NC State football game predictions: Miami

NC State football hopes to start an ACC winning streak for the first time this season Saturday night. Miami will be in town to face off against the Wolfpack for the second time in three years.

The Hurricanes have only traveled to Raleigh twice in head coach Dave Doeren’s tenure, defeating NC State in 2016 and 2019. Most recently, Miami won 31-30 in 2021 during a road showdown with the Pack.

This year, the Canes come into this contest 6-2 after consecutive ACC victories in overtime, and NC State just picked up a huge home rivalry win over Clemson and stands 5-3 on the season.

Here are TheWolfpacker.com’s predictions for the Pack’s showdown with Miami.

Ethan McDowell’s prediction for NC State vs. Miami

Miami needed overtime to defeat both Clemson and UVA in consecutive weeks coming into this matchup, but do not let that fool you. This Hurricanes squad is an explosive, talented group that will challenge the Wolfpack.

Quarterback Tyler Van Dyke is a top concern. He ranks second in the ACC in passing yards per game at 269.1, but he struggled in his first game back from a short injury absence. Against UVA, he completed 20 of 30 passes for a season-low 163 yards and 2 interceptions. That was his first contest of the year without a touchdown pass.

In each of his three ACC games this year, the star signal-caller has tossed at least 2 interceptions. NC State ranks No. 2 in the conference with 10 picks this year, and the defense will likely have some opportunities to make plays Saturday night.

Miami’s backfield averages 5.3 yards per carry. Running backs Henry Parrish Jr. (454 yards) and Donald Chaney Jr. (375 yards) will be tough to contain as well. UVA held the Hurricanes to 113 rushing yards.

Defensively, freshman edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. (6.5 sacks) and safety Kamren Kinchens (41 total tackles, 3 interceptions) are the headlining members of a talented unit. Miami allows a conference-leading 86.9 rushing yards per game.

NC State will face a ton of pressure and needs to execute on the short passing game. This will be another high-volume day for freshman wide receiver Kevin Concepcion, and he will put together another outstanding performance on a prime time stage.

Turnovers will lead to short fields for both teams, resulting in a surprisingly high score, but the Pack will emerge victorious after a late field goal by Brayden Narveson.

Prediction: NC State 27, Miami 24

Previous predictions: 

Clemson 17, NC State 14 (NC State 24, Clemson 17)
Duke 17, NC State 16 (Actual: Duke 24, NC State 3)
NC State 27, Marshall 13 (Actual: NC State 48, Marshall 41)
NC State 31, Louisville 30 (Actual: Louisville 13, NC State 10)
NC State 31, UVA 13 (Actual: NC State 24, UVA 21)
NC State 45, VMI 0 (Actual: NC State 45, VMI 7)
Notre Dame 27, NC State 20 (Actual: Notre Dame 45, NC State 24)
NC State 24, UConn 10 (Actual: NC State 24, UConn 14)

Noah Fleischman’s prediction

NC State got back on track with its 24-17 win over Clemson last weekend, and that momentum will continue this week when Miami visits Carter-Finley Stadium. Both teams boast stout defenses with elite pass rushers, but the Wolfpack’s home field advantage will be too much for the Hurricanes to handle. 

While Miami is second in the ACC with 27 sacks, NC State is third with 24 this fall. NC State previously found success pressuring the top quarterbacks in the ACC, including Louisville’s Jack Plummer earlier this season. With Tyler Van Dyke entering Raleigh, the Wolfpack defensive line will have similar aspirations. 

Van Dyke has also become turnover prone. He has thrown eight interceptions this season, including seven in his last three games. Van Dyke tossed two against Virginia and North Carolina, and had three against Georgia Tech. As he gets set to play NC State’s defense, Van Dyke will see a secondary that feeds on interceptions. NC State is second in the ACC with 10 this season. 

The Wolfpack defense will feast on Van Dyke’s interception issues, which will allow NC State to get short fields to work with. That will be key — sophomore quarterback MJ Morris and the Wolfpack offense were able to score off an interception a week ago, and it will look to continue the trend of getting points off turnovers. 

With that in mind, NC State will continue its winning ways in ACC play, leapfrog Miami in the league standings with a win over the Hurricanes this weekend.

Prediction: NC State 17, Miami 14.

Previous Predictions:

NC State 19, Clemson 13 (Actual: NC State 24, Clemson 17)
NC State 24, Duke 20 (Actual: Duke 24, NC State 3)
NC State 24, Marshall 10 (Actual: NC State 48, Marshall 41)
Louisville 35, NC State 21 (Actual: Louisville 13, NC State 10)
NC State 31, UVA 10 (Actual: NC State 24, UVA 21)
NC State 52, VMI 3 (Actual: NC State 45, VMI 7)