The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1493632
MARCH/APRIL 2023 ■ 35 Sept. 2 at UConn A season ago, Connecticut came into Raleigh and left thoroughly whipped, 41-10. However, after that game, the Huskies won five of six, including victories over Boston College and Liberty, and earned a bid to the Myrtle Beach Bowl, where they fell to Marshall. Among FBS teams, Connecticut has the sixth-highest amount of pro- duction returning, according to ESPN's Bill Connelly. Sept. 9 vs. Notre Dame For only the second time in NC State history, the Wolfpack will welcome the Fighting Irish to Carter-Finley Stadium. In 2016, a celebration of the 50-year anniversary of the venue was effectively washed out by Hurricane Matthew, leading to a 10-3 NC State win in a spectacle that looked more like young men playing slip-and-slide than a football game. The Irish went 9-4 last year and beat South Carolina in the Gator Bowl. Sept. 16 vs. VMI Every season, NC State hosts an FCS opponent. This year, it'll be VMI, which is coming off a 1-10 finish last fall including an 0-8 mark in the Southern Conference. Sept. 22 at Virginia The ACC opener is filled with intrigue and will likely air on national TV since it is a Friday night game. Former Virginia quarterback Brennan Armstrong, offensive coordi- nator Robert Anae and offensive line coach Garett Tujague will all be marking their returns to Charlottesville. Armstrong set numerous passing records while leading Virginia's offense, but a year ago he and the Cavs struggled under first-year head coach Tony Elliott, going 3-7 overall and 1-6 in the ACC before the season prematurely ended with the tragic shooting deaths of three football players after a school trip. Sept. 29 vs. Louisville NC State plays not one but two Friday night games, and they will take place in back-to-back weeks. The Cardinals went 8-5 last season and defeated Cincinnati in the Fenway Bowl. Former Louisville quarterback Jeff Brohm will be in his first year at the program's helm, having been hired away from Purdue, where he went 36-34 in six seasons. This is not an Atlantic Division game, however, with the ACC having scrapped divisional play. Oct. 7 vs. Marshall The Thundering Herd is replacing Cincinnati, which was part of the Pack's original 2023 slate. Last year, Marshall defeated both Con- necticut and Notre Dame, the latter in South Bend, on its way to a 9-4 record. Oct. 14 at Duke For the first time since coach Dave Doeren arrived in Raleigh in 2013, NC State is making the shortest possible trip for an ACC road game. That Duke team in 2013 reached the ACC Championship Game. This year's Blue Devils squad will also have high expectations after surprisingly go- ing 9-4 in 2022, its first season under coach Mike Elko. Clemson, Duke and North Carolina are the three ACC teams that NC State will play on an annual basis for the next four years under the league's new scheduling format. Oct. 28 vs. Clemson After a bye week, NC State welcomes ACC heavyweight Clemson. The Tigers have won seven of the past eight conference titles and will be among this year's preseason favorites, along with Florida State. However, they have endured back-to-back three-loss seasons and are no longer considered a preseason top-five-caliber team, which they have been for much of Dabo Swinney's tenure as head coach. Nov. 4 vs. Miami The Hurricanes disappointed last year, starting the season as favor- ites in the Coastal Division but stumbling to a 5-7 mark under new head coach Mario Cristobal. They are the only ACC team that Doeren has yet to defeat in his tenure with the Wolfpack. Nov. 11 at Wake Forest Among ACC teams, only Virginia and Pittsburgh lost more production than Wake Forest, which went 8-5 and beat Missouri in the Gasparilla Bowl last fall. Record-setting quarterback Sam Hartman will likely play in Carter-Finley Stadium, but for Notre Dame instead of the Demon Dea- cons. NC State, though, has lost 11 of its last 13 games in Winston-Salem. Nov. 18 at Virginia Tech NC State spoiled Virginia Tech's ACC debut in 2004, defeating the Hokies in Blacksburg in their first game as conference members. Since then, the Wolfpack has gone 0-3 at Lane Stadium. Virginia Tech is looking to rebound from a 3-8 finish a year ago under first-year head coach Brent Pry, including a loss to the Wolfpack in Raleigh during which the Hokies blew a 21-3 second-half lead. Nov. 25 vs. North Carolina NC State will seek to make it three in a row against its archrival, which went 9-5 in 2022. The Tar Heels started 9-1 and clinched a spot in the ACC Championship Game but dropped four consecutive games to close the campaign, including a double-overtime loss in Chapel Hill to the Wolfpack. — Matt Carter NC State's upcoming football schedule features one of the more exciting home slates in school history, a seven-game lineup that includes a rare nonconference visit from Notre Dame along with matchups against Clemson, Miami and North Carolina. Here's a look at how it shapes up: NC State 2023 Football Schedule Released Whether or not the Wolfpack pursues more additions could be determined by what the coaches see in the coming weeks. Who's healthy? Every year, a handful of notable play- ers will miss spring practice with inju- ries. For instance, likely starting defen- sive end Savion Jackson, a rising super senior, injured his knee against Syracuse midway through the 2022 season. It's still uncertain if he will be available. Most of the notable health setbacks last year, however, occurred on the of- fensive side of the football. Two who missed large chunks of the season were rising junior running back Demie Sumo-Karngbaye and rising super se- nior tight end Trent Pennix. They were two of NC State's better playmakers, and their absences loomed large amid the offense's struggles. Also noteworthy is the status of Mor- ris, who suffered a knee injury that cost him the final three games of the year. The quarterback practiced in the leadup to the Duke's Mayo Bowl loss to Mary- land, but ultimately the decision was made to hold him back. ■