OUR FINAL TAKE: NC State vs. Notre Dame

Several members of the Inside Pack Sports staff predict the winner of the NC State-Notre Dame matchup.

James Henderson (IPS Publisher)
State 28, Notre Dame 24
I feel like the score may be too high, but I’m going with the Pack today.  

NC State has had a lot of success at home, and with this being the first game of the season in Carter-Finley, I’m expecting the place to be electric.

Look, I can be wrong – and I’ll definitely admit it later on this afternoon if it’s the case -- but I’m just not sold on Notre Dame.  I think the Pack schemes up a couple of big plays and the defense closes it out late.

Steve Williams (IPS Football Recruiting Analyst)
Notre Dame 35, State 21
The Wolfpack fan in me absolutely believes State can pull the upset here. We've seen it happen over and over with this exact scenario. If I take off the red glasses and look at it objectively, I've just not seen enough in the area (throwing the ball down the field) I think State needs to excel at to think they'll pull it off. But hey, the Pack has a knack for figuring out a way, so that's what I'm hoping for on Saturday.

Bryant Carson (IPS Football Analyst)
Notre Dame 27, State 17
ND is typically a tough matchup at any point, but I think this is a tall order for game two with State trying to break in a new offense that wasn't very explosive in game one. 

I believe ND's big offensive front will ultimately be able to win the LOS consistently enough to chew up rushing yards, keep their offense on the field, wear down the Pack defense, and get in scoring position with some frequency. 

I'm certainly not throwing in the towel on the Anae offense (or anything remotely close to that), but I felt like there were several elements of the offense that needed some work coming out of game one and again, tall order to expect things to make a huge turn in game two against a top 10 opponent.    

Phillip Danford (IPS Football Analyst)
Notre Dame 27, State 21
The opening game was big, but this is bigger. 

 A measuring stick game versus a blue blood of college football.  And for the Wolfpack to come out on top in this contest, many have theorized that they will need to hit explosive plays on offense and stop a menacing Irish ground game.  But these are two areas where one can easily say that NC State fell short last week.  Is it too much to expect the necessary improvement in both areas for this to be a win?  For me, the answer is yes. 

 I think the Wolfpack keep it close, but this early in the season I’m not sure they’re ready.  

Alex Gee (IPS Analyst)
Notre Dame 27, State 24
I’m sticking with the pick I made in the summer. Notre Dame is legit. They have pros at spots that matter. If State walks out of Carter Finley having played a one-score game against this squad, they can beat anybody on their schedule.

Now, there’s an easy to see path where State wins this game. Hit some explosives, play from ahead, make Notre Dame beat you from with the passing game. I’ll be there wearing red and pulling hard for the Pack to do just that.

Jake Caccavaro (IPS Writer)
Notre Dame 27, State 17
Notre Dame is the better team.

Armstrong won't be able to scramble as effectively against Notre Dame, and I don't see the running game being all that efficient against Notre Dame's front seven. That means Armstrong is gonna have to sit back and throw, and to me, that's not a recipe for success.

I don't expect Notre Dame to score at will and I do think Dave Doeren and Tony Gibson will have a couple tricks up their sleeves to frustrate Sam Hartman and keep things close, but Notre Dame is just too good.

Jake McSwain (IPS Writer)
State 31, Notre Dame 24
My heart says State finds a way to pull this one off. And the more I think about it, my head is starting to come around. I think defensively state slows the ground game enough to force Hartman into mistakes, and I think the ND defense lacks the lateral quickness needed to own the perimeter.

Feels like some explosive plays will be there if the line can hold up. 

Jeff Reeves (IPS Photographer)
Notre Dame 28, State 10
The Irish run game wears down the State d-line and controls the game. The Wolfpack is able to move the ball against ND but isn't able to capitalize on red zone opportunities. 

Runa Cooper (IPS Sponsor)
Notre Dame 24, State 17
I am so torn on this one; my heart says Wolfpack but my head says the Irish. 

I think both offenses have their work cut out for them against these defenses. When Notre Dame has the ball, I don't think they will find it nearly as easy to move the ball against the Pack D as they have against their first two opponents, but I do think they will be able to run it well enough to move the ball and open up some of their passing game. 

When NC State has the ball are they going to be able to consistently move it on Notre Dame's defense? I truly don't know; is Notre Dame's defense elite or just above average? When it comes to the Wolfpack creating explosive plays, I'm at the point where I need to see it to believe it. I have hope that Julian Gray can pop a long run after the catch, KC doing the same on a slant over the middle, or Timmons taking the top off of the defense – but I have simply not seen it happen yet.  I also don't think NC State will be able to establish a consistent run game with the new pieces on the OL and lack of explosive runs by the RB's. This offense, with it being only their second game with Robert Anae, is still very much a work in progress.

All that being said, the home field should be a huge advantage for the Wolfpack. I think it's a hard fought game and I like NC State to cover the 7.5 points, but at this point I trust Notre Dame's offense with their run game and Sam Hartman to make a few more plays than the NC State offense. I feel the best about taking the under in this game at 50 points. 

Prove me wrong boys!!

BP Cox (IPS Photographer)
State 24, Notre Dame 23
Notre Dame returns to Raleigh for the first time since 2016 when they lost to the Wolfpack 10-3 in the remnants of Hurricane Matthew. While a hurricane might not be in the forecast, the sounds of thunder are expected to be heard when #10 Notre Dame faces off against the Wolfpack.

To keep it simple, will Tony Gibson's familiarity with Sam Hartman give him enough of an edge to keep Notre Dame's offense at bay? And more to the offensive side, I think OC Robert Anae held back on some of his playbook against UConn in week one to save some moist formations for Notre Dame. The big question will be, can the weapons at QB Brennan Armstrong's disposal step up?

I think playing at a newly renovated Carter-Finley will have Wolfpack Nation hyped up and eager to cheer the Pack on to an upset. No acts of Mother Nature required for this edition of the matchup.