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Game Preview: NC State vs. FSU

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NC State Wolfpack (3-3) vs. Florida State (6-0)

Game Time: 3:30pm
Location: Tallahassee, FL
TV: ABC

The storyline: An up and down (and winless in the ACC) NC State team looks for their first conference win of the season against the nation’s #2 team, Florida State.

Why NC State will beat Florida State: After a fast start to the season, NC State has come back down to earth and while they’ve shown heart and fight, they simply lack big-time playmakers at the skill positions and are still seeking on-field leadership. The good news for the Pack is that hey are welcoming back their starting quarterback Brandon Mitchell. Mitchell played the first series of the season before being pulled with a broken foot and having to sit out up until today. He will look to take the leadership role back and instill a little confidence in a team that is in dire need of it. Here is what he had to say about today’s game against FSU.

“It fits what we’ve been preaching as a team – facing adversity,” he said. “We’re going in as a 28-point underdog, they have 300 former players coming back.  But we just want to go in there and ruin their plans.”

Aside from the infusion of Mitchell, State will also be facing a less than 100% FSU team. According to ESPN, RB James Wilder Jr. (FSU’s 3rd leading rusher) will sit with concussion symptoms.

The truth is, if NC State is going to pull off the massive upset, it’s not going to be because of a FSU injury, it’s going to be because the team finally comes together, steps up and makes big plays. The Wolfpack was an early whistle and a strange referee call away from taking down a top 10 ranked Clemson team, so you know they have it in them. However,  FSU isn’t Clemson. The Noles ripped the Tigers 51-14 on Oct 19th and are currently playing with all kinds of momentum.

The good news? None of this has ever stopped the Wolfpack before. Any State fan knows that if there is one team that the Pack likes to knock off their pedestal, it’s FSU. Just last year they took down the (then #3) Noles 17-16 in Raleigh.

 

Why Florida State will walk right over the Wolfpack: You didn’t think we were going to give you just one side of the coin, did you? Well, this is PackInsider.com, so you may have thought that, however we just want to be real and fair here. Florida State is no joke. This is a team that very well could be the best team in college football right now. They have it all. A stout defense, a great Heisman candidate QB and big time playmakers. Now, take all of that and then add the fact that they’ll be playing at home and things just don’t look all that great for NC State.

First and foremost, State is going to need to stop freshman QB Jameis Winston. Here is a kid who has just risen to the occasion, walked right in and become a viable Heisman candidate. He can beat you with his arm, with his legs, basically he can do it all. State is going to need to keep pressure on him all day if they want a shot here.

They’re going to really need big plays from their defense and their special teams if they want to beat FSU, because man for man, few teams in the nation can stack up.

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NC State Football

Dave Doeren Led the Hurricanes to a Game 1 Victory Over Devils

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NC State Head Football Coach Dave Doeren helped lead the Carolina Hurricanes to a Game 1 victory over the New Jersey Devils in Game 1 of the 2nd Round of the playoffs. Doeren was ferocious in sounding the siren.

The Canes demolished the Devils 5-1 last night. Go Canes!

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NC State Football

Which NC State Players Signed with NFL Teams as Undrafted Free Agents?

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Chandler Zavala was the only player from NC State that was drafted this past weekend in the 2023 NFL Draft. So which Wolfpack players signed with NFL teams as undrafted free agents?

NC State has quite a few players playing in the NFL that went undrafted: Defensive Tackle T.Y. McGill, Running Back Zonovan Knight, and Wide Receiver Jakobi Meyers.

The Chargers organization must have liked what was going on in Raleigh, signing 3 Wolfpack players as undrafted free agents.

The Bolts signed Safety Tanner Ingle.

Also heading to Los Angeles is Defensive Back Tyler Baker-Williams.

Los Angeles might have found their kicker of the future in Christopher Dunn.

Linebacker Isaiah Moore has signed with the reigning Super Bowl Champs in Kansas City.

Moore is joining former Wolfpacker Joe Thuney in KC.

Wide Receiver Thayer Thomas has signed with the Minnesota Vikings.

Thomas is joining former Wolfpacker Garrett Bradbury in Minnesota.

Thayer’s brother, Linebacker Drake Thomas signed with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Thomas joins former Wolfpacker’s Jakobi Meyers (WR) and A.J. Cole (P).

Cornerback Derrek Pitts has signed with Tampa Bay.

Defensive Tackle Cory Durden has signed with the Detroit Lions.

Durden joins former Wolfpacker Alim McNeil, who also plays Defensive Tackle.

Finally, Punter Shane McDonough is a rookie mini-camp invitee.

 

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Chandler Zavala was NC State’s Lone Draft Pick in 2023

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Surprisingly, NC State only had one player taken in the 2023 NFL Draft. Unsurprisingly, Offensive Lineman Chandler Zavala was that singular player.

The Carolina Panthers drafted Zavala in the 4th round with the 114th overall pick.

This marks the second year in a row that the Panthers have selected an offensive linemen from NC State, drafting Ikem Ekwonu with the 6th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Zavala and Ekwonu played beside one another in Raleigh on the left side, and there’s a chance that they will eventually do the same thing on Sunday’s for Carolina.

Zavala is coming off of a season where he earned 1st Team All-ACC honors, and didn’t give up a single sack.

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NC State’s Demie Sumo-Karngbaye Enters Transfer Portal

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NC State Running Back Demie Sumo-Karngbaye has officially entered the Transfer Portal. As a Redshirt Freshman this past season, he rushed for 305 yards (5.5 yards per carry) and 3 touchdowns. Sumo-Karngbaye also had 12 receptions for 148 yards and a touchdown.

Demie was electric to start the season, but battled injuries all season long. In conference play, he was limited, only rushing the ball 16 times for 53 yards (3.3 yards per carry) with 0 touchdowns.

There’s no denying that the Wolfpack Running Back room is crowded. From the beginning of the season, Sumo-Karngbaye shared carries with Jordan Houston, who is once again returning this season. After Sumo-Karngbaye continued to miss action due to injuries, True Freshman Michael Allen stepped in and proved to be more than ready for the spotlight, averaging 5.1 yards per carry (53 carries), with most of those carries coming against ACC opponents. Not to mention the fact that True Freshman Kendrick Raphael will look to make an instant impact this Fall.

With all of this being said, I don’t get this move. At the end of the day, every young man has to make the decision they think is best, but Sumo-Karngbaye had every reason to to expect significant playing time in 2023, as long as he could prove to stay healthy.

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