A major theme of this NC State football season is ending negative trends, such as trying to end the 40+ year ACC title drought and finding a way to win ugly games that teams of years past would traditionally lose, such as the lucky escape from ECU in week one.
Another one of those trends is the bad luck NC State has had in facing nonconference Power Five teams, having failed to win a matchup of such variety in the regular season since 2003.
Who was the said team that NC State beat in 2003? The same team the Pack is playing this weekend: the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
In trying to live up to the high expectations that many had leading up to the season, the No. 16 Wolfpack (2-0) will look to end its bizarre streak against nonconference Power Five opponents as it hosts the Red Raiders (2-0) in primetime.
Since 2003, NC State has gone 0-7 against nonconference Power Five teams in the regular season. The Pack’s most recent matchup of the kind was last year, in which the team laid an egg in a 24-10 road loss against Mississippi State.
The Wolfpack has also only played one other game against a Big 12 team during the regular season since 2003, which was a 44-27 loss to West Virginia in 2019.
If NC State wants to end its streak of bad luck against nonconference Power Five schools, Texas Tech will provide no easy challenge. Although they are a far cry away from the gloried “Air Raid” days of Mike Leach, Kliff Kingsbury and Patrick Mahomes, the Red Raiders are always dangerous out of the Big 12.
Texas Tech is in its first season under head coach Joey McGuire, who took over a program that went a combined 15-20 from 2019-2021. So far, it looks like McGuire is taking the team where he wants as the Red Raiders have won their first two games, including a double overtime thriller over then-No. 25 Houston last week.
The win over the Cougars came without quarterback Tyler Shough, who began the year as the starter but suffered an injury in the team’s season opener. Shough will also be out against NC State.
However, in Shough’s absence, quarterback Donovan Smith showed out for the Red Raiders, throwing for 351 yards and two touchdowns. Most importantly, Smith came up clutch when his team needed him to, orchestrating the drive that set up the game-tying field goal at the end of regulation, converting a 4th and 20 in overtime to keep his team’s hopes alive, and scoring the game-winning touchdown in double OT with his legs.
Like always, Texas Tech’s offense is no joke. On top of Smith, the team amassed 468 yards of total offense last week. Additionally, the Red Raiders boast the running back tandem of Tahj Brooks and Sarodorick Thompson, who combined to rush for over 1,000 yards in 2021.
This will be the toughest test NC State has had so far this season. While spirits are up after last week’s blowout win over Charleston Southern, the Pack’s ugly win in Greenville to open the season is still fresh on everyone’s mind and serves as a constant reminder that if the Pack doesn’t take a team seriously, it will get beat.
NC State is experiencing what it’s like playing with a target on its back this season and got a wake-up call to what that feels like in week one. Luckily, the Pack came away 1-0. After its dramatic win last week, Texas Tech will be playing loose and looking to knock off another top-25 team. If the Pack comes out the same way it did against the Pirates, the Red Raiders won’t be as forgiving.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17 and will be televised on ESPN2.
