The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1000643
40 ■ THE WOLFPACKER FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2018 BY JACEY ZEMBAL T his season, the NC State football program faces the challenge of maintaining what has taken five years to build. NC State went 9-4 overall last year, finished ranked No. 23 in the country, won its third bowl game in four tries and produced a school-record seven picks in the NFL Draft. The bar has been raised and one of the prevailing themes of the offseason is to carry on those standards, and preferably improve upon them. The momentum the program has generated also paid off with head coach Dave Doeren staying put in Raleigh despite overtures from Ole Miss and Tennessee. Doeren took a pro- gram that was 3-9 overall and 0-8 in the ACC his first year in 2013, to an Atlantic Division contender last year that finished the ACC slate with a 6-2 mark. The coaching stability resulted in a re- cruiting class that was ranked No. 34 in the country by Rivals.com. "I think we definitely earned respect na- tionally," Doeren said. "To me, it is about sustaining what we have been able to do, going to four straight bowl games and being a top-25 team. "Now, we want to sustain that." Last year's success also gave fifth-year senior left tackle Tyler Jones an achievement he has been waiting for his entire Wolfpack career. SUSTAINING THE STANDARD NC State Looks To Continue Last Year's Success The Wolfpack went from 3-9 overall and 0-8 in the ACC in head coach Dave Doeren's first year at the helm in 2013, to 9-4 overall and 6-2 in the league with a final national ranking of No. 23 last year. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN 2018 NC State Football Schedule Date Opponent (TV) Time (ET) Sept. 1 James Madison (ESPNU) 12 p.m. Sept. 8 Georgia State (RSN) 12:30 p.m. Sept. 15 West Virginia (ABC/ESPN) 3:30 p.m. Sept. 22 at Marshall (CBSSN) 7 p.m. Sept. 29 Virginia TBA Oct. 6 Boston College TBA Oct. 20 at Clemson TBA Oct. 27 at Syracuse TBA Nov. 3 Florida State TBA Nov. 8 Wake Forest (ESPN) 7:30 p.m. Nov. 17 at Louisville TBA Nov. 24 at North Carolina TBA