FSU vs. NC State Prediction, Game Preview

FSU vs. NC State prediction and game preview. Projecting who wins between the Seminoles and Wolfpack on Saturday in Raleigh, NC.

FSU vs. NC State Game Preview

When: Saturday, Nov. 5 – 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh, NC
TV Broadcast: ESPNU

The Seminoles (5-3, 2-3 ACC) were unable to hold onto their lead over Clemson, allowing the Tigers to rally and remain unbeaten after their 37-34 ACC Atlantic division win in Tallahassee last Saturday. It was the first time in 10 years that FSU lost to Clemson at Doak Campbell Stadium, and it marked the first time FSU has lost consecutive games to Clemson since the Tigers won three in a row from 2005-07. Jimbo Fisher’s squad fell short despite Dalvin Cook’s career-high four touchdowns.

Meanwhile, the Wolfpack (4-4, 1-3) suffered a bad loss last week to Boston College, which earned its first ACC victory since 2014 when running back Davon Jones threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Tommy Sweeney on a trick play with 4:43 left to give the Eagles a 21-14 win. It was the team’s third consecutive loss, and Dave Doeren needs to make sure his team digs down deep to become eligible for a bowl.

When these teams met last season in Tallahassee, Sean Maguire came off of the bench to rally the Seminoles to a 34-17 victory. Maguire replaced Everett Golson in the second quarter and directed four straight scoring drives for Fisher’s squad.

What To Know About FSU

The Seminoles were penalized 13 times for 111 yards in the loss to Clemson, including being called for a chop block on Freddie Stevenson on what would have been a long Cook run deep into Clemson territory during the final quarter. A targeting penalty also led to the ejection of Tre Marshall. Cook has gone over 1,000 yards in three straight seasons and needs 192 yards break Warrick Dunn’s school career record of 3,959 yards. Boston College rushed for 168 yards last week against NC State, which has the No. 17 rush defense in the country. Cook will face some resistance from that Wolfpack front, but he’s a special talent that should have another fine game. He should also find some room to run as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. Quarterback Deondre Francois will be looking to regroup after going 17-of-35 passing for 169 yards with a touchdown and an interception last week. While he was not victorious, he showed once again that he is one of the toughest players in the country.

What to Know About NC State

Doeren needs to get the Wolfpack back on track following their loss in Raleigh. The worst offense in the ACC outgained N.C. State 386-338 and had a 168-31 advantage in rushing yards. NC State couldn’t get anything going on the ground, marking the second consecutive week it has struggled. Against Louisville, the ‘Pack set a season low with 14 rushing yards. Quarterback Ryan Finley finished with a career-best 307 passing yards and two touchdowns, but he threw two interceptions—his third straight game with multiple picks after having not thrown one until the Clemson game. It’s an offense that is scuffling right now.

Advantages

Offense: FSU. The Seminoles rank No. 34 in the country at 34.8 points per game.

Defense: NC State. The Wolfpack rank No. 37 in scoring defense at 23.4 points per contest.

Special Teams: Even. NC State kicker Kyle Bambard has missed four field goals and three extra points, while FSU kicker Ricky Aguayo has missed five field goals.

Coaching: FSU. Doeren’s squad has played its worst football of the season following the near-upset of Clemson.

Intangibles: FSU. This is going to be an angry Seminoles team coming off of the loss to Clemson.

Matchup To Watch

Jaylen Samuels vs. FSU defense

Doeren cannot be pleased that Samuels had just one catch for eight yards and was targeted three times in the loss to BC. He is the team’s best player, and he only had 4 catches for 26 yards against Louisville the previous week. He had a big game in the near-upset of NC State, hauling in 8 catches for 100 yards, and he must get back to that production level for this offense to flourish.

Betting Odds

Spread: FSU -6
Over/Under: No Line (as of post)