shot.
If State can stop the rush attack, they will coast in this game. If ODU can get Lawry the number of carries per game he’s used to, then watch out.
State’s time of possession has been a huge factor this season. EKU put up a goose egg to give the Pack its second consecutive year with a shutout. They beat Presbyterian 42-0 last season. Last week was only the second shutout for the Wolfpack in the last four seasons. There will likely be just the one this season as the schedule is about to ramp up.
ODU can expect to see some red amongst its blue crowd, as Norfolk is only 185 miles northeast of Raleigh. S.B. Ballard Stadium holds around 20,000, and judging from the Monarchs’ pattern of sellouts, this one should be heaving with fans.
The Wolfpack will get their first taste of a hostile environment, and if they start slow, the crowd is going to get into this one with fervor.
Given that Norfolk State held ODU to 24 points, I believe NC State can keep them at bay as well. The Monarchs will come out fired up, no doubt. But if the Wolfpack can contain Lawry, the Monarchs shouldn’t put up much of a fight in the second half.
Vegas has NC State favored by 17.5 points, and the Over/Under at 59.5. If State plays their game and spreads the ball around, they can dominate an overmatched defense and win going away.
