No. 14 NC State football is set to square off against the Florida State Seminoles in Carter- Finley Stadium Saturday, Oct. 8. There is much excitement surrounding the game where a sold-out crowd hopes to see the Pack bounce back from a disappointing performance at Clemson.

This matchup marks the 43rd matchup between the Wolfpack (4-1, 0-1 ACC) and the Seminoles (4-1, 2-1 ACC). Even though Florida State holds the edge in the series, NC State has won four of the last five games.

There’s been lots of mention of how much FSU has improved this year. The Seminoles have failed to put together a winning season since 2017. However, that failure looks like it’s changing this season as both sides of the football look to be clicking in a crucial third year under head coach Mike Norvell. 

Florida State’s strong start to the season included a last-minute blocked field goal against LSU. The Noles went on to defeat a strong Louisville team on the road and take down Boston College. This culminated in FSU’s first appearance in the AP top 25 since 2018.

Last week in a losing effort against No. 22 Wake Forest, quarterback Jordan Travis had a strong performance, tossing for 281 yards and three touchdowns. Receivers Mycah Pittman and Johnny Wilson combined for 170 yards and three touchdowns. 

Shifting over to NC State, this game spells lots of opportunity for the Wolfpack. However, much of this success leans on the offense. In NC State’s loss to Clemson, the offense seemed to be missing a beat for most of the game. The Wolfpack only recorded 279 total yards of offense. However, the Pack looks to right the ship as it faces a Seminole defense that currently allows 329.4 yards per game. 

In order for the offense to be on top of its game, it will need more contributions from the receiving core, including redshirt junior Devin Carter. The towering 6-foot-3-inch receiver, who made several contributions last season, has not seen much success this year as NC State still lacks a true WR1. The Wolfpack also needs better play from redshirt junior quarterback Devin Leary, who has not played up to the standard he set last season. Leary gets another test this week against a Florida State unit that’s only giving up 179.4 passing yards per game. 

The rushing attack also looks to rebound after a week in Death Valley where it was only able to pick up 34 total yards. Sophomore running back Demie Sumo-Karngbaye and his junior counterpart, Jordan Houston, look to capitalize on a Florida State defense that allows 150 rushing yards per game.  

The Pack needs to keep an eye out for linebacker Kalen Deloach as he looks to continue a strong campaign. Deloach has amassed 27 total tackles, 2.5 sacks and four passes defended. Defensive back Jammie Robinson is another player making a big impact. He currently leads the team with 34 combined tackles.

The Wolfpack defense looks to have another great performance led by its very strong linebacker core. Junior Drake Thomas, graduate student Isaiah Moore, and redshirt junior Payton Wilson each played a vital role in the Clemson game, with each having at least eight tackles. As a whole, they have contributed heavily to an overall unit that only allows 280 yards per game. The linebackers will have their hands full with Travis’ versatility. He leads a Florida State offense that currently averages an impressive 481.6 yards and 34.2 points per game. 

It’ll be interesting to see how the secondary will play with the injury status of senior nickelback Tyler Baker-Williams still up in the air. Baker-Williams exited the UConn game and wasn’t able to take the field at Clemson. In his absence, the secondary will have to deal with several explosive targets such as the likes of Mycah Pittman, Johnny Wilson and Ontaria Wilson. Each of these pass-catchers have already eclipsed 200 receiving yards and scored multiple touchdowns this year.

Their running game should not be overlooked, however, as running back Treshaun Ward has 437 rushing yards along with three scores so far. Ward is part of a unit that averages 203.8 yards per game. The Wolfpack defense, which only allows 94.4 rushing yards per game, will look to limit this production on Saturday.

FSU is not a team to be taken lightly, being a much improved squad from years past. Both teams will be looking to bounce back from disappointing losses and hope to cement their respective statuses in the top of the ACC. The Pack will look to channel a strong home environment under the lights to help seal a victory. 

Kickoff against the Seminoles is set for 8 p.m. at Carter-Finley Stadium and ACC Network will host the broadcast.