STANFORD, Calif. — NC State makes a cross-country trip this week, hoping a late Friday night game against Stanford gets its season pointed back in the right direction.
The Wolfpack (3-3) and the Cardinal (3-4) kick off at 10:30 p.m. Eastern time, and NC State is listed as a 6.5-point favorite. The flight to the West Coast covers about 2,400 miles.
The Wolfpack have been tough to read this fall. They won tight games against App State and Louisville before Wake Forest beat it 38-14 in Raleigh. That same Wake Forest team beat Stanford by 54, the only opponent the two teams share. Opponents have hung at least 35 points on Stanford four times, including a 57-3 Wake Forest rout and a 58-7 defeat at Notre Dame, before the Cardinal handled Elon 34-7.
The Wolfpack offense averages 33 points per game, with quarterback CJ Bailey building chemistry with receiver Keenan Jackson and tight end Preston Douglas. The defense has been a weak spot, yielding 28 points and 6.1 yards per snap on average, figures worse than every ACC team except Stanford and Florida State.
Injuries are a factor on both sidelines. NC State will be without its leading rusher, tight end Vander Ploog and defensive back Tristan Teasdell, and receiver Jojo Trader is questionable. Stanford is still missing defender Brandon Nicholson and linebacker Matt Rose, who were both hurt in a Sept. 26 win over Georgia Tech.
That Georgia Tech game is a cautionary note for Raleigh fans. The Yellow Jackets also made the long trip and lost 34-27 at Stanford after the Cardinal won the turnover battle 2-0. A win would lift Stanford to 4-4 and keep its bowl hopes alive.
Section: More Raleigh NC sports news
Raleigh sports business profiles
Filed under: Raleigh NC Sports News
