NC state will sell out to stop the run. Our offensive success will be determined by Fancher and Trickett to both call and execute passes down the field, to force them to back off, and give our running game a chance. If not, we will go 3 and out, A LOT.
On Defense, NC state will attack the defense rushing. We will also need to sell out against the run to have a chance to stop them. Anyone with unbridled confidence in our defense to shut them down, needs to realize, we are one of the worst in the nation at defending the run, and it's almost entirely due to scheming. There were times we didn't have a single LB behind our D line in the middle vs ODU. We can't do that against NC State or we are toast.
Make no mistake, they are not world beaters, they probably aren't the best team left on the schedule, but they are the only team with a winning record we have played since coastal last year, and the best team this season by far.
So in essence, we have to pass, and stop the run. We do that and i think we win. We don't, and it could be 35-3 NC State