First look: NC State, Tennessee face off at neutral site in Duke’s Mayo Kickoff

Someone is about to get covered in mayonnaise, and, while the condiment is better on food, N.C. State hopes coach Dave Doeren is the one doused.

No. 24 N.C. State (1-0) faces No. 15 Tennessee (1-0) on Saturday in Charlotte for Duke’s Mayo Kickoff, and there’s plenty on the line besides a win or loss: pride, confidence and public perception.

The Wolfpack started the season on Thursday with a Week 1 win over Western Carolina, 38-21. It was shaky at times, trying to work out kinks with new leaders on offense and defense. N.C. State trailed in the second half against the FCS opponent and scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to come away with the win. The Catamounts, picked No. 20 in the FCS preseason poll, competed like an FBS program.

The Volunteers, meanwhile, opened its season on Saturday defeating Chattanooga, 69-3, after scoring double digits in every quarter. Tennessee scored on 10 of 13 offensive possessions and racked up 718 yards of offense.

It was the largest margin of victory, second-most points and third-most yards since 1936. The Mocs were picked No. 9 in the same FCS poll but could not get things going consistently and missed two field-goal attempts.

Now, N.C. State and Tennessee head to Charlotte for a neutral-site contest that will give a better picture of what fans could expect from each program the rest of the season.

The Wolfpack showed flashes of what it can be in the final minutes against Western Carolina. With about a dozen players from the Charlotte metro, the team hopes to display more of its fourth-quarter magic across the entire game this time in arguably the biggest game of the regular season for the hometown kids.

Biggest storyline: Two new QBs with something to prove

N.C. State graduate quarterback Grayson McCall is battle-tested after his illustrious career at Coastal Carolina. He’s trying to create a similar legacy in one season with the Wolfpack. Tennessee freshman Nico Iamaleava started his career with a bang, but can he continue that against an FBS opponent?

McCall played his first game in 10 months after ending his career at Coastal with a head injury against Arkansas State on Oct. 21, 2023.

“A little bit of nerves, getting out there for the first time in a while,” McCall said after the win. “Didn’t think I played my best ball, but happy to be out there, play four quarters of football, get the win. Able to go in tomorrow and watch the tape. A lot to get better from; (it’s) an opportunity for me to grow and get ready for next week.”

The grad transfer completed 26 of 40 passes and threw one incompletion. He recorded 318 yards and three touchdowns, while adding 16 rushing yards.

As a whole, the Wolfpack offense finished with 522 yards — more than it had in every game last season — and averaged 7.2 yards per play.

On the other side, Iamaleava guided the Vols to a historic finish in their season opener. He completed 22 of 28 passes and started 10 for 10. The team scored on its first seven drives, and Iamaleava looked comfortable guiding the back field.

In his Rocky Top debut, the rookie finished with 314 yards and three scores, setting a program record for most yards thrown in a single half and breaking a 12-year record.

The QBs are in very different points of their careers: One wants to show he’s still got the it factor. The other wants to show the opener wasn’t a fluke. There’s plenty for each to prove in Week 2.

Vegas betting odds

Initial odds from U.S. sportsbooks list Tennessee as a 4.5-point favorite, though a handful favor the Vols by as many as six points. The over/under is listed at 56.5. ESPN analytics give the Vols an 80.1% chance of winning.

NC State vs Tennessee game info

Teams: N.C. State Wolfpack (1-0) vs. Tennessee Volunteers (1-0)

Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC

Date: Saturday, Sept. 7

Time: 7:30 p.m.

TV: ABC

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

Series history: The two teams are tied 2-2, with three of four games taking place before 1940. Tennessee won the most recent matchup in 2012, 35-21, in Atlanta. N.C. State’s last win over the SEC program took place in 1911 — before both World Wars.