OUR FINAL TAKE: NC State vs. Arizona State

Several members of the Inside Pack Sports staff predict the winner of the NC State-Arizona State matchup and tells you why.

James Henderson (IPS Publisher)
NC State 31, Arizona State 28
I'd feel a lot better about my prediction if Bradley Chubb was playing, and without him this game becomes much, much tougher for NC State.

Both teams are similar in terms of limiting turnovers offensively and playing disciplined football.  Both have talented quarterbacks and skill position players, but I do think NC State's run defense could prove to be the difference.

The Wolfpack has fared well against the run much of the season, and Chubb obviously was a huge reason for that, but if State can limit Arizona State's run game the Wolfpack should be able to secure the ninth win.

Again, I don't think it will be easy, but at the end of the day, look for Nyheim Hines and Jaylen Samuels to be the difference makers for NC State.

Rob McLamb (IPS Beat Writer)
NC State 42, Arizona State 24
The Wolfpack may yield some points but it’s hard to envision a scenario where Arizona State can stop NC State’s offense — sans the Pack stopping themselves.

Look for Ryan Finley, a Phoenix-native, to have a field day. Nyheim Hines probably has a long run in him as well.

NC State should be able to add the 2017 campaign to its list of seasons with nine wins in the 125 year history of the program.

Bryant Carson (IPS Football Analyst)
NC State 31, Arizona State 23
I don’t know too much about ASU but I know they’ll take the field Friday with a lame duck head coach and without their regular-season offensive coordinator.

On the State side we still don’t know if Bradley Chubb (or anyone else for that matter) will elect to sit out the game so that is obviously an X-Factor that could matter. 

At the end of the day I think State has been a really, really good team and had a few things broken their way they could be in a much different bowl scenario right now—thus, it’s hard for me to pick against the Pack in this one.

James Johnson (IPS Football Analyst)
NC State 34, Arizona State 21
The Arizona State offense is very impressive.

They present a variety of weapons and diverse array of schemes.  NC State may struggle to slow this unit down in the best match up if the game.  N'Keal Harry could present a mismatch.  Should State chose to consistently double cover him, that would take a safety away from fitting in the run game.  At QB, Manny Wilkins is good enough to put drives together and get points on the board.  State has talent of their own on defense, but they must choose what to take away from the Sun Devils.

On the other side though, I think the Pack offense has an explosive day in the bigger mismatch of units on the field.  Arizona State gives a ton of looks on defense and shows a ton of post snaps slants, blitzes and coverage rotations.  This often leads to big plays for the offense and the defense. 

If the Pack can get a few of these long scores and put together a couple of their patented long-scoring drives they will have more than enough points.

Daniel Wilson (IPS Writer)
NC State 42, Arizona State 24
The Wolfpack will continue its dominance and cap off its season with a definitive win over the Sun Devils. However, NC State shouldn’t expect Arizona State to bow down easily. The Devils will put up a strong fight.

The Pack’s offense will give the defense enough cushion to coast into victory.

Jackson Williford (IPS Writer)
NC State 38, Arizona State 27
NC State will be the healthiest they've been in quite some time, and while the extra rest is something Arizona State has also enjoyed, it's especially important for State.

Having ample time to get playmakers like Nyheim Hines and Stephen Louis back to 100% will make a world of a difference for the Wolfpack. 

The Wolfpack should have no trouble moving the ball on an Arizona State defense that has struggled all year.  The Sun Devils do possess a versatile offense, but I expect Ryan Finley and crew to hang with and outscore ASU in an exciting game.

Austin Parker (IPS Writer)
NC State 35, Arizona State 21
Think the Pack jumps on this one early with the run game. Just looking at pure stats, they are nearly identical teams.

Pass protection is a problem for the Sun Devils, and pass protection in this game against the Pack will be even tougher.

Pack wins by double digits and the Seniors walk off the field together knowing they left the program better than they found it.

Jake McSwain (IPS Writer)
NC State 35, Arizona State 21
Both teams are coming out with something to prove.

State wants to put an exclamation point on an already successful season, while Arizona State wants to send off their coach with a win. NC State is the more talented team, and will have players looking to improve their draft stock.

This feels like game where State pulls away early.