NC State is looking to get back on track when they head out west to take on Stanford. After a tough loss to Wake Forest, the Wolfpack have six games left to turn their season around, and coach Dave Doeren is focusing on taking it one game at a time.
There are three big things we need to watch tonight if NC State wants to walk away with a win.
First up is how the team responds to that bad defeat against Wake Forest. They had a lot of guys sidelined and just didn’t execute, but they have a history of bouncing back strong after a loss. The bye week gave them a chance to reset, and we will see if they can keep that trend going.
Second, they have to find a way to stop Stanford running back Micah Ford. The guy is having an incredible season and was the main reason Stanford beat Elon last week, running for almost 180 yards and four touchdowns. State’s defense, led by Popo Aguirre, has been okay against the run overall, but they have had some really bad holes letting teams like Virginia and Louisville run all over them. If they cannot plug the gaps, Ford is going to cause a lot of trouble.
Finally, there is the late kickoff. Playing at 10:30 PM Eastern time is rough for a team from the East Coast. Doeren flew the team out on Wednesday to help them adjust, and they even practiced at midnight to get their bodies used to playing late into the night. State has let some fourth-quarter leads slip away this year, so staying sharp when the clock hits midnight is going to be a massive challenge.
Andre Chery is predicting a 28-17 win for the Wolfpack. The game kicks off late on ESPN.
