N.C. State (3-5, 0-5 ACC) will travel to Durham on Saturday to take on in-state rival Duke (6-2, 2-2 ACC) at Wallace Wade Stadium.
“Duke is very well coached and have a lot of difference-makers on the team,” head coach Dave Doeren said. “They’re scoring almost 33 points per game, so we have a great test ahead of us this weekend.”
Coming off of a 27-19 loss to UNC-Chapel Hill, the Wolfpack will attempt to grab its first in-conference win of the season. The Blue Devils are fresh off of a bye week after taking the 13-10 victory against Virginia Tech on Oct. 26, clinching their second consecutive bowl berth.
“People will remember how you finish,” Doeren said. “We did play hard for four quarters [against UNC]. We played hard in every game for four quarters. We just need to make more plays, and we have four more games to do that.”
The last time the two teams faced each other, Duke defeated State at Carter-Finley Stadium by a score of 49-28 on Oct. 10, 2009. However, the Pack has claimed victory in 11 of the last 12 encounters, and it holds a six-game winning streak against the Devils at Wallace Wade Stadium.
“This is going to be exciting,” redshirt junior defensive end Art Norman said. “Besides the fifth-year seniors, this is everybody’s first time playing Duke, so everybody is excited for this.”
Sophomore running back Shadrach Thornton continues to be one of the vital components for State’s offense. Since earning the starting job against Clemson, the Hinesville, Ga. native has powered his way to a team-leading 447 yards on the ground on 90 carries with four touchdowns, tying him with freshman running back Matt Dayes. Thornton also has nine catches for 62 yards this year.
“[Thornton] runs through contact and makes the first defenders miss,” Doeren said. “He is physical in protection, and he catches the ball well out of the backfield.”
The Pack will also have to find a consistency with its passing game. Graduate student quarterback Brandon Mitchell will look to start behind center for his third consecutive game, but after getting pulled in the fourth quarter against the Tar Heels in favor of redshirt junior quarterback Pete Thomas, the fate of the Arkansas transfer is up in the air.
“We’ve still got to keep working [Mitchell and Thomas],” Doeren said in his weekly ACC teleconference. “I’m not going to announce [who will start right now], but they are both practicing and they’re both doing things well. They’ve both made mistakes and plays throughout the season. Both guys have learned a lot in their starts this year.”
Mitchell is 30-of-58 on the season with 351 yards and four interceptions while Thomas leads the team with 121 completions on 199 attempts with 1,360 yards through the air, three scores and eight interceptions.
Duke’s most volatile weapon is junior wide receiver Jamison Crowder. The Monroe, N.C. native leads the team with 60 receptions for 769 yards and three touchdowns. Crowder is Duke’s primary punt returner, gaining 297 yards and two touchdowns on 17 returns.
“I’ve watched a lot of his film to see what he does to get open,” redshirt senior wide receiver Rashard Smith said. “To be great, you have to do some things that other players do.”
Kickoff for Saturday’s contest is slated for 4 p.m. and can be seen on ESPNU.
