A non-conference, Power 5 opponent…in Raleigh….under the lights. This doesn’t happen much. It’ll happen Saturday, as the NC State Wolfpack host the Texas Tech Red Raiders Saturday night inside Carter-Finley Stadium.
Kickoff is slated for 7:30 PM and can be seen live on ESPN 2.
Both teams enter the matchup unblemished at 2-0 – with the #16 ranked Wolfpack most recently dismantling FCS Charleston Southern 55-3 last Saturday, while the Red Raiders defeated #25 Houston 33-30 in double overtime.
The veteran led Wolfpack defense will face a challenge with Texas Tech’s air raid offense and dual-threat quarterback Donovan Smith. Smith finished with 350 yards through the air, while also finishing with 20 rushing attempts.
NC State will look to counter with high profile quarterback Devin Leary, who looked more like the ACC Preseason POTY last week as he finished with four passing touchdowns while rushing for two more.
Game Notes
- NC State and Texas Tech will face each other for the first time since 2003 and the sixth time in history. The Wolfpack has won four of the previous matchups, including the last four.
- The Wolfpack’s lone loss in the series was in Lubbock in 1952 (7-54).
- The two squads played in Lubbock in 2002 and in Raleigh in 2003. The No. 17 Pack won a shootout in overtime in 2002, with RB T.A. McLendon rushing for a school record five touchdowns in that 51-48 win. In 2003, QB Philip Rivers led NC State to a 49-21 win in Raleigh.
- The Red Raiders trip to Carter-Finley Stadium in 2003 marks the last time a Big 12 school played on the Wolfpack’s home field (West Virginia was scheduled to play here in 2018, but the game was cancelled due to Hurricane Florence).