GAME PREVIEW: Pack Ready to 'Duke" It Out With Blue Devils

NC STATE WOLFPACK vs. DUKE BLUE DEVILS

Kickoff: 4:00pm

Location: Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh, NC

Television: ESPNU

Records: Wolfpack (3-2, 0-1 ACC) - Blue Devils (2-3, 0-1 ACC)

This Saturday afternoon the Wolfpack will face the Duke Blue Devils, a game in which one team will walk away with their first ACC victory of the season. Last time out the Wolfpack had their hearts broken by a Wake passing attack that exposed a surefire weakness in the NC State secondary. The Devils also lost a tight match-up last Saturday, as they were taken out by #6 Viginia Tech in a barn burner 34-26. This week both teams will be seeking redemption and will surely be hungry for a victory.

Not Your Same Old Duke

This is not the same Duke team you're used to seeing. The Blue Devils are no longer the ACC 'walk in the park' that they were a few years ago. Coach David Cutcliffe and senior Thaddeus Lewis lead a new brand of Duke football. The last two games have seen Duke unveil an offensive resurgence, scoring 75 point with 26 of them coming against the #6 ranked Virginia Tech Hokies (A team that sports a pretty stout defense that only allowed 15 points against #19 Nebraska and a mere 7 points against the #9 ranked Miami Hurricanes).

The Devils have been rolling ever since senior signal caller, Young, started finding his groove. Throwing for a magnificent 61.5%, 548 yards and 4 touchdowns over the last two games, Thaddeus has pushed Duke atop the ACC (and up to 14th in the nation) in passing offense. Certainly bad news for a Wolfpack secondary that has struggled as of late.

Pack Streaking vs. Duke

Although the overall series is almost even (36-39, Duke), the Pack has been dominant as of late, winning the last 11 matchups against Duke. The 11 game streak by the Pack is the longest in school history versus a conference opponent.

Tight End Takeover

Sophomore TE George Bryan was criticized early in camp by the coaching staff for coming in a bit heavier than expected. The thought was that the extra weight would hinder the soft-handed TE in his route running and his ability to create space. Turns out, George Bryan knew what he was doing. Now leading the ACC in touchdowns, Bryan has become Russell Wilson's favorite target. Through 5 games, Bryan has already amassed 22 receptions, 234 yards and a league best 4 touchdowns. Bryan also is sitting top 10 in the ACC with 4.4 receptions per game.

"I like to give all my credit to the Russell and the offensive line, really." Said Bryan. "Coach has been calling some pretty good plays for me and I've just been doing what I'm supposed to do, and Russell has been finding me."

Regardless, those are some pretty nice numbers for just "doing your job."

NC State Keys to the Game

Duke isn't going to 'wow' you with their defense, but keeping the Blue Devils honest will be a key for the Pack. Last week against Wake Forest, NC State runningbacks compiled only 63 yards on 19 carries. This lack of production on the ground put pressure on Russell Wilson and the NC State passing game, leading to plenty of mistakes and forcing Wilson to take chances that he usually doesn't need to take. Getting Baker and Eugene off early is going to be vital, and the NC State staff knows that.

The Wolfpack defense should be the main point of emphasis this week. Duke's red hot quarterback Thaddeus Lewis will face a secondary that has been reeling the past 2 weeks. This week again, Coach O'Brien will shuffle the secondary in hopes of finding a winning combination. If they can stop Lewis from getting into a rhythm and force them to keep it on the ground, the Pack should be able to come out with a victory. While the secondary is young and need to grow up fast, they will almost certainly need the help of a D-line unit that has been utterly dominant as of late. Willie Young and Alan-Michael Cash have been downright dirty this season, stopping the run at a very good rate. Wake was held to only 30 yards last weekend while harboring the 3rd best running offense in the ACC.

Penalties will be another thing the Wolfpack needs to keep in check against the Blue Devils. NC State has been getting flagged at a pretty alarming rate for an O'Brien coached team. Through the first five games of the season the Pack is averaging 7.2 infractions per game which add up to 62.8 yards per game. While O'Brien is not pleased, it's looking like you can chalk it up to being young and getting the first half jitters out. In the past two games, 16 of NC State's 20 penalties have occurred in the first half.