NCST is a team that plays with a lot of toughness, they seem to play with a lot of swag nowadays.
Honestly, this game defines our season to me. If we take that L we will probably win 6 or 7 games. If we can get the W I say we can get 9 wins easy.
I think our weakest unit is the O-line right now, NCSt D-Line is monstrous with Hill and Chubb. I put NCST front 4 up there with Miami, Clemsux and FSU. There biggest strength on offense is those two H-Backs Samuel and Hines and I think that although we showed last year to have no pass rush that we can secure the edge against these two that really love to run east and west.
If we can buy Bentley time we should be able to run a quick offense and go down field on this team with Deebo and Edwards tiring their Defense out, because I don't really like there conditioning program up there. Also, again if the line can combo block on read plays we got probably the best rotation of RBs we've had in along time at South Carolina. If our defensive line doesn't get pressure I like our LBs and Secondary to hold strong. We return Skia Moore that led us in tackles for 3 straight years.
think it's a defining game for both teams...usually the opener doesn't carry as much weight as this game, but I feel like this one does just because of the current standing of both teams ... NC State has been perpetually underachieving under Doe, and he needs a strong OOC victory to silence the legions of loud critics in Raleigh and help shape his team's mind that the season will be different, and the program is finally gonna make a run and be considered as contenders, even if they don't win the division can compete for it...
As for the good guys, we're looking to return to serious contention under a new regime. this win could set the tone. I honestly think a W would mean more for NC State and its program under Doe, which has been treadmilling something serious for yeeeeeeeeears.
UNC lost early to us last season I think (or the season before), but their program had already been trending upward heavily so they bounced back... the L fueled them because they already had started developed a history of winning over the past couple of seasons, even if they underachieved a bit. NC State has a culture problem, and an L here would exacerbate a culture of losing. Vegas has them winning...the pundits say they should win and everything is in their favor (so they say)... and L here would further fukk
them boys' heads up.
Now... the Gamecocks have owned college foobtall within the Ol North State of the neighbors, beating NC State, ECU, UNC twice each while remaining undefeated over the past 5-8 years if I'm not mistaken.
And I expect the trend to continue.