OUR FINAL TAKE: NC State vs. Furman
Several members of the Inside Pack Sports staff predict the winner of the NC State-Furman matchup.
James Henderson (IPS Publisher)
State 42, Furman 13
I’m concerned about NC State’s mindset going into this one, but if that’s not an issue, I expect the Pack to roll.
This team should come out with an edge. A big performance is needed with Clemson looming.
Steve Williams (IPS Football Recruiting Analyst)
State 42, Furman 10
I think State gets back on track against an overmatched Furman team. The Pack is going to want to put the bad taste of last week's game away and they'll get it done rather easily against Furman.
Bryant Carson (IPS Football Analyst)
State 48, Furman 17
Furman is a high-level FCS opponent, but the FCS factor is more relevant than the high-level factor is in this game. State could play sloppy or potentially overlook a FCS opponent sandwiched between a disappointing SEC road loss and a FBS playoff contender coming to Raleigh the following weekend, but realistically this is one where State should just handle their business from start to finish.
Phillip Danford (IPS Football Analyst)
State 38, Furman 13
Last week was disappointing, but the season isn’t lost. The NC State offense needs to show in this contest that the execution mistakes (penalties, turnovers, missed blocks & failed assignments) weren’t representative of structural flaws. The defense needs to ratchet up the havoc level. Get right in this game as next week you’re going to need to come out firing on all cylinders.
Ethan Barry (IPS Writer)
State 42, Furman 17
I think the Pack bounces back pretty strong, as they’ve got a pretty good track record of doing so under Dave Doeren. Furman is tougher than most FCS teams, and I think they score early to keep it interesting for a little bit. However, I’m most interested to see what the plan is offensively -- not so much how it’s executed. I will be more focused on that than the final result.
Andrew Schnittker (IPS Writer)
State 42, Furman 17
The defense might give up a couple of big plays against Furman's spread offense but for the most part will have a third straight excellent game – and perhaps force a turnover or two. The offense takes this opportunity to reset and fix a lot of issues that plagued it against Mississippi State, and we see a little bit of Ben Finley in the fourth quarter with the game well in hand.
Daniel Wilson (IPS Writer)
NC State 48, Furman 10
Expect a return to form for the Wolfpack with the Clemson Tigers on the horizon. Here’s a visual for how this game will go:
BP Cox (IPS Photographer)
State 42, Furman 28
This is the double-decker trap game for NC State:
Does the Pack recover from a disappointing performance at Mississippi State? Can the Pack focus on Furman and not have Clemson on the brain for next week’s matchup?
The answer to both is yes.
Look for State to come out aggressive and work to set the pace against Furman on offense. Heavy doses of the run game should be in order.
Look for Isaiah Moore to step up and lead the defense as they readjust after losing Wilson & Fagan for the rest of the season.
The Pack can’t overlook Furman or the Paladins will continue the trend of success of FCS teams vs FBC schools this season.