OUR FINAL TAKE: NC State vs. James Madison

Several members of the Inside Pack Sports staff predict the winner of the NC State-James Madison matchup and tell you why.
 

James Henderson (IPS Publisher)
NC State 45, James Madison 21
The season opener is here and NC State draws a pesky opponent in James Madison.  The Dukes won 28 games over the past two years and Mike Houston is considered one of the top young coaches in the country.

For me it comes down to one position: quarterback. All week everyone has been wondering who James Madison will start at quarterback.  There is no such question for NC State... it's Ryan Finley.

That will be the difference in the game.  Both teams are reloading on defense, and NC State is in a much better position to take advantage of the defensive inexperience with Finley and his weapons.

Look for NC State to score early and often while cruising to a 45-21 win.

Steve Williams (IPS Football Recruiting Analyst)
NC State 45, James Madison 28
James Madison is a talented team that will not be intimidated by the Wolfpack. Just like the Pack, they have some holes to fill on defense and that will clearly play right to State's strong suit. While my final score gives State a fairly resounding win, I think much of this game will be a lot closer.

I think JMU will compete toe to toe with State for 2, 2 1/2 quarters, but I believe heat and better depth is gonna lead the Pack to pull away late. James Madison is going to score some points, but I really feel like this is going to be a game where the Pack forces some turnovers and that's going to play a huge role in this game.

One of the big things I'm looking for (and something that I think could be tell-tale for the rest of the season) is can an inexperienced defense get off the field on third down, and can they prevent home run plays. If they do those two things against the Dukes then I believe it bodes well for the rest of the season.

Rob McLamb (IPS Beat Writer)
NC State 48, James Madison 21
The Dukes will not enter Carter-Finley Stadium scared or intimidated, but the disparity in depth is just too great. Expect the Wolfpack to yield a touchdown or two early and perhaps one late when getting backups some reps, but Ryan Finley should have little problem moving the team down the field. 

NC State will score six touchdowns and Chris Dunn will convert two field goals, with the first probably eliciting a standing ovation from the Wolfpack faithful. 

Bryant Carson (IPS Football Analyst)
NC State 41, James Madison 34
The danger, if you’re NCSU, is that you’ve scheduled one of the very best FCS teams for game one in a year where you have a lot of questions to answer on D.  JMU is a capable and confident team with some impressive wins on their resume over the last few seasons.  

At the end of the day, I think State will pull out a close victory, but I anticipate a frustrating game to watch for Pack fans.

Daniel Wilson (IPS Writer)
NC State 42, James Madison 14
The Wolfpack needs to make a statement in its first game of the season. State’s offense should come out in full force to overpower the Dukes while the defense uses that momentum to limit James Madison’s production.

Jake McSwain (IPS Writer)
NC State 41, James Madison 24
NC State will undoubtedly be the bigger, deeper, and more athletic team. Unfortunately, being those three things does not guarantee wins in college football. JMU will be well coached, disciplined, and not at all intimidated.

Make no mistakes, this game is not a “gimmie"; the pack will need to play well and limit their mistakes in order to secure a victory. Ultimately, I think JMU finds a way to score points early and keeps pace with State's high Octane offense.

However, the difference in depth becomes more apparent in the second half and The Wolfpack pull away to win 41-24.

Ethan Barry (IPS Intern)
NC State 48, James Madison 28
This one is much closer than the score indicates, but a combination of the heat -- which JMU isn't used to -- and 22 extra scholarships for the Wolfpack wears down the Dukes in the second half. Both teams go back and forth in the first half and it's close at half.

In the second half, the Wolfpack offense is too much and the JMU passing game can't keep up.

NC State puts some distance between itself and the Dukes late in the third and allows the second or third string to get some run in the fourth quarter.