The Wolfpacker

Sept.-Oct. 2020

The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 ■ 25 9‑3‑1, including 6‑2 in the ACC, and was ranked No. 17 in the final Associated Press poll. That was also former head coach Dick Sheridan's final season before he retired. The last time NC State started with three of its first four games on the road was 1970, the last of Earle Edwards' 17 seasons as head coach. That squad would finish 3‑7‑1. Some NCSU fans have bemoaned the lack of October home games in recent years and missing out on some of the best weather to enjoy a football game. The obstacle is always the state fair located across the street from Carter‑Finley Stadium. Those two Saturdays are traditionally blocked off NC State's sched‑ ule, usually with a road game and a bye date. The state fair has been canceled this year because of the COVID‑19 pandemic, but NC State still ended up with just one Octo‑ ber home contest — versus Duke Oct. 17. It is the fourth straight year that has happened and seventh time in the last nine seasons. The Wolfpack only has two home games in September and October combined, a first since 1965. The good news for NC State is that team was co‑ACC champions, the last of a three‑year stretch under Edwards where the Pack either won or tied for the league title. The best part of the schedule is four of the squad's final five games are at home, and if extended further, its five of the final seven with one of those two road contests being at UNC, a short 23 miles away. That's not unusual, however. Partially because of the state fair, NC State has had years where it finished with multiple home contests in the last four or five weeks. In 2019, three of the final four were in Carter‑ Finley. A year before, four of the final five were at home after the East Carolina game was added to the end of the season. NC State hosted the Pirates on Dec. 1 and crushed them, 58‑3. That game was a late, in‑season addition to the slate as both teams had an opening following the cancellation of games due to Hurricane Florence. By hosting Georgia Tech on Dec. 5, it would mean that for the second time in three years, NC State is playing a contest in December that is not a bowl game. Prior to 2018, the Wolfpack had not played a regular‑season tilt in December since 1959, when it lost to Maryland (33‑28) in College Park, Md. This would be just the seventh time in school history NC State has played a non‑postseason contest in the final month of the calendar year. The other good news is NC State will probably be able to travel by bus for all but two games this year (Pittsburgh and Syra‑ cuse), limiting expenses. Here is the travel by miles for each month: • September — 186 miles • October — 705 miles • November — 639 miles Rivalry Showdowns On Back-To-Back Saturdays Just having Duke on the schedule is a rare occasion in itself these days. The former an‑ nual rivalry showdown ended in 2003 after ACC expansion. Since then the two teams have played each other just three times, with the last being in 2013. Duke has not played at Carter‑Finley Stadium since 2009. To spice it up even more, NC State will now play Duke and UNC on back‑to‑back Saturdays. Doeren had a similar set‑up in his first year with the Wolfpack, losing 27‑19 to the Heels on Nov. 2 and then 38‑20 a week later at Duke, which would make an improb‑ able run to the ACC title game that season. In 2008, NC State memorably played Duke, Wake Forest and UNC on three consecutive Saturdays. The Pack won all three, starting at Duke 27‑17. It then topped Wake Forest 21‑17 at home before crushing No. 25 UNC 41‑10 in Chapel Hill. In another oddity of the new schedule, NC State will play all of the ACC's Coastal Division teams but not three of its tradi‑ tional Atlantic Division rivals: Boston Col‑ lege, Clemson and Louisville. One Non-Conference Opponent Logistically, it made the most sense — and that probably is what made Liberty the NC State plus‑one opponent in 2020. Two of the other original four non‑conference games were canceled by their respective leagues — Delaware (Colonial in the Football Cham‑ pionship Subdivision) and Mississippi State (SEC). A third would have required a venue switch since NC State was scheduled to play at Troy, and the ACC mandated that any non‑ league game must be played in the state of the participating conference team. NC State is still slated to play at Missis‑ sippi State on Sept. 11, 2021. This is the second time a game at Troy did not happen. The contest had originally been planned for 2017, but NC State added a neutral‑site game against South Carolina for that season and pushed the Troy contest back to 2020. Liberty was already on the books to play NC State Nov. 21, and per reports it would have cost the Wolfpack $2 million to buy out the contest. Liberty will also play at Virginia Tech (Nov. 7) and at Syracuse (Oct. 10). The Flames made headlines when there were reports it was only testing for CO‑ VID‑19 if players were showing symptoms, but in order to play ACC teams it must ad‑ here to the conference's guidelines of three tests per week. Liberty has said it would abide by the standards. The only time NC State has ever played Liberty was when it hosted the Flames in 2011 for the season opener and won 43‑21 in what was Mike Glennon's first start at quarterback. No Fans For At Least September NC State announced Aug. 31 that it would begin all athletic seasons without fans in the stands for at least the month of September. That also means tailgating will not be allowed for the season opener against Wake Forest Sept. 19. The school did say it would "continue to evaluate its ability to lessen restrictions and re‑evaluate its position [on allowing fans] for the month of October." ■ 1-130 Rankings Of NC State's Opponents Team ESPN FPI* Phil Steele Average Virginia Tech 19 18 18.5 North Carolina 29 16 22.5 Florida State 25 36 30.5 Miami 55 17 36.0 Pittsburgh 60 31 45.5 Virginia 70 52 61.0 Wake Forest 65 60 62.5 NC State 76 50 63.0 Duke 59 72 65.5 Georgia Tech 50 85 67.5 Syracuse 88 95 91.5 Liberty 111 114 112.5 * As of Sept. 1 2020 Football Schedule Date Opponent (TV) Time (ET) Sept. 19 Wake Forest (ACCN) 8 p.m. Sept. 26 at Virginia Tech TBA Oct. 3 at Pittsburgh TBA Oct. 10 at Virginia TBA Oct. 17 Duke TBA Oct. 24 at UNC TBA Nov. 6 Miami (ESPN) 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14 Florida State TBA Nov. 21 Liberty TBA Nov. 28 at Syracuse TBA Dec. 5 Georgia Tech TBA

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