NC State game predictions: Week 8 vs. Virginia Tech

NC State spent its bye week regrouping, getting healthy and preparing for the final five games of the regular season following the bye week. Now, it’s time for the Wolfpack to return to the field for a Thursday night prime time showdown with Virginia Tech.

Despite being ACC peers, the Hokies and Pack do not meet on the field very often, making this an intriguing matchup for the two schools. Virginia Tech comes into the game struggling with a 2-5 record, while the Wolfpack is 5-2.

The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN.

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Here are The Wolfpacker staff predictions for this weekend:

Ethan McDowell’s prediction

Virginia Tech’s offense looks exactly like a unit that the Pack’s defense is built to dismantle. Quarterback Grant Wells is extremely inconsistent, and he is not much of a threat running the ball. The Hokies have struggled to run block reliably and rarely reach the red zone. Because of this, I am pretty confident the Wolfpack will shut down the opposition enough to extend its home winning streak.

NC State should be healthier than they were at the end of the Syracuse game, with defensive end Savion Jackson the only athlete removed from the depth chart this week. If the majority of the Pack’s experienced defense takes the field Thursday night, I do not think it will have much of a problem stopping the Hokies, and there should be a few opportunities to create game-changing turnovers as well.

On offense, I remain a little higher on quarterback Jack Chambers than most. Syracuse has a really solid defense and, pairing that with last game’s penalty issues, the Wolfpack spent most of the afternoon in second- and third-and-long scenarios. This forced Chambers into difficult spots, but he made some really nice plays at times. The Wolfpack will not face another defense of that caliber for the rest of the year, including Virginia Tech’s.

If the Wolfpack can cut down on the penalties, Chambers should be able to lead a productive offense against the ACC’s 10th-ranked scoring defense Thursday night. The Pack will get back on track against Virginia Tech, the defense will continue to excel, and I think the offense could be a pleasant surprise.

Prediction: NC State 24, Virginia Tech 6

Previous Predictions: 

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

Week 2: The Wolfpack 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: The Wolfpack 52, UConn 6 (actual: the Wolfpack 41, UConn 10)

Week 5: Clemson 28, the Wolfpack 24 (actual: Clemson 30, the Wolfpack 20)

Week 6: The Wolfpack 31, Florida State 20 (actual: the Wolfpack 19, Florida State 17)

Week 7: Prediction: The Wolfpack 20, Syracuse 17 (actual: Syracuse 24, the Wolfpack 9)

Matt Carter’s prediction for NC State vs. Virginia Tech

On paper, there’s a lot to like about this matchup. 

Virginia Tech has proven anemic on offense and generally devoid of All-ACC contenders. The latter is a potential separation from the Pack’s prior two opponents, each of whom were not high-powered but did have all-conference caliber players, especially at the skill positions.

Until proven otherwise, the Wolfpack is going to have to win games in lower-scoring affairs.

Virginia Tech also has another notable characteristic that plays potentially into the hands of the Pack. Quarterback Grant Wells, while physically gifted, has not proven himself a dangerous scrambler. Mobile quarterbacks have been one of the biggest Achilles’ heels of the NC State defense thus far this year.

That should enable even further the Wolfpack to keep this a lower-scoring contest.

The one caveat that gives me pause is that Virginia Tech also had an off week, which is a good opportunity to get devoted reps in practice to working exclusively on the offense vs. preparing for an opponent. 

While the same is true for NC State, Virginia Tech is doing so with the same quarterback, not one who is entirely different than the player he is replacing, like Jack Chambers is doing after subbing in for the injured Devin Leary.

Typically, Thursday night games are showcase opportunities, but with the way these two offenses have been going that might not be the case. The prediction is the game will be a grind at times that NC State pulls out.

NC State 21, Virginia Tech 10

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)

Week 6: NC State 27, Florida State 17 (actual: NC State 19, Florida State 17)

Week 7: NC State 24, Syracuse 14 (actual: Syracuse 24, NC State 9)