The 1-0 Wolfpack hosts the 2-0 Irish Saturday at Noon. Saturday’s game will mark the fourth time that NC State and Notre Dame have met on the gridiron and the third regular season meeting between the two teams.
The Matchup
NC State vs Notre Dame
- The teams faced off following the 2002 campaign in the Toyota Gator Bowl, when the Wolfpack capped off the winningest season in school history (11-3) with a 28-6 victory over the 11th-ranked Irish. That was the only time NC State has won a game involving two teams that had 10 wins entering the game.
- On the day that NC State celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first game in Carter-Finley Stadium, the two teams slugged it out in the torrential rain caused by the outer bands of Hurricane Matthew. A blocked punt return by FS Dexter Wright early in the fourth quarter was the game’s lone touchdown and gave the Pack a 10-3 victory.
- The No. 14 Pack traveled to South Bend to take on the ninth-ranked Irish on Oct. 28, 2017. Notre Dame won that contest handily: 35-14.
- Wolfpack quarterback Brennan Armstrong has never faced Notre Dame. When his former team, Virginia, played the Irish in 2021, he was sitting out with broken ribs.
- NC State has faced Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman three times at his previous school: Wake Forest. Hartman was 1-2 vs. the Pack, losing both games in Carter-Finley. He put up big numbers, though – throwing for 823 yards on 72-131 passing. Although he threw six touchdowns in those three games, he also threw six interceptions and was sacked 13 times.
- This will mark the first time since 2005 that the Wolfpack faces a ranked opponent in its home opener. NC State dropped that contest, 16-20, to No. 8 Virginia Tech.
- bThe Wolfpack has blocked a punt that for a touchdown in each of the past two games against the Fighting Irish. In 2016, Pharoah McKever blocked a punt that was returned by Dexter Wright for the game’s only TD by either team, while in 2017, James Smith-Williams (Washington Commanders) blocked a punt that was recovered by Germaine Pratt (Cincinnati Bengals) in the endzone.
About NC State
- The Wolfpack enters the 2023 season having won 16 of its last 17 home games.
- The Wolfpack hasn’t lost a home game in the month of September since 2014. Since that 41-56 loss to No. 1 Florida State on 9/27/14 has won 19 straight home games in the month of September plus one late August win.
- Although the Wolfpack rushed for more yards (209) than it passed for (155) in the season opener, the passing game was well distributed. Nine different players caught passes for NC State in the win at Connecticut, led by rookie KC Concepcion with 4-36.
- In the season opener win over UConn, quarterback Brennan Armstrong showed off his running skills, scoring both of the team’s touchdowns and leading the Wolfpack with 96 rushing yards. That was the most rushing yards for an NC State quarterback since Jacoby Brissett (Washington Commanders) had 128 yards (and 2 TDs) rushing in a 2014 win over UNC.
About Notre Dame
- Notre Dame hopes to extend its regular-season winning streak against Atlantic Coast Conference teams to 29 this weekend. The Irish have not lost a regular-season game to an ACC school since a 41-8 loss at Miami in 2017. See page 10 for more.
- With two passing touchdowns and his first rushing score in an Irish uniform, Sam Hartman extended his FBS-leading streak of games being responsible for at least one touchdown to 36 contests. Hartman has also thrown 83 touchdown passes
since 2021 – the most of any Power 5 quarterback.
- Notre Dame has outscored its first two opponents in 2023 by 92 points. That is the biggest point differential in the first two games of the season since 1932 when Notre Dame defeated Haskell 73-0 and Drake 62-0 (135 points).
- Howard Cross III joins Jack Kiser and Marist Liufau as Notre Dame’s leading tacklers with 10 each through two games.
How to Watch
Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET
Television: ABC – Sean McDonough, play-by-play; Greg McElroy (analyst), Molly McGrath (reporter)
Online: WatchESPN
Wolfpack Sports Network: Gary Hahn (PxP), Johnny Evans (analyst), Tony Haynes (sideline)
Satellite Radio: SiriusXM (99), App (104)
Per Release