NC State football game predictions: Game 2 vs. Notre Dame

The stage is set for NC State’s 2023 home opener. No. 10 Notre Dame will take the field at Carter-Finley Stadium for a challenging matchup with the Wolfpack Saturday.

Going into the matchup, the Pack is 1-0 after defeating UConn 24-14, and Notre Dame is 2-0 following dominant wins over Navy (42-3) and Tennessee State (56-3). Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. ET. The game can be seen nationally on ABC.

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Here are TheWolfpacker.com’s staff predictions for this weekend.

Matt Carter’s prediction for NC State football vs. Notre Dame

As a history buff, I like to sometimes apply lessons from the past when making predictions.

There is a, perhaps harsh, perception about NC State football: these are the types of games in which the Pack has struggled to prevail. In recent years, it has missed out on program-turning moments that could have been the spark for a breakthrough on the national stage.

Last year, the Pack lost on the ESPN GameDay stage in a top-10 showdown on the road at Clemson. The season before, NC State did upset Clemson at home, but that came two weeks after a letdown at Mississippi State. Later in 2021, the Pack lost at Wake Forest in a top-25 showdown with the ACC Atlantic Division title on the line.

In 2018, an undefeated (5-0) ranked NC State team went to No. 3 Clemson and was routed by the Tigers.

With a 6-1 record and No. 14 ranking, the 2017 version of the Wolfpack lost in back-to-back weeks at No. 9 Notre Dame and home to No. 4 Clemson.

However, on the flip side, in the past six years, NC State football is 7-11 against ranked teams, and that includes the 2019 squad that finished the year 4-8 overall. While sub-.500, that’s actually not a bad mark when compared to non-elite programs. Plus, in four of those six years, the Pack split versus ranked foes.

For some perspective, the rival down the road, North Carolina, is just 3-13 against ranked teams since 2017, and the Heels have been to an Orange Bowl and played for ACC title in that span. Wake Forest, which has also competed for a conference crown since 2017, is 4-11 in that timeframe against ranked opponents (sadly for NC State, three of those wins have been against the Pack).

Notre Dame, however, is 16-11 against top-25 foes over the prior six years, and also owns a staggering 28-game winning streak in regular-season games versus the ACC.

My prediction is based largely (but not solely) on how these two teams tend to do in these types of games in recent memory.

Prediction: Notre Dame 27, NC State 17

Previous predictions: NC State 38, UConn 14 (Actual: NC State 24, UConn 14)

Ethan McDowell’s prediction

Notre Dame put together two extremely impressive performances to start its season, and the Irish have not allowed a touchdown this season, outscoring Navy and Tennessee State by a combined 98-6 margin. The Wolfpack is a lot better than either of those teams, but it still faces a tall task this week.

Over their first two games, the Irish averaged 206 rushing yards per game behind a strong backfield committee, and Sam Hartman only threw 7 incompletions during those contests.

Electricity will fill Carter-Finley Stadium Saturday despite the noon start, and the players will be pumped up for the opportunity to knock off a top-10 program at home. That energy will matter, and I would not be surprised to see NC State jump out to an early lead.

Brennan Armstrong told the media this week that the team’s goal is to score at least 31 points. That specific number makes sense. NC State’s defense did not give up more than 30 points all of last year.

Notre Dame’s offensive line is massive and talented, and their running backs are tough to tackle. Unless the offense makes a significant jump from Week 1, which is certainly possible this early in the year, the Pack defense could be on the field a lot Saturday.

For the Pack to pull off an upset win, the defensive front has to be a constant nuisance for Hartman and force him into some tough throws against the program’s defensive backs, who should hold their own in one-on-one coverage.

Then, the Wolfpack passing attack will have to generate a few explosive passing plays and avoid turning the ball over in the process. Notre Dame is a tough team to run on, but its defense plays extremely aggressively. If the NC State offense can take advantage of that with efficient quick passes and screens, that could lead to points.

I believe the Wolfpack will keep this close, once again buoyed by Armstrong’s ability to extend plays with his legs, and the home team might even lead for stretches in this matchup. With that said, Notre Dame will eventually grind down a formidable effort from Pack’s defense, leading to a narrow loss.

Prediction: Notre Dame 27, NC State 20

Previous predictions: NC State 24, UConn 10 (Actual: NC State 24, UConn 14)