NC State vs. Old Dominion prediction and game preview for Saturday's game between the Wolfpack and Monarchs. Find out which team is picked to improve to 3-0.
The NC State Wolfpack and the Old Dominion Monarchs enter Week 3 without a loss. We take a look at the teams below in the NC State vs. Old Dominion prediction and game preview.
Date: Saturday, September 19
Game Time: 7:00 ET
Venue: S.B. Ballard Stadium (Norfolk, VA)
Network: None
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Neither NC State nor Old Dominion has suffered a loss in 2015. Of course, neither has faced anyone tougher than the Troy Trojans, too, so the perfect marks need deeper scrutiny. The Pack wants to build a head of steam in these next two non-conference tilts before league play begins. The Monarchs are thrilled to host an ACC team, and an upset here would hasten Bobby Wilder’s timetable for bowl and Conference USA contention.
The Monarchs lack the defensive personnel to stop a quality ACC offense, especially one with Jacoby Brissett in charge. The Pack hasn’t been prolific yet, but it also hasn’t had to be. Brissett will burn ODU with his arm and legs, while Matt Dayes is making the most of his chance to be a feature back.
Dayes is terrific. Monarch Ray Lawry might be better. The sophomore is certainly running at an ACC caliber, leading the nation in the early going with 438 yards and six touchdowns. Lawry is helping make sure that rookie QB Shuler Bentley doesn’t have to do too much at this impressionable stage of his career.
Dayes gets company this week. Shadrach Thornton, the starter before being suspended for the first two games, is returning now that he’s served his time. While Dayes is likely to start, Thornton will play, guaranteeing that the Pack has ample fresh legs with which to wear down Old Dominion over the final two quarters.
Old Dominion is one-dimensional right now. NC State, on the other hand, possesses a multitude of weapons, particularly in the backfield, for a Monarch defense that’s still not performing at an FBS level. The Wolfpack will jump out to an early lead, somewhat diminishing Lawry’s role.
Prediction: NC State 38, Old Dominion 20, Line: NC State -18.5, o/u: 59.5
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