How NC State’s Upcoming Opponents Fared in Week 4

NC State got right with its win over in-state rival App State on Saturday night. Now that the ACC race is here. Can the Wolfpack go on a run?

Sep 26, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack linebacker Popo Aguirre (0) celebrates his tackle during the first half of the game against App State Mountaineers at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Wolfpack survived a second-half test from the Mountaineers to secure the 41 to 31 victory in front of their hometown fans. NC State’s record is even in the early season (2-2). 

Now, State looks to get even in the conference race. 

Let’s look at how NC State’s next three ACC opponents fared in Week 4, and we’ll size up the Wolfpack’s chances in those games.  

Louisville (2-2, 1-1 ACC)

The #16 Cardinals, who came off a big win over SMU in Week 3, were caught slipping against the unranked visiting Demon Deacons. 

Louisville dropped to 1-1 in the ACC race with its 30 to 27 upset loss to Wake Forest. 

The Cardinals’ defense was unable to slow Wake Forest in the second quarter. Louisville allowed Wake to score 21 points. 

After halftime, Louisville’s potent offense was held to just 6 points for the rest of the game. 

NC State has a prime opportunity to catch the Cardinals while they are down. 

However, the Wolfpack have historically struggled against Louisville. State has lost the last two in the series and is 2-4 against Louisville at home. 

Wake Forest (3-1, 1-1 ACC) 

The Deacs thrive in the spoiler role. They went on the road to upset a ranked Louisville team that was expected to push Miami for the ACC title this season. 

The Cardinals’ rushing attack had been averaging 229 yards per game coming into Saturday. But Wake Forest’s defense did a great job limiting Louisville’s ground game to only 75 yards.

Wake is a much better team than advertised and should be a legitimate contender within the ACC. 

Last season, NC State beat Wake Forest 34-24 in Winston-Salem. State is 2-1 in the last three matchups but lost the last meeting at home. 

The Wolfpack will host the Deacs in Raleigh on Oct. 10th. 

Sep 26, 2026; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons wide receiver Carlos Hernandez (8) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Louisville Cardinals at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Carter-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Stanford (2-2, 1-2 ACC) 

The Cardinal’s quarterback, Davis Warren, threw for a career-high 396 yards and 3 touchdowns in Stanford’s 34-27 win over Georgia Tech.

Stanford earned the comeback victory after trailing the Yellow Jackets 20-10 at halftime. In the second half, Warren led the Cardinal on three consecutive scoring drives to secure the victory.

State has only played Stanford once, when the Cardinal joined the ACC in the 2024 season. The Wolfpack won that Nov. 2nd meeting 59 to 28. 

NC State travels to Stanford on October 23rd. 

Andre Cherry’s Quick Thoughts 

The Wolfpack will be the underdog in their next two games, and for good reason. 

The offense has generated points when it needs to, but State’s defense has struggled to maintain the team’s lead these last two weeks. 

If the defense doesn’t fix those issues, State will be in trouble in these upcoming matchups. 

NC State hosts Louisville in Week 5.