N.C. State football will kick off its conference play on Saturday against the Virginia Cavaliers in Carter-Finley Stadium at 12:20p.m. The Wolfpack remains unbeaten at 3-0 while the Cavaliers sit at 3-1 with a loss to Indiana. Both teams had at least one player named ACC Player of the Week after their performances against Marshall and Louisville, respectively, last weekend.
Let’s take a look at the offensive matchup for N.C. State against Virginia’s defense.
Quarterback vs. Defensive Back
Graduate quarterback Ryan Finley has recorded over 300 passing yards each game this season. Finley has combined for five touchdowns and a 68.6 completion percentage in the past three games. In the previous game against Marshall, Finley completed 23 of 40 pass attempts for 377 yards.
Safety Joey Blount for Virginia has tallied 23 total tackles this season, 13 in which came from their loss against Indiana. In 2017 Blount appeared in all 13 of the Cavalier’s games with one start. Blount will be in pursuit of Finley this weekend in hopes to break their undefeated record.
Wide Receiver vs. Defensive Back
The ACC Player of the Week junior wide receiver Kelvin Harmon added six completed passes for 150 yards to his rap sheet. This is the Harmon’s second highest yardage total for his career. He now leads the ACC and ranks ninth in the FBS with 104 receiving yards.
Junior cornerback Bryce Hall has combined 17 tackles this season with one sack. Seven of these tackles came from his performance in his last game against Louisville. Hall had 29 solo tackles last season including three tackles for loss.
Running Back vs. Linebacker
Senior running back Reggie Gallaspy Jr. scored two of the Wolfpack’s touchdowns against Marshall including 81 rushing yards. Gallaspy’s overall record for this season holds 173 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
Linebacker Charles Snowden was also named ACC Player of the Week for Virginia after his eight tackles and one sack against Louisville. Snowden totals 17 tackles this season, nine of which are solo. In 2017 he compiled two tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
Tight End vs. Defensive Line
Sophomore tight end Dylan Parham has had an impactful season with two receptions and 11 receiving yards. Parham appeared in 12 games last season with the Wolfpack.
Sophomore defensive end Mandy Alonso has compiled seven total tackles and one sack this season. Alonso had 0.5 tackles for loss as well as 0.5 sacks in 2017. He will be keeping his eye out for the offensive line in this matchup, but especially on Parham.
Offensive Line vs. Defensive Line
Senior offensive tackle Tyler Jones has played in every snap in the last 20 ACC games for N.C. State. Last season the Pack’s O-line ranked second in the Power Five in sacks allowed with 13 in 13 games.
Defensive tackle Eli Hanback has tallied seven tackles and one sack so far this season for the Cavaliers. Hanback has appeared in the past 25 games and holds 102 total tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks for his career at Virginia.
