NC State football scouting report: California

By Ethan McDowell

NC State football (3-4) travels to the West Coast for the first time since 1960 this weekend for its showdown with California (3-3). Both programs have lost all of their ACC games so far this season and sit at the bottom of the league standings.

The Golden Bears have enjoyed an eventful first year in the ACC. All three of their losses have been by 5 points or fewer after a 3-0 start that included a 21-14 win over Auburn on the road. Cal lost to Florida State on the road by 5, to No. 6 Miami at home by 1 after squandering a 25-point lead and No. 20 Pittsburgh by 2.

After finishing a 3-game home stand 1-2, NC State is looking to pick up its first road win of the season and has not played a game in California since facing off against UCLA more than 40 years ago.

Here’s TheWolfpacker.com’s scouting report on the Golden Bears — a team that fields a talented secondary and a potential game-changer at running back.

5 California players to watch vs. NC State

1) Senior cornerback Nohl Williams

Williams leads the ACC with a staggering 6 interceptions in 6 games. The next-closest defender has 3. He also paces the league with 9 defended passes. This is his second season with Cal after transferring from UNLV, and it has been a career-year for the senior.

Standing 6-1, 200 pounds, Williams is also the team’s kickoff returner and has 2 touchdowns this year— one on special teams and one on a pick-six. Opposing teams have thrown at the lockdown defensive back 33 times this fall, completing 16 attempts for 199 yards.

2) Junior running back Jaydn Ott

Ott was one of the ACC’s preseason all-conference running backs, but an injury has limited the junior star all fall. He is day-to-day for Saturday’s game after missing Cal’s clash with Pittsburgh. The running back averaged 2.9 yards per carry over 4 games this season but racked up 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns last year. Ott has forced 9 missed tackles this fall on 47 carries, averaging 2.14 yards after contact. His explosiveness has been limited with just 2 runs over 10 yards.

3) Senior linebacker Teddye Buchanan

Buchanan is Cal’s leading tackler with 56 (25 solo) stops so far this year. He is also second on the team in sacks with 4 and recorded 3 defended passes and a forced fumble. The UC Davis transfer checks in at 6-2, 235 pounds and is 5 tackles away from tying his career high in a season. He is having a career year, recording no fewer than 8 stops in each of Cal’s first 6 games this season. In coverage, Buchanan has allowed 10 receptions on 21 targets for 80 yards as the program’s Will linebacker.

4) Redshirt sophomore tight end Jack Endries

Endries has established himself as the leading receiver in the Cal offense with 19 receptions for 265 yards and 2 touchdowns. A total of 8 Golden Bears have at least 9 receptions and 100 yards so far this season, but the 6-4 tight end is the highest-graded receiver on the team by Pro Football Focus (PFF).

If Cal throws the ball in his direction, chances are he’s making the grab. Endries has 20 targets this season, and only one of them fell incomplete. He splits time between the slot and traditional tight end alignments. While his average depth of target is 5.2, he does pick up 9.1 yards after the catch.

5) Redshirt sophomore quarterback Fernando Mendoza

Mendoza started 8 games for Cal in 2023, throwing for 14 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. This year, the quarterback has cut down on the turnovers. He is completing 66.5 percent of his passes for 1,449 yards, 8 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. The signal-caller has also taken 24 sacks so far this season. Around 14 percent of Mendoza’s attempts travel 20 yards or more downfield. At 6-5, 225 pounds, he has the arm to stretch the field. Mendoza has also racked up 114 rushing yards on scrambles.

3 keys to the game vs. the Golden Bears

1) Do not give the ball away

Cal ranks No. 3 nationally and No. 1 among Power Four schools in turnover differential. The Golden Bears have intercepted 13 passes so far this year and recovered 1 fumble while giving the ball away 4 times. NC State is coming off a game where the team forced 0 turnovers, fumbled twice and threw an interception. The Pack leads the ACC with 13 turnovers through 7 games. California will take advantage of any opportunities NC State gives it.

2) Take advantage of Cal’s poor pass protection

The Golden Bears are dead last in the league in sacks allowed this season, giving up 4 per game. Their offensive line has allowed 75 total pressures, more than 12.5 per contest. Left guard Rush Reimar and right tackle T.J. Session have accounted for a combined 10 sacks this year. Cal is the worst pass blocking team in the ACC, and NC State needs to take advantage of that.

After a super slow start to the year, the Pack picked up its pass rush in recent weeks and now ranks No. 8 in the conference with 13 sacks. NC State needs to keep the Golden Bears behind the sticks to help itself on third down, and getting to Mendoza early and often would certainly help with that.

3) Force Cal to kick

For the second week in a row, NC State will face a team that has struggled to make field goals. Cal placekicker Ryan Coe is 7 for 14 this year. He made 3 for 4 attempts inside 30 yards. Beyond that range, he is 4 of 10. Coe did hit a 51-yard field gaol earlier this year, but the redshirt senior — who previously played for UNC, Cincinnati and Delaware — has been very inconsistent.

1 NC State player who could change the game

Graduate defensive lineman Davin Vann

NC State moves Vann around its three-man defensive front, and he will have a few favorable matchups Saturday afternoon. None of Cal’s full-time starting offensive linemen hold an above-average PFF pass protection grade.

In his final season of college football, the Wolfpack defensive end has 24 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 7 games. He also ranks No. 6 in the ACC with 8 tackles for loss this season. His disruption against a subpar defensive line could be huge for the Wolfpack.