Tennessee football faces its first real challenge of the 2024 football season this Saturday when they travel to Charlotte to face the North Carolina State Wolfpack.
Here’s a look at the Wolfpack ahead of the top 25 neutral site matchup in primetime.
How The Wolfpack Got Here
North Carolina State enters the week two matchup unbeaten, but it wasn’t a convincing season opening performance. The Wolfpack knocked off FCS foe Western Carolina 38-21 in Raleigh but the game was even closer than the score looked with Western Carolina entering the fourth quarter with the lead.
Dave Doeren’s 12th NC State team entering the season right outside the top 25 and with high expectations. The Wolfpack started the 2023 season 4-3 before winning their final five games of the regular season.
Returning a good deal of talent from last season and being aggressive in the transfer portal has the Wolfpack thinking they can compete for a bid in the expanded College Football Playoff.
Projected Strengths
The passing game is expected to be a major strength. ACC Rookie of the Year Kevin Concepcion is back and the Wolfpack invested heavily in the transfer portal bringing in Coastal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall, UConn tight end Justin Joly and Ohio State receiver Noah Rogers. You might remember Jolly, who played well against Tennessee last season while at UConn.
McCall missed some throws in the first half against Western Carolina but it was still a good opener for the NC State passing attack which totaled 318 yards and three touchdowns in the win.
Defensively, NC State has had a stout pass defense in recent years and led the ACC in interceptions a year ago. There is a good bit of turnover here but All-ACC corner Aydan White is back and the Wolfpack added a number of power four defensive backs that should limit any drop off.
Potential Weaknesses
The offensive line was the glaring issue in its opener against Western Carolina. The Wolfpack failed to run in short yardage situations and had some pass protection issues for McCall. Tennessee’s defensive line is its strength and they have the talent to potentially overwhelm NC State up front.
NC State’s defense has been very solid so it’s hard to point out any clear weaknesses. Linebacker is a question though after losing Payton Wilson to the NFL. Wilson won the Butkus Award a season ago after totaling 138 tackles, six sacks and three interceptions a season ago.
That’s a massive hole to fill and its unclear how effective NC State will be filling the gap.
Players To Know
Quarterback Grayson McCall
A four-year star at Coastal Carolina, McCall is trying his hand at big time college football. He’s thrown for over 10,000 yards and 90 touchdowns in his career. While he is more than capable, this is a defensive front that he hasn’t yet seen in his career.
Receiver Kevin Concepcion
A Charlotte native, Concepcion won ACC Rookie of the Year honors a season ago by totaling 1,064 all purpose yards and 10 touchdowns a season ago. A 5-foot-11 slot receiver, Concepcion started off his sophomore year with a bang, catching nine passes for 121 yards and three touchdowns against Western Carolina.
The Wolfpack also used Concepcion as a ball carrier last season though he only had one carry in the season opener.
Running Back Jordan Waters
A Duke transfer, Waters was a Preseason Second Team All-ACC selection and started his season strong by rushing for 123 yards and two touchdowns. Last season at Duke, Waters rushed for 753 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Cornerback Aydan White
An Asheville native, White combined for 73 tackles, 17 pass deflections and six interceptions over the course of the 2022 and 2023 seasons. White was a Preseason First Team All-ACC selection and recorded six tackles and one pass deflection in the season opener.
What Josh Heupel Said About The Wolfpack
Opening Statement
“Really good opponent that we’re playing. They play all three phases of the game really well together. Defensively, they’ve been really good and it will be a great test for us up front and on the perimeter and at quarterback. Offensively, they’ve got a really experienced quarterback, got playmakers around him and the special teams are really good too. So a huge test for us this week. One that we’re excited about. Traveling a few hours down the road, look forward to seeing Vol Nation show up and it will be a great contest.”
On what NC State wide receiver Kevin Concepcion does to have success, if he reminds him of any other players he’s faced at slot receiver
“First of all, he’s got elite speed. Really good hands. Makes plays on (special) teams, on the offensive side of the ball. They do a good job of of moving him around and finding space for him to work and operate. He’s strong, he’s explosive. We got to know where he’s at throughout the course of the football game.”
On NC State’s defense, changes in secondary
“Have some transfers that they brought in. All three levels of their defense playing together is a big part of the picks (last season) and their zone coverage. Dropping out, making the windows tough and then in their pressure, applying pressure to the quarterback, getting home and making it uncomfortable for him.”
