Wolfpack kickoff: Week 4 vs. Ball State
NC State (2-1) vs. Ball State (1-2)
Carter-Finley Stadium (57,600)
7 p.m., ESPNU (PxP: Anish Shroff; Analyst: Ahmad Brooks, Sideline: Kim Budden)
Streaming: WatchESPN; National radio: Sirius 382, XM 382; Live stats: GoPack.com
Series history: First meeting
Last meeting: First meeting
Last week: NC State lost to West Virginia 44-27, Ball State lost to Florida Atlantic 41-31
BetOnline line: NC State minus-19 | Over/Under 58 1/2
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
"Ball State is a football team that is really good on offense. They're impressive. Obviously I know a lot about the MAC conference and the skill level. There's good receivers, there's good running backs, there are athletic players in that league and their quarterback is playing at a high level." Coach Dave Doeren
"Just not taking what we worked on in practice onto the field. I felt like we were on our heels and just not playing like the coaches were asking us. Just mental errors. I'd say we weren't prepared practice-wise. To tell the truth, we came out Tuesday with a better mindset and focus on practice." senior safety Jarius Morehead
PLAYERS TO WATCH
NC State stats | Ball State stats
| NC State | Ball State | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Rushing | Zonovan Knight | 39 carries, 237 yards, 3 TD | Caleb Huntley | 49 carries, 231 yards, 2 TD |
Passing | Matthew McKay | 66-113-0 715 yards, 3 TD | Drew Plitt | 84-119-3, 1040 yards, 11 TD |
Receiving | Emeka Emezie | 21 catches, 205 yards, 0 TD | Riley Miller | 14 catches, 236 yards, 2 TD |
Tackles | Tanner Ingle | 20 tackles, 1 TFL, 3 PBU | Jacob White | 29 tackles, 2 TFL |
NOTABLE
While this will be the Wolfpack’s first ever meeting with Ball State, the Cardinals are a familiar opponent for coach Dave Doeren. He was 2-0 against them during his time at Mid-American Conference rival Northern Illinois. Doeren is 18-1 all time against MAC opponents (17-1 at Northern Illinois from 2011-12 and a 48-14 win against Central Michigan at State in 2013). ...
State's defense has gone 12 straight quarters - three full games - without giving up a touchdown at home. It's been 317 days since an opponent has gotten into the end zone in Carter-Finley Stadium. The three games is the longest the Wolfpack has gone without allowing a touchdown at home since 1990-91. ...
State and Appalachian State are the only FBS schools that have yet to commit a turnover this season. It marks the first time in school history that the Pack has not turned the ball over in its first three games. Ball security has been a trademark of Doeren-coached teams. Five of the top 13 seasons with the fewest turnovers in school history have come during his tenure. ...
The Wolfpack is a perfect 15 for 15 in red zone attempts this season, converting for 10 touchdowns and five field goals. State is one of just 20 FBS teams with a perfect 100% conversion percentage in the red zone. Its 15 red zone opportunities are second only to LSU's 21 nationally. ...
You can't get any more balanced than State has been through the first three games this season. To date, the Wolfpack has attempted 121 passes and rushed the ball 121 times. Over the past three seasons combined heading into Saturday's game against Ball State, State's offense has run the ball 1,100 times and passed it 1,102.
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