First look: NC State defense seeks dominant opener vs. Western Carolina, dominant QB

It’s almost football time in North Carolina, and the Wolfpack is excited to finally play against another team.

N.C. State opens its season next week at home against Western Carolina, an FCS opponent. This is the second consecutive season the Pack plays a Southern Conference team after beating Virginia Military Institute, 45-7, last September.

The Wolfpack leads the all-time series against WCU, 7-0, with the last meeting taking place in 2019. The Wolfpack defeated the in-state program, 44-27. Nearly 30 years earlier, the Pack pulled off a 67-0 victory without allowing a first down. The Catamounts finished with 17 yards of total offense.

U.S. sports books and ESPN analytics list N.C. State as the heavy favorite, but expecting a replica of that historic 1990 game would be a stretch.

Both teams enter the season ranked in their respective preseason polls. The Wolfpack earned a spot at No. 24 in the Associated Press preseason poll, while the Catamounts landed at No. 20 in the Stats Perform Preseason Top 25. Hero Sports listed the incoming team at No. 16 in its preseason poll.

Western Carolina was picked to finish third in the SoCon and its roster features 10 preseason all-conference selections, four first-team picks and the preseason Offensive Player of the Year in quarterback Chris Gonzales.

The team is led by fourth-year head coach Kerwin Bell. He is 17-16 in the first three seasons with the Catamounts and went 7-4 last year.

N.C. State linebacker Devon Betty said the team began official prep for Western Carolina on Tuesday and expects them to “play hard and play fast.”

“Just because they’re (from) a lower conference, they could still come in here and whoop us if they come in here with the right mindset,” Betty said. “Our job is to come in every day and practice and treat them like any other team.”

Oklahoma transfer running back Hollywood Smothers did not provide specifics about areas where the team could be tested, but he thinks playing the Catamounts will prepare the Wolfpack for future games.

“Hopefully, they try to test us on all levels for the first game, so we can get better going down the road,” Smothers said. “I feel like we practice every situation and stuff; how could they come at us or how any other team could come at us. I think we’re prepared for every test, honestly. We’ve just got to execute it.”

Key matchup: Wolfpack D-line, linebackers vs. Catamounts QB

When Western Carolina rolls into Raleigh, the bus will include star quarterback Gonzales, the reigning SoCon Offensive Player of the Year and Walter Payton award finalist. After his historic 2023 campaign, Gonzales is expected to have another big year.

The junior led the league, and set a single-season program record, with 28 touchdowns last season and threw for 2,803 yards. Gonzales completed 204 of 310 passes and threw eight interceptions.

In addition to the SoCon preseason Offensive Player of the Year recognition, Gonzales was listed as the third-best quarterback in the FCS ranks by Hero Sports.

Gonzales is a pass-heavy quarterback and has thrown for more than 4,100 yards in two seasons. Comparatively, he’s only rushed for 350 yards.

The N.C. State defense has a chance to prove it hasn’t taken a step back since losing guys like Payton Wilson in the linebacker corps and Savion Jackson on the defensive line. With Gonzales’ strength at the pass game, expect to see the Wolfpack make blitzing a priority.

Sean Brown, Red Hibbler and Davin Vann were among the team’s top tacklers, behind Wilson, and could make things difficult for Gonzales and his offensive line.

Gonzales, however, showed his ability to alter plays depending on the defense. For example, he threw a lateral pass to a receiver in the team’s game against Mercer when the defenders prevented him from throwing down field to a receiver. Gonzales made multiple plays across multiple games last season, his decision-making extending drives and limiting pickoffs.

The Pack has plenty of talent on both sides of the ball, but it’ll need to keep close watch on Gonzales.

‘A lot to live up to’: With Payton Wilson in the NFL, NC State defense has plenty to prove

Vegas betting odds

U.S. sports books list the Wolfpack as a 33.5-point favorite over the Catamounts.

Western Carolina at NC State game info

Teams: N.C. State Wolfpack (0-0) vs. Western Carolina Catamounts (0-0)

Where: Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh

Date: Thursday, Aug. 29

Time: 7 p.m.

TV: ACC Network

Stream: DIRECTV Stream, fuboTV, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, SlingTV

Series history: N.C. State leads Western Carolina, 7-0, in the all-time series. The two teams last played in 2019 when the Wolfpack won, 45-7.