The Wolfpacker Show: NC State vs. Kansas State preview

No. 18 NC State football kicks off against No. 25 Kansas State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl Thursday evening. This ranked matchup carries historic implications for the Wolfpack with a potential tenth win on the line.

If the program leaves Orlando, Florida, with a victory this week, this NC State squad would be the first in program history to finish with exactly 10 wins and the second team to reach the double-digit win mark in the team’s more than 100-year history.

With all of the intrigue surrounding the Pack’s postseason clash, The Wolfpacker Show sat down to record an episode previewing the matchup.

Kansas State enters this game with an 8-4 record after dropping its regular season finale to Iowa State. One year removed from a Big-12 championship, the Wildcats lost each of its four 2023 setbacks by 8 points or fewer, including close defeats at the hands of Missouri and Texas.

Both coaches met with the media Wednesday morning, breaking down how important this game is to their respective programs and explaining why they admire the team that will line up on the opposing sideline.

The Wolfpacker Show hosts Ethan McDowell and Noah Fleischman were both excited to talk about the showdown after making a long drive to Orlando.

During this episode, they discussed:

*** Their initial thoughts on the bowl game experience and their take on how NC State matches up with Kansas State.

*** Superstar linebacker Payton Wilson will not play Thursday after opting out of the bowl game earlier this week. Ethan and Noah broke down the impact of his decision to skip the game and outlined how the linebacker room will line up without him.

*** Then, they talked about Kansas State on both sides of the ball. Starting quarterback Will Howard is in the transfer portal, so true freshman signal-caller Avery Johnson will start under center for the first time in his career. Running back DJ Giddens is the main Wildcat player to watch after rushing for more than 1,000 yards this season.

*** After a quick break, Ethan and Noah picked the spread, the over/under and the final score of the game. Both hosts agree on the outcome of the game. To wrap up the show, they each made one bold prediction for the Pop-Tart’s Bowl.

The Wolfpacker Show is available in audio and video on TheWolfpacker.com’s YouTube channel.

Download the Gametime App and get $20 off your purchase event ticket order using the promo code “WOLFPACK”

Listen to The Wolfpacker Show