Saturday, September 28
Tallahassee, Fla.
7:30 p.m.
NC State
at
Florida State
Wolfpack Starts ACC Slate with Trip to Florida State
9/27/2019 9:17:00 AM | Football
| NC State (3-1, 0-0) at Florida State (2-2, 1-1) | |
| Date | Saturday, Sept. 28 |
| Time | 7:30 p.m. |
| Location | Tallahassee, Fla. |
| Stadium | Doak Campbell Stadium (79,560) |
| TV | ACC Network |
| Streaming | WatchESPN |
| Radio in NC | Wolfpack Sports Network |
| National Radio | Tunein, Sirius 119, XM 127 |
| Live Stats | Seminoles.com |
| Social Media | Twitter: @PackFootball | Instagram: PackFootball |
RALEIGH, N.C. -Â With the non-conference portion of its schedule now history, the NC State football team (3-1) begins an eight-game ACC grind on Saturday night when it meets Florida State (2-2) in Tallahassee.
Kickoff time from Doak Campbell Stadium is 7:30 p.m., and the game will be televised on the ACC Network.
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Some questions for Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren and his staff were answered over the first four games, while others remain.
A young team coming into the season, the Pack has endured the inconsistencies normally associated with teams filled with such youth. Injuries to upperclassmen like defensive end James Smith-Williams, cornerback Nick McCloud, receiver C.J. Riley, tackle Tyrone Riley and tight end Dylan Autenrieth have provided an obstacle to the chemistry-building process.
"We need to play smarter and we need to play with better technique," Doeren said. "We are playing hard, which is one thing you see. We can't beat ourselves with these guys. We need to elevate their ability to move forward in the program without saying 'in a year, he's going to be better.' No, he's got to be better in three days."
It's difficult to fast track the process, but Saturday's contest in a storied college football venue will provide yet another educational experience for a team trying to find its way. For many participates wearing the NC State uniform, this will be their first time playing at FSU.
"We're just fired up," said sophomore running back Ricky Person, Jr., who scored three touchdowns against Florida State last season. "It's the first ACC game on the road in Tallahassee. It's going to be a great game."
The Wolfpack has prevailed in back-to-back games against the Seminoles, including a 27-21 triumph the last time it visited Doak Campbell in 2017. Since Florida State joined the ACC in 1992, NC State owns nine victories over FSU, second only to Clemson, which has 10 wins.
NC State has never defeated FSU three straight times.
Like the Wolfpack, Florida State has shown glimpses of brilliance, complimented by some lapses. The turnovers and penalties that often sabotaged FSU's efforts over the first three games disappeared in last week's come-from-behind 35-24 victory over Louisville.
The Seminoles also finished what they started, which had been an issue over the first three weeks. Florida State has outscored opponents 56-9 in the first quarter of games, only find themselves minus-48 in the second half.
"They're outscoring their opponents in the first quarter by an alarming rate, so starting fast will be a huge point of emphasis for us," Doeren said. "If they play all four quarters like the first quarter, they're killing people. I'm sure they're talking about being a four quarter football team."
Injured in last week's game, Florida State's starting quarterback James Blackman's status is in doubt. But with Blackman ailing, the Seminoles didn't seem to miss a beat with grad transfer Alex Hornibrook under center. Transferring in from Wisconsin this past offseason, Hornibrook completed 15-of-20 passes for 255 yards and a pair of scores in last week's comeback win.
For NC State, Smith-Williams is expected to return to the defensive front on Saturday after sitting out two games with a lower leg injury.
"It's really the second quarter of our season they way we look at it," said Doeren. "I think you can look it at from the outside in and think the stakes are different. For us, they're not. We're looking at it as the next game and the next opportunity. Our players are very adamant about having a 1-0 mentality each week and not getting too up or too down."
The Lowe's Foods Countdown to Kickoff will open Wolfpack Sports Network coverage on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Shortly after 6:30 p.m., veteran network analyst Johnny Evans will answer questions from fans about Pack football on 'Ask the 'Analyst.' Submit questions to Johnny via Twitter @packradio or by email HERE.
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