NC State vs Virginia football gameday guide: How to watch, betting line, key matchups
Players who are 6-7 or taller on a football field are rare. Seeing a guy who is 6-7 playing wide receiver is like spotting a unicorn.
That’s exactly what N.C. State will face Saturday when Virginia freshman Lavel Davis Sr. lines up on offense. Davis is 6-7, 210 pounds and leads the team in receiving touchdowns with two. The South Carolina native is averaging 26.5 yards per catch through two games for the Cavaliers.
How to watch NC State vs Virginia football
Saturday’s game will be broadcast on the ACC Network at Noon.
College football betting line: Virginia favored
Virginia is an 8-point favorite. The over/under is 59.5.
Game notes
This Saturday’s game will be Doeren’s second time coaching against Virginia since he took over at N.C. State in 2013.
The Wolfpack have not fared well in their trips to Charlottesville. In their last 12 trips to UVA, N.C. State has gone 3-9. The Wolfpack won the last road trip to UVA, 28-14, in 2011.
The Wolfpack have been red hot inside the 20. N.C. State is a perfect 12-for-12 scoring points in the red zone this season. Of the 13 touchdowns scored this season, 11 have come inside the red zone.
This will be the third straight road game for the Wolfpack. The last time N.C. State played three consecutive road games was in 1986.
Just three players on the N.C. State roster are from the state of Virginia, including junior captain Isaiah Moore (Chester, Va.). Moore is the second-leading tackler on the team with 21 stops.
Virginia has only played two games, but the Cavaliers defense has picked off five passes.
For the second-straight week, N.C. State will be facing a top five run defense in the league. The Cavaliers’ run defense is ranked No. 5 in the ACC, allowing just 96.5 yards per game on the ground.
Virginia’s pass defense is ranked dead last in the ACC, allowing 307.5 yards per game through the air.
NC State vs Virginia football by the numbers
Records: N.C. State 2-1 (2-1 ACC); Virginia 1-1 (1-1 ACC)
N.C. State offense: 33 ppg | 415.7 ypg | 258.7 passing ypg | 157 rushing ypg
Virginia defense (allowed): 30.5 ppg | 404 ypg | 307.5 passing ypg | 96.5 rushing ypg
Virginia offense: 30.5 ppg | 433.5 ypg | 266 passing ypg | 167.5 rushing ypg
N.C. State defense (allowed): 38.7 ppg | 461 ypg | 276 passing ypg | 185 rushing ypg
Wolfpack vs Cavaliers football matchups
N.C. STATE RUN GAME VS. VIRGINIA RUN DEFENSE
The Wolfpack hasn’t cranked up the rushing attack the past two games after a sterling effort in the opener. If right tackle Justin Witt returns to action after missing the Pittsburgh game with an injury, that could help matters. Running back Ricky Person Jr. led the team in rushing for the second time this season, but it came with only 39 yards in the Pittsburgh game. Person rushed for a personal season-high 108 yards in the 2018 clash with Virginia, which is the second opponent in a row that has a stiff run defense. The Cavaliers did a commendable job last week against Clemson, which compiled 162 yards on the ground. Two-time ACC Player of the Year Travis Etienne was limited to 73 yards on 14 carries, though quarterback Trevor Lawrence managed Clemson’s longest run of the game at 22 yards.
N.C. STATE PASS GAME VS. VIRGINIA PASS DEFENSE
The Wolfpack might be getting cranked up with redshirt sophomore Devin Leary, who threw for a career-high 336 yards in the comeback at Pittsburgh. That was the most passing yards for an N.C. State player since 2018, perhaps even more notable given the regularity in which the Wolfpack trailed in 2019 games. N.C. State senior Emeka Emezie set a career-best with two touchdown receptions against Pittsburgh. He has had success against Virginia in the past, racking up a season-best 90 receiving yards and a touchdown in the 2018 meeting. Wolfpack tight end Cary Angeline led the team with five touchdown receptions last year and holds the early lead this season with three. In just two games, Virginia has registered seven sacks and five interceptions, with Brenton Nelson making two of the pick-offs.
