N.C. State emerges from open week hoping to start late-season surge in home game with Stanford

Stanford (2-6, 1-4 ACC) at N.C. State (4-4, 1-3), Saturday, 12 p.m. ET (ACC Network)

BetMGM College Football Odds: N.C. State by 10.

Series record: First meeting.

What’s at stake?

N.C. State emerges from an open date with a chance to put together a strong finish for the second straight year. The Wolfpack’s offense has been in flux since losing starting quarterback Grayson McCall to concussion issues, turning the offense over to freshman CJ Bailey. Stanford is trying to stop a five-game losing streak since beating Syracuse in its first-ever ACC game.

Key matchup

N.C. State’s defense against Stanford’s offense. These have been areas of struggle for both teams, with the Wolfpack’s defensive issues being notable considering the unit had been a multi-year strength. But that unit ranks last in the ACC for league games in scoring defense (35.0) and 13th of 17 teams in total defense (415.3). Yet the Cardinal hasn’t been good offensively, either — Stanford is 16th in scoring offense (16.2) and total offense (304.4) in league play.

Players to watch

Stanford: WR Elic Ayomanor. He remains the Cardinal’s top offensive threat even in a tough offensive environment. He’s coming off an 11-catch, 96-yard day in a loss to Wake Forest and had a 1,000-yard season last year.

N.C. State: RB Kendrick Raphael. He’s moved to the team lead in rushing yardage (287) and rushing touchdowns (three), providing some pop to the ground game even in limited bursts while sharing work with Jordan Waters and Hollywood Smothers.

Facts & figures

McCall announced last week he was retiring from football due to concussion issues. … Bailey became the first Wolfpack true freshman since Philip Rivers in 2000 to throw for 300 yards in the loss to Syracuse. He’s thrown for at least 300 yards in two straight games. … N.C. State was just 4-3 last year coming out of a mid-October open week and responded with five straight wins to push to bowl eligibility and a second nine-win season in four years. … The Cardinal scored 24 points in last weekend’s home loss to Wake Forest, but Stanford has managed 14 or fewer points in four straight ACC games before that. … Stanford is flirting with winning two or fewer games in its league — the past three in the Pac-12 — for the fourth straight season. … This is Stanford’s third and final cross-country trip in ACC play. … N.C. State won at Cal before the open week to claim the first match up against one of the ACC’s new programs.

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