Appalachian State (3-0, 0-0 Sun Belt) vs NC State (1-2, 0-1 ACC)
Saturday, September 26th, 2026 7:30pm EST
TV/Video: ESPNU
Radio: FLAGSHIP 97.3 FM (North Wilkesboro), 730 AM & 97.5 FM (Charlotte), 950 AM & 92.7 FM (Greensboro), 980 AM & 96.7 FM (Winston-Salem), 107.7 FM & 1450 AM (Hendersonville), 93.7 FM & 790 AM (Johnson City, TN) 87.7 FM (In-Stadium)
Carter-Finley Stadium
Capacity: 56,919
Surface: Tifway 419 Bermuda Grass
Jeff Sagarin Ratings
App State: 61.61
NC State: 76.36
Home: 5.04
NC State is favored by the Sagarin ratings by 19.79 points
VegasInsider Consensus: App State +14
Series: NC State leads 6-0
Last Meeting: NC State 23, App State 10, September 2, 2006, Raleigh, NC
Well that was an adventure. What was already going to be a long day and afternoon at The Rock became a long night after Mother Nature decided she was going to get in the way. Three and a half hours of rain and lightning interrupted the evening kickoff and sent the finals seconds of the game into the wee hours of the morning. Even with a shortened halftime it was well after midnight when the game concluded and well into the morning when the last group of event staff, coaches and players were able to find their beds. The events surrounding the game will be memorable for a long time. The game itself left a little to be desired. Nonetheless, the Mountaineers willed themselves to their third victory of the season. However September ends, it will most nearly be viewed as successful month for App State. After Saturday, a bye week awaits before Sun Belt play gets started in the middle of October. This weekend is the last “fun” game of the season before we talk about ring games. No matter who wins Saturday, it will not define their season, but it will be fun to talk about for a few days.
It seems like every year NC State does this. Expectations are high, popular players returning, money spent on roster retention. August is always good to the Wolfpack. And then, you know, they play the games. Originally the plan for NC State was to start the college football season against Virginia in Brazil. Instead, the game was played in Charlottesville and NC State attended, but they didn’t look interested in playing. Virginia thoroughly embarrassed the Pack to the tune of a 34-8 score. Pack starting quarterback CJ Bailey threw for just 84 yards, was sacked twice and also threw an interception. The Pack managed just 76 yards on the ground in a truly horrific offensive game. State then pummeled Richmond 73-0 which I am sure made them feel good. And then last Saturday happened. In the most epic occurrence of NC State stuff, they lost while trying to take a safety and run the clock out on Vanderbilt. The Pack led for the entire game before allowing the Commodores to score 21 points in the fourth quarter. The strategy was correct. Taking the safety was the right call. The quarterback should have ran out of the end zone and avoided contact with any player, Vanderbilt or otherwise. Even if Vanderbilt had a second or two left on the clock in order to field a free kick, getting in FG range with a defensive penalty, or even some wild and crazy Hail Mary or play with multiple laterals to score would have been improbable. I guess of course, if you are NC State.
I find it interesting that NC State has yet to update their statistics page with the Vanderbilt game. You might see this occasionally with schools that don’t have the manpower to get the information uploaded in a timely manner, or with schools who have lost interest in the season. I think NC State has the staff to do it. I hope the latter phrase does not apply for an ACC team this early in the season. Moving on, a lot of focus will be put on the peer games for NC State. There is simply no point in discussing anything about Richmond, and honestly, we have spent more time on it than needed. The games against Virginia and Vanderbilt were both on the road. In both games the Pack defense gave up 30+ points. In both games, CJ Bailey threw an interception. The Vandy game was a bounce back for Bailey. He managed 275 yards and three touchdowns while completing 67.6% of his passes. Bailey also found a mismatch in the game unlