The Wolfpacker Show: NC State vs. Tennessee preview
NC State football clashes with Tennessee inside Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium Saturday night, a pivotal non-conference matchup circled by both fanbases for months. The coaches and players will say this is just like any other game, but it’s more that that.
With a win Saturday night, the No. 24 Wolfpack would assert itself as a top-tier team in the ACC and a College Football Playoff contender. No. 14 Tennessee wants to crash NC State’s expectations back down to earth Saturday behind a high-tempo offense and a formidable pass rush.
To prepare for this prime-time showdown in Charlotte, The Wolfpacker Show recorded another episode to preview the matchup. Hosts Noah Fleischman and Ethan McDowell sat down to share their thoughts on the ACC/SEC showdown.
In this episode of The Wolfpacker Show…
*** The hosts talked about their initial thoughts on this matchup. Overall, Noah is far more confident in the Wolfpack’s chances against the Volunteers. He believes NC State’s year of upsets and thrilling wins will continue in Bank of America Stadium.
*** They discussed where NC State could improve from last week’s game and answered a couple of big-picture questions around this matchup. What are the keys for the Wolfpack to win this game? Does NC State need to leave with a victory to elevate the ACC’s national credibility?
*** Dynamic Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr. is an elite player who could wreck the game, and redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava showed plenty of potential in the first two starts of his career. How will the Wolfpack slow down the Volunteers’ stars?
*** After talking through how the Wolfpack matches up with Tennessee on both sides of the ball, Noah and Ethan made their predictions for Saturday night. Who will lead NC State in rushing, receiving and tackling against the Volunteers?
*** To wrap up the show, they shared their final score predictions. The hosts are split on the outcome for this game, with Noah predicting a season-defining victory.
The Wolfpacker Show is available in audio and video on TheWolfpacker.com’s YouTube channel. You can also stream the show on any podcast platform.
