NC State game predictions: Week 6 vs. Florida State

NC State did not dwell on last week’s loss to Clemson for long. The Wolfpack gave itself 24 hours and then moved forward. Florida State travels to Carter-Finley Stadium this weekend with the hope of bouncing back from its own Week 5 loss.

Both teams are 4-1 this year, and Saturday’s showdown keeps the winner’s Atlantic Division title hopes alive.

The game kicks off at 8 p.m. on the ACC Network.

Subscribe to The Wolfpacker today with our limited-time $10 deal for premium access until 8/31/23

Here are The Wolfpacker staff’s predictions for this weekend:

Matt Carter’s prediction for NC State vs. Florida State

This is a challenging game to predict.

How good is Florida State?

How is NC State going to bounce back from the emotions of the Clemson game?

For that matter, how is FSU going to handle coming back down to earth a little with a loss at home to Wake Forest after an undefeated 4-0 start?

How healthy is the Wolfpack secondary which will face a talented receiving corps at FSU?

There are so many variables at play here, but ultimately this game comes down to can the Pack find a rhythm on offense? They must be able to outscore the Noles, who have a solid offense with a dangerous quarterback.

Florida State is on the upswing. Head coach Mike Norvell has developed a nice track record of finding guys in the transfer portal that break out when they arrive in Tallahassee. Defensive lineman Jermaine Johnson was a reserve at Georgia who became a first-round NFL Draft pick and ACC Defensive Player of the Year in one season at FSU.

This year, Albany defensive lineman Jared Verse and Arizona State receiver Johnny Wilson have been the gems unearthed. 

Wake Forest showed there is still a little bit of program-growing to do in Tallahassee. 

The Wolfpack comes out with a renewed purpose after the loss at Clemson and comes away with a solid win.

Prediction — NC State 27, Florida State 17

Previous Predictions: 

Week 1: NC State 34, East Carolina 17 (actual: NC State 21, East Carolina 20)

Week 2: NC State 48, Charleston Southern 7 (actual: NC State 55, Charleston Southern 3)

Week 3: NC State 30, Texas Tech 17 (actual: NC State 27, Texas Tech 14)

Week 4: NC State 45, UConn 7 (actual: NC State 41, UConn 10)

Week 5: Clemson 30, NC State 21 (actual: Clemson 30, NC State 20)

Ethan McDowell’s prediction

Going into this game, I am not worried about a Clemson hangover. That loss was disappointing to both the players and the coaching staff, but this group is way too experienced to let one game change the course of a season.

On paper, the matchup between the Pack and the Seminoles sets up pretty evenly. Both quarterbacks have All-ACC potential, and Jordan Travis‘ ability to extend plays and pick up yards on the ground is my biggest concern for the Pack’s defense.

The Wolfpack gave more than 50 rushing yards to a quarterback twice this season, and Travis is more than capable of doing that again this weekend. At 6-7, Johnny Wilson is a tough matchup on the outside, but NC State did well containing Texas Tech’s tall wide receivers, and I’m confident Aydan White and Shyheim Battle can continue to do so in the first half before Derrek Pitts Jr. returns in the second half.

The Wolfpack defense, backed by a raucous crowd at Carter-Finley Stadium, will do enough to slow down the Seminole offense. The main question, which has been the case all season, is can the offense step up and put together enough productive drives to win the game? Despite Devin Leary playing his best game of the season against Clemson, the lack of a rushing attack and inconsistent protection for the Wolfpack signal-caller stifled the Wolfpack offense.

Look out for a bounce back game from Anthony Belton Jr. in pass protection Saturday. He will potentially pick up yet another challenging matchup in Florida State’s Jared Verse, but Belton was a solid pass blocker before last week, and I am hoping for a return to form from him Saturday night.

The Seminoles’ defense has forced 7 turnovers over 5 games, so taking care of the ball will have to be an emphasis for the Pack once again. I have complete faith in the Wolfpack defense to stop Florida State if turnovers do not gift them any short fields, and I think a more balanced and controlled NC State offense will show up Saturday.

Prediction — NC State 31, Florida State 20

Previous Predictions: 

Week 1: The Wolfpack 38, East Carolina 10 (actual: The Wolfpack 21, East Carolina 20)

Week 2: NC State 52, Charleston Southern 6 (actual: The Wolfpack 55, Charleston Southern 3)

Week 3: The Wolfpack 35, Texas Tech 20 (actual: The Wolfpack 27, Texas Tech 14)

Week 4: NC State 52, UConn 6 (actual: The Wolfpack 41, UConn 10)

Week 5: Clemson 28, NC State 24 (actual: Clemson 30, The Wolfpack 20)