Game Day Preview: NC State vs. No. 16 Notre Dame

NC State will head to South Bend, Indiana, for a chance to take down the No. 16 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. On Saturday afternoon, the 4-2 Wolfpack will meet Marcus Freeman's 3-2 squad. The Pack will be hungry to pull off a massive upset and shake up the College Football Playoff race in a massive way.

The matchup is a daunting one for an NC State defense that has struggled against the run throughout the season. Notre Dame has a pair of workhorse running backs in Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, who could both cause problems for an injury-plagued Pack defense.

On this episode of the NC State Insider Podcast, host Tucker Sennett digs a little deeper into the matchup and breaks down all the information you need ahead of kickoff at 3:30 P.M. EST.

Watch the Episode right here

Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren met with the media Thursday before his squad took off for Indiana. The veteran coach discussed what it would take to beat the Fighting Irish, as well as the meaningfulness of playing against Notre Dame as a head coach. Here's a partial transcript of that availability:

Final thoughts on Notre Dame after the week of preparation

"A really good football team. What you expect. Physical, really good tailbacks, big tight ends, big offensive line. The receiver we played against at Virginia, who is there now, is a big body that can run and catch the football and he's a physical blocker. Defensively, very similar. Their box has a big rotation on the D-line; a lot of guys get to play. Same thing at linebacker. They've got depth and speed, and they're good players."

Aug 28, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren walks out during the warmups prior to the game against East Carolina Pirates at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

"It's one of those physical football games, and you don't beat anybody like them if you can't stop the run. We've got to do a great job, not just in tackling, but in being sound in our gaps, how we're fitting things, how we're leveraging, getting off blocks."

"And then when you get to them, you've got to tackle these guys and wrap up. They're going to run through people. That's what good backs do. It's going to be a fun game. It's going to be a great challenge and the guys are excited to play."

On trying to get a statement win over a ranked opponent

"When you're playing a team that everyone says you can't beat, there's something to that internally as a competitor. It's one of my favorite things to do, prove people wrong, you know? I think that's something I've lived by my whole life. It's something that our team carries with them, but we also know it's something you have to earn on the road."

"A lot of teams have been in South Bend and come away unhappy, and to win a football game there, you've got to do all the little things right. I mean, it's just the details of the game. The guys understand it, and we're living proof of that. There are two losses on our record because we didn't do the little things enough in those games. And so hopefully, those lessons have sunk in.'

Nov 13, 2021; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; A North Carolina State Wolfpack helmet seen on the sideline during the second half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Truist Field. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images

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