Marshall at NC State football first look: Key matchups, game day info
N.C. State returns to play this week against what some people are calling a “sneaky good” Marshall team out of the Sun Belt.
The Wolfpack leads the all-time series, 5-0. Both teams most recently played a home-and-home series in 2017 and 2018, with N.C. State earning a 37-20 win both times.
This year, however, the Herd has a chance to end N.C. State’s series streak. Marshall comes to Raleigh with an underrated defense. It held its first three opponents — including Virginia Tech — to 17 points or fewer.
Going into its game against Old Dominion on Saturday, the Herd ranked in the national top 10 for passing efficiency defense, team sacks, team tackles for loss, first down defense and third down conversion percentage defense. It ranked No. 11 in passing yards allowed and had given up just two opponent first downs due to penalties.
Those numbers will increase with the updated stats from Marshall’s 41-35 win against ODU, but it doesn’t negate what the Herd already did against its other opponents, and what it could do against the Pack.
Key matchup: Wolfpack O-line vs. Marshall D-line
The Herd’s defensive numbers are impressive. Its stat sheet features 287 total tackles — 31 for a loss of yardage — through four games, 15 sacks, 41 quarterback hurries and five interceptions.
Meanwhile, N.C. State Brennan Armstrong has been on the receiving end of seven sacks, 14 hurries and has thrown six interceptions.
Wolfpack opponents have recorded 187 tackles, compared to the defense’s 135. Thirty-one of those opposition tackles were for a loss of yardage.
N.C. State head coach Dave Doeren said after the win at Virginia that he wasn’t particularly concerned about pass protection and the contact Armstrong had taken, but those concerns may have grown after the team’s 13-10 loss to Louisville.
“There’s a lot of things that happened,” Doeren said Friday. “We got beaten pass protection multiple times. There were some blitzes that came free. There were times where we were not open. And, there were times where there were guys open, and Brennan couldn’t see him because of the pass rush.”
That evaluation and the offensive statistics are the exact opposite of what N.C. State wants. And, despite having similar numbers in multiple defensive categories, the Herd is far superior in the pass rush. That strength upfront could wreak havoc against a struggling N.C. State offense that hasn’t consistently protected the QB.
Marshall at NC State game and TV info
Teams: N.C. State Wolfpack (3-2, 1-1 ACC) vs. Marshall (3-0, 1-0 SBC)
Where: Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh, North Carolina
Date: Saturday, Oct. 7
Time: 2 p.m.
TV: The CW
Stream: DIRECTV, fuboTV, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV
This story was originally published October 2, 2023 at 6:15 AM.
