First look: NC State, Duke football set to clash on Wolfpack’s senior day. What to know
Over the weekend, N.C. State dominated Stanford in one of the best offensive performances in three seasons, while Duke’s loss to Miami ended its quest for an ACC Championship berth.
Now, the two teams are on a collision course for a Wolfpack Senior Day matchup in Raleigh.
Every game of a season is important, but this one feels particularly significant for both programs. The Blue Devils, who are already bowl eligible, look to end their two-game losing skid and return to .500 in the league.
N.C. State, however, still seeks bowl eligibility and needs one more win. It has already won two consecutive games. It would also like to redeem itself after last season’s 24-3 loss at Wallace Wade Stadium.
Neither team has been particularly dominant or consistent this season, which could open the door for a chaotic finish to the Pack’s home schedule.
“So proud of the team, and (I) look forward to building on this,” N.C. State head coach Dave Doeren said Saturday. “We talked about a five-game season, and we’ve got the first two wins out of those five, and just continue to try to stack those things here as we go.”
Player to watch: Duke RB Peyton Jones
Peyton Jones provided a big spark on offense in Duke’s 53-31 loss to Miami. The sophomore contributed a career-high 71 rushing yards — matching his freshman season total — and one touchdown on the ground. He added three catches for 61 yards and his first career receiving touchdown.
Jones has been a consistent role player off the bench, primarily in the run game, adding at least 15 yards gained in every appearance this season. The sophomore has scored three rushing touchdowns for the Blue Devils.
Duke has relied heavily on the passing game this season. It averages 236.4 passing yards per game compared to 107.2 yards on the ground.
However, the Wolfpack is allowing 152.4 opponent rushing yards per game. It gave up 197 yards against Stanford, including two quarterback rushing touchdowns of more than 45 yards. Players like Jones could exploit N.C. State’s defensive weakness.
Key matchup: CJ Bailey vs Maalik Murphy
Fans could see a showdown in the backfield between two talented quarterbacks in N.C. State freshman CJ Bailey and Texas transfer Maalik Murphy.
Bailey took over the starting job earlier this season after graduate transfer Grayson McCall got a concussion against Louisiana Tech. With McCall’s medical retirement, Bailey remains the full-time starter.
The true freshman has improved weekly, looking confident in the pocket and becoming more decisive — especially on RPOs. He continues to improve his accuracy as well. Bailey has thrown 130 completions on 187 attempts (69.5%) for 1,610 yards, 11 touchdowns and four interceptions. Against Stanford, he went 18 of 20 through the air for 234 yards and three touchdowns without a pick. It was his second consecutive game without an interception.
Bailey is a relatively mobile quarterback, too, running 202 yards for two scores.
Meanwhile, Murphy has been described as a feast-or-famine QB. Originally recruited by Texas, Murphy has completed 189 of 321 (58.9%) pass attempts for 2,121 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Murphy finished the game at Miami with a career-high 325 passing yards and added three touchdowns. He also threw three interceptions. The junior isn’t much of a threat in the run game, so the Blue Devils could see more blitzes as N.C. State looks to pressure Murphy and create turnovers.
Vegas betting line
N.C. State opened as a 2.5-point favorite, according to FanDuel Sports Book. The over-under was set at 51.5 points, with moneylines set at +114 for Duke and -134 for the Pack.
NC State vs Duke game info
Teams: NC State Wolfpack (5-4, 2-3 ACC) vs Duke Blue Devils (6-3, 2-3 ACC)
Where: Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh
Date: Saturday, Nov. 9
Time: 3:30 p.m.
TV: ACC Network
Stream: fubo TV, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, DIRECTV Stream, Sling TV
Series history: Duke leads the all-time series, 42-37-5, and has won three of the last four matchups. This is just the third meeting between the two programs in the last decade.
