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With loss to BC in rearview mirror, NC State football readies to battle Louisville

N.C. State linebacker Drake Thomas (32) celebrates after stopping Louisville running back Jalen Mitchell during the Wolfpack’s victory at Carter-Finley Stadium in October 2021.

N.C. State linebacker Drake Thomas (32) celebrates after stopping Louisville running back Jalen Mitchell during the Wolfpack’s victory at Carter-Finley Stadium in October 2021.

ehyman@newsobserver.com

After its most disturbing home loss in several seasons, N.C. State has turned its focus to winning on the road, to being the disturber.

The Wolfpack goes to Louisville for a game Saturday at Cardinal Stadium, then plays next Friday at North Carolina. The Pack (7-3, 3-3 ACC) is not favored against the Cardinals, according to the oddsmakers, nor will it be against the Tar Heels.

But the opportunity is there for the Wolfpack to close the regular season with nine wins and enhance its bowl options — a message NCSU coach Dave Doeren has emphasized this week to his team.

“When they realize, hey, last year at this time we were 7-3 and then we beat Syracuse and then we beat UNC, we had a chance to win 10,” Doeren said Thursday. “Let’s not go down, letting one game get into the next. That’s one thing this team has done a great job of. When we’ve had a setback they’ve responded very well.”

No doubt the 21-20 loss to Boston College last week has been a hard one for the Pack to shake. It ruined Senior Day and the last home game at Carter-Finley Stadium. Everyone took it hard.

Doeren again was blunt Thursday in saying, “We were robbed.” It’s obvious the pass-interference call on linebacker Drake Thomas on a BC fourth-down play in the final seconds of the game continues to bug him.

“It’s a tough feeling,” he said Thursday. “It’s one thing to get beat. It’s another thing when you make a play to win the game and you don’t get to celebrate making it.

“It was a tough one in the locker room and then the next day we flushed it. I thought they came out with great enthusiasm and practiced well all week. I’m proud of them for that. I think it shows maturity on their part, and it’s not an easy thing to do.”

The Cardinals (6-4, 3-4) will be celebrating their Senior Day this week. Then it will be North Carolina’s turn with Senior Day at Kenan Stadium. The Pack’s goal: win both, ruin both.

What to watch for

Louisville blitzes: The Cardinals like to bring pressure from every angle on defense, much like the Pack. Their 36 sacks in 10 games are one shy of Pitt’s ACC lead. Conversely, the Wolfpack offense has allowed 20 sacks, fourth best in the ACC.

“They’re kind of feast and famine,” offensive coordinator Tim Beck said this week. “You see a lot of tackles for loss, lot of turnovers, lot of sacks and they’ve given up some big plays. They’re good, they’re fast They’re very multiple in terms of fronts and coverages. It will be quite a challenge.”

Turnovers: Louisville is second in the FBS in forced turnovers with 27 — 14 interceptions, 13 fumble recoveries. Of that total, eight turnovers came in the Wake Forest game as the Cards rolled to a stunningly easy 48-21 win. The Pack leads the ACC with 16 interceptions after two last week against BC.

STATEWF16-110522-EDH.jpg
N.C. State’s Aydan White (3) intercepts the ball intended for Wake Forest wide receiver A.T. Perry (9) during the second half of N.C. State’s 30-21 victory over Wake Forest at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, N.C., Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com

Starting QBs: Cardinals coach Scott Satterfield has been coy this week, not saying if Malik Cunningham or Brock Domann would start after Cunningham was injured against Clemson. The Pack’s MJ Morris absorbed some big hits last week, although it did not keep the freshman out of the game. Morris is listed as QB1 for the Wolfpack. Is he good to go?

Wolfpack offense: There has been a lot of social-media buzz about Morris’ status — practices are closed and Doeren said Thursday he would not discuss any injuries — but questions also have been raised about others. Center Grant Gibson was injured and left the BC game. Running back Demie Sumo-Karngbaye was injured after a few plays and left. Tight end Trent Pennix was banged up in the BC game.

How to watch

The game initially was to be shown by the ACC Network. But with the cancellation of the Virginia-Coastal Carolina game, the Pack and Cardinals will be shown by the ACC’s regional sports networks such as Bally Sports South and streamed on the Bally Sports app.

Wes Durham will handle the play by play, Roddy Jones will be the analyst and Taylor Davis the sideline reporter.

Latest line

ESPN has made the Cardinals a 4.0-point favorite and Louisville’s Football Power Index (FPI) is 69.6%

Pregame reading

NC State lineman Timothy McKay puts football in perspective after Virginia tragedy

‘It’s a mystery.’ NC State football unsure which Louisville quarterback it will face

UVA football players killed in shooting on Doeren’s mind as Pack preps for Louisville

NC State vs Louisville football: An early underdog, Pack looks to rebound from loss

In more than 30 years at The N&O, Chip Alexander has covered the N.C. State, UNC, Duke and East Carolina beats, and now is in his 11th season on the Carolina Hurricanes beat. Alexander, who has won numerous writing awards at the state and national level, covered the Hurricanes’ move to North Carolina in 1997 and was a part of The N&O’s coverage of the Canes’ 2006 Stanley Cup run.

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