VIRGINIA RUN GAME VS. NC STATE RUN DEFENSE
Quarterback Brennan Armstrong has gained more yards on the ground than any of the Virginia players, though negative-yardage plays have reduced his rushing total from 161 to 136. So the Wolfpack will have to account for the quarterback picking up yards with his feet. Virginia running back Wayne Taulapapa tends to keep it moving in the right direction — so far he hasn’t been tackled for a loss on any of his 29 carries. The Wolfpack showed a high level of determination with a third-quarter goal-line stand against Pittsburgh, with nose tackle Alim McNeill leading the charge. Linebacker Drake Thomas has continued to be a factor near the line of scrimmage.
VIRGINIA PASS GAME VS. NC STATE PASS DEFENSE
Armstrong has averaged 269.5 passing yards per game. It’s clear that Billy Kemp IV is his favorite target as he has caught 17 of the Cavaliers’ 49 completed passes. But Lavel Davis Jr. has two of the five receiving touchdowns on only six total receptions. The Wolfpack fared relatively well in the defensive backfield against Pittsburgh given an evolving situation. Nickel back Tyler Baker-Williams missed the game because of coronavirus contact tracing, and nickel back Joshua Pierre-Louis exited in the second quarter based on a targeting ejection. And safety Tanner Ingle needed several breathers after he was shaken up. So perhaps N.C. State has built some depth in that area out of necessity. The Wolfpack has applied pressure on quarterbacks, with seven different players logging at least one sack.
N.C. STATE SPECIAL TEAMS VS. VIRGINIA SPECIAL TEAMS
N.C. State kicker Christopher Dunn has made 14 consecutive attempts on field goals, but he won’t even have the longest active streak among kickers in the game. Virginia’s Brian Delaney holds the country’s third-longest active streak at 15. Dunn’s 44-yard field goal against Virginia was his longest of the 2018 regular season. Virginia doesn’t have a punt return this season and N.C. State has only one (Thayer Thomas for 21 yards).
N.C. STATE INTANGIBLES VS. VIRGINIA INTANGIBLES
There’s not a bunch of familiarity between these teams, who weren’t supposed to play this year until the summer schedule revisions. The teams have met just once since 2012, with the Wolfpack winning 35-21 at home in 2018.
Despite winning in 2011 in Charlottesville, the Wolfpack has prevailed in only three of its last 12 trips there. This will mark coach Dave Doeren’s first visit to Scott Stadium.
Ruffin McNeill, who’s N.C. State’s first-year assistant to the head coach, spent the 2016 season on Virginia’s coaching staff after his departure from East Carolina, where he was head coach.
N.C. State is 12-for-12 in terms of scoring every time its offense has reached the red zone through three games. Opponents are 6-for-6 in scoring when reaching the red zone against Virginia.
N.C. State schedule / results
Game 1 — N.C. State 45, Wake Forest 42
Game 2 — Virginia Tech 45, N.C. State 24
Game 3 — Pittsburgh 30, N.C. State 29
Oct. 10 — N.C. State at Virginia, Noon, ACC Network
Oct. 17 — Duke at N.C. State, 3:30 p.m.
Oct. 24 — N.C. State at UNC, TBD
Nov. 6 — Miami at N.C. State, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 14 — Florida State vs. N.C. State, TBD
Nov. 21 — Liberty vs. N.C. State, TBD
Nov. 28 — N.C. State at Syracuse, TBD
Dec. 5 — Georgia Tech at N.C. State, TBD
Virginia schedule / results
Week 1 — Virginia 38, Duke 20
Week 2 — Clemson 41, Virginia 23
Oct. 10 — N.C. State at Virginia, noon, ACC Network
Oct. 17 — Virginia at Wake Forest, 4 p.m., ACC Network
Oct. 24 — Virginia at Miami, TBD
Oct. 31 — UNC at Virginia, TBD
Nov. 7 — Louisville at Virginia, TBD
Nov. 21 — Abilene Christian at Virginia, TBD
Nov. 28 — Virginia at Florida State, TBD
Dec. 5 — Boston College at Virginia, TBD
Dec. 12 — Virginia at Virginia Tech, TBD
ACC Network / ACC TV schedule
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9
Louisville at Georgia Tech, 7 p.m., ESPN
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10
N.C. State at Virginia, Noon, ACC Network
Virginia Tech at UNC, Noon, ABC
Duke at Syracuse, 12:30 p.m., ESPN3 (online only)
Pittsburgh at Boston College, 4 p.m., ACC Network
Miami at Clemson, 7:30 p.m., ABC
Florida State at Notre Dame, 7:30 p.m., NBC
This story was originally published October 9, 2020 at 7:45 AM.