The NC State football team is about to kick off its 2016 season, which features a more formidable nonconference schedule than in past years under head coach Dave Doeren.
The Wolfpack opens the season against William & Mary of the FCS. On the surface, it looks like a typical nonconference cupcake game that NC State faced over the last couple seasons. However, just like it was for the men’s basketball team in its 2015 season opener, this will likely be tougher than it looks on paper.
When the teams last met back in 2008, the Wolfpack came out on top in a 34-24 victory. While these rosters are completely different now, the 10-point margin of victory was much lower than any of NC State’s nonconference matchups last year — the closest in 2015 was a 38-14 win on the road against Old Dominion.
It is also worth noting that the Tribe is ranked in the top 10 in the FCS and has championship aspirations at its level of play. That being said, it has something to play for and isn’t simply going to roll over because NC State plays at a higher level. Additionally, Jimmye Laycock is entering his 37th season as head coach of the Tribe, and his 240 wins rank third nationally among FCS coaches.
“It’s always fun to coach against somebody like Coach Laycock,” Doeren said at Friday’s press conference. “It’s an honor to be in a game against a head coach like that. Obviously, he’s done the right things or he wouldn’t still be there. His name’s on the stadium.”
The prime example would be its matchup against Virginia last season, in which it lost 35-29 in a game that was 21-20 at the half with Virginia leading. While the Cavaliers were one of the bottom feeders of the ACC last season, it is worth noting that they were a 40-yard touchdown pass away from going into overtime with No. 9 Notre Dame last season and played close games against most of their conference opponents — as four of their five losses were within seven points — so it’s not like that was an easy game for a team at any level.
“Last year, they were a very good football team,” Doeren said. “On offense, they return nine starters and averaged 30 points a game. They definitely have a very good football team and we look forward to playing them.”
A player to watch from the Tribe is senior running back Kendell Anderson. The team captain and preseason All-American rushed for 1,418 yards and 16 touchdowns last season, but is questionable with a shoulder injury. If he plays, he could cause problems for the NC State defense. If he doesn’t, William & Mary’s running game could suffer and henceforth cause the offense to be one-dimensional, making it easier for the Wolfpack defense by expecting the pass every play.
On defense, senior cornerback Trey Reed had a dominant year last season, racking up three interceptions and 10 pass defenses on his way to third-team All-CAA honors. Matching up against a Wolfpack wide receiver corps that just lost its No. 1 target in Jumichael Ramos, he could make it difficult for senior Bra’Lon Cherry or redshirt sophomore Stephen Louis to make an impact on an offense that will be rotating its top two quarterbacks.
The Pack has some weapons of its own. Senior running back Matt Dayes returns after missing the final five games of last season and looks to capitalize off of what was a career year in which he carried the ball 134 times for a team-high 865 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was well on his way to eclipsing 1,000 yards before he got hurt and will likely come back eager to reach that mark this season. Also, don’t forget about offensive utility man Jaylen Samuels, who played just about everywhere last season while ranking first in receiving and third in rushing.
On the defensive side, juniors Bradley Chubb and B.J. Hill are also set for big years after breaking out on the defensive line last season. They might be the two best returning players on the whole defense, as Chubb ranked second in both tackles and sacks with 69 and 5.5 respectively. Hill also ranked fifth in tackles and fourth in sacks despite constantly being double-teamed by the opposing offensive line.
While the Wolfpack has the clear upper hand in its first game of the season, look for this to be closer than any of the games against nonconference opponents in 2015. The Wolfpack kicks off its 2016-17 campaign on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh.
