NC State will return home to Carter-Finley Stadium, after a bye week, to take on No. 11 Miami under the Friday night lights at 7:30 p.m. After a devastating loss to rival UNC-Chapel Hill, the Wolfpack will be looking for the upset win to bounce back and improve to a 5-2 record in the ACC.
In terms of recent history, this game will be a shot in the dark for both teams, as the two have not met since 2016, when Miami came to Carter-Finley and defeated the Pack 27-13. The Wolfpack currently stands with a 5-9-1 all-time record against the Hurricanes.
While NC State (4-2, 4-2 ACC) will have the opportunity to grab a win from the Hurricanes, it will be difficult to dismantle this top-ranked team. Miami (5-1, 4-1 ACC) currently sits on a two-game winning streak, recently defeating Pittsburgh and Virginia, two of NC State’s biggest wins of the season. Miami has only lost one game this season, which was a harsh loss to Clemson, the No. 1 team in the nation.
Another week without redshirt sophomore quarterback Devin Leary means another week struggling for consistency on offense. Redshirt junior Bailey Hockman will fill in the starting position at quarterback, followed by freshman Ben Finley, who is likely to get more reps this week. Neither had a great performance two weeks ago, with three interceptions between them in the Wolfpack’s huge loss to UNC.
On the other hand, Miami’s quarterback D’Eriq King has been consistent for his top-ranked team. A dual-threat style offense gives the Hurricanes the edge over NC State. King has already hit two games with over 300 passing yards, so it is very likely this playmaker will look to tear up the Wolfpack’s ever-struggling secondary. I would not be surprised if we saw a high-scoring game for the Hurricanes.
After the Tar Heels racked up a hefty 48 points on NC State, this defense will have a lot of work to do to hold down the Hurricanes. With Miami’s strong passing game, the Pack’s defensive line and linebackers need to apply pressure to the quarterback to prevent a blowout. The Pack defense has struggled to stop teams this season, giving up an average of 34 points per game. On the other hand, the Miami defense has only given up an average of 22 points per game.
NC State will be heading into Friday as the underdog, with a lot of work to do if it wants to secure this upset. Based on the history of these two teams and their performances of this year, it seems like a safe bet to predict a Miami win this Friday night.
Prediction: Miami 35- NC State 17
