First look: NC State football heads to Georgia Tech, looks to respond after Duke loss
N.C. State football remains on the cusp of bowl eligibility, but after its second bye week of the season, the opportunities to earn the additional game are dwindling.
The Wolfpack heads to Atlanta for a mid-week ACC game against Georgia Tech; its second-to-last regular season game of the season.
The Yellow Jackets are a heavy favorite entering the contest, with U.S. sports books projecting the home team to win by at least a touchdown and ESPN analytics give Georgia Tech a 76.5% chance of winning.
Georgia Tech ranks No. 40 in the nation and No. 2 in the ACC in scoring defense (21.9 points per game), while the offense (27.7 points) ranks No. 70 in the nation and No. 11 in the league.
N.C. State knows what’s on the line: a fifth straight bowl game appearance and 10th under head coach Dave Doeren. This was supposed to be the double-digit win season. Now, the Wolfpack is trying to salvage what it can and the team knows there is little margin for error.
“We have two games left. We have a short bye because we play on a Thursday the following week, go down to Georgia Tech, then come home and play a rival,” Doeren said after the loss to Duke. “We have two opportunities to finish, and that’s what they’re going to remember: how they finish. We need to do a great job, one at a time.”
Player to watch: Malik Rutherford
Yellow Jackets wide receiver Malik Rutherford is one of quarterback Haynes King’s preferred targets and is having the best season of his career.
Rutherford has contributed three receiving touchdowns, 622 receiving yards for a 62.2 yards per game average and 5.4 receptions per game. He averages 11.4 yards per catch, too.
Matchup to watch: Haynes King and offensive line vs Pack defensive ends
Haynes King is a fifth-year quarterback, spending time at Texas A&M before transferring to Georgia Tech last season. King, similar to N.C. State’s CJ Bailey, is a guy who isn’t afraid to run.
The redshirt junior has amassed 6,021 yards in his college career — nearly 4,500 coming with the Yellow Jackets — and 46 touchdowns. He also rushed for more than 1,300 yards in 2023 and 2024.
King’s stats line this season alone features 142 completions on 197 passing attempts (.720%) for 1,600 yards, nine touchdowns and only one interception.
He participated in 25 plays against Miami, returning to the field after missing two games, and is expected to face the Pack.
The Georgia Tech offensive line has given up just four sacks on the season and only one on King. It ranks No. 2 in the nation and No. 1 in the ACC.
Additionally, Georgia Tech has only lost one fumble this season.
N.C. State’s defense has sacked opposing quarterbacks 20 times this season, averaging two per game. Defensive end Davin Vann leads the team with 5.5 sacks and ranks No. 1 in the nation for forced fumbles (5).
Sean Brown and DK Kaufman have each contributed a pair of fumble recoveries.
The Wolfpack linebackers and defensive ends will need to be active from kickoff if it wants to slow down King.
Vegas betting line
Georgia Tech opened as a 9.5-point favorite, according to FanDuel sports book The over-under was set at 52.5 points, with a moneyline of -320 for the Yellow Jackets and +260 for N.C. State.
NC State vs Georgia Tech game info
Teams: N.C. State Wolfpack (5-5, 2-4 ACC) vs Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (6-4, 4-3 ACC)
Where: Bobby Dodd Stadium, Atlanta, GA
Date: Thursday, Nov. 21
Time: 7:30 p.m.
TV: ESPN
Stream: fubo TV, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, DIRECTV Stream, Sling TV
Series history: Georgia Tech leads the all-time series 20-11. The Wolfpack is just 4-11 when facing the Yellow Jackets on the road. The two teams have not played since Dec. 5, 2020, when N.C. State won, 23-13, in Raleigh.
