North Carolina State’s best way to enter this season may be to turn off the internet and not read any papers (if people still get their news that way). There have been so many plaudits thrown the Wolfpack’s way, that one could see some swelled heads in Raleigh.
Last year the Wolfpack went 9-3, which included a win over Clemson. One downer – even with the win over Clemson, NC State couldn’t win the ACC Atlantic Division, finishing a game behind Wake Forest.
Still, the pollsters have seen enough to put NC State in uncharted territory, at least for nearly the past two decades. NC State began the year ranked No. 13 in the AP and AFCA Coaches preseason polls. That was the first time since 2003 that the Wolfpack appeared in the preseason rankings when they were No. 16.
Here is a cautionary tale for the current team – the 2003 edition finished 8-5, just 4-4 in the ACC. Philip Rivers threw 34 touchdown passes and seven interceptions, but the Wolfpack allowed 35.7 points per game in their four ACC losses, and that just wasn’t going to cut it.
The season ended with a 56-26 win over Kansas in the Tangerine Bowl.
To show how long ago that was, Kansas was still a semi-factor in college football. Beginning that year, the Jayhawks would go to four bowl games in six seasons under Mark Mangino. The Jayhawks haven’t been to a bowl since the 2008 season.
Anyway, back to NC State.
Maybe current coach Dave Doeren will remind the Wolfpack of the 2003 season when we’re sure they were being told how great they were as well. Actually, the Wolfpack may be great this year, but nothing is given, which is why the opening game on noon Saturday (Sept. 3) at East Carolina is a fascinating matchup.
That’s right, a ranked Power 5 team is visiting a G5 squad to begin the season. At the beginning of the week, BetMGM had the Wolfpack a 10.5-point favorite.
So why is this game so fascinating?
If NC State wins, it could lead the way to a quick start. The Wolfpack then face Charleston Southern, a Texas Tech team picked to finish ninth in the Big 12 (ahead of only aforementioned Kansas), and Connecticut before the meat grinder of an ACC schedule begins with an Oct. 1 meeting at Clemson.
Anything less than 4-0 heading down to Death Valley to meet a Clemson team motivated by revenge will be highly disappointing.
What also makes this game interesting is that ECU is coming off its best season since 2014, when the Pirates also last played in a bowl game. Last year the Pirates went 7-5 and earned a bowl berth. Then came the crusher, the Military Bowl game with Boston College was canceled due to COVID issues with the Eagles. Oh well, at least the Pirates ended a string of six losing seasons.
This year ECU was picked sixth in the AAC preseason poll, which considering that has been the standard of G5 conferences and should remain that way for at least this year, it’s not a bad position to be in.
The most interesting aspect will be the two quarterbacks. NC State’s Devin Leary threw 35 touchdowns and five interceptions last year. Leary (6-1, 215) enters this season with some real Heisman buzz.
Former NC State and NFL QB Mike Glennon says Leary has not only more arm talent than anybody in the ACC but says he may have more than any quarterback who has come through Raleigh. That’s quite a statement with a recent roll call consisting of Rivers, Russell Wilson, Glennon himself, Jacoby Brissett, and Ryan Finley.
Then, on the other hand, there is ECU quarterback Holton Ahlers. The first thought that comes to mind when discussing Ahlers is “He is still around?”
Yes, Ahlers seems like he has been around forever because he has. This will be his 38th career start and 43rd game. He has thrown for 10,219 career yards. Ahlers (6-3, 230) isn’t the smoothest runner, but he has 19 career rushing touchdowns. And he doesn’t have to carry the team due to the presence of sophomore running back Keaton Mitchell, who was the first Pirate to rush for 1,000 yards last season since 2013.
The Pirates are potentially explosive, but can they stop the Wolfpack offense? Plus, Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium provides a true home-field advantage.
NC State should prevail, but this one doesn’t appear easy. It should be much more difficult for the Wolfpack than the 59-20 win over Western Carolina to open that 2003 season.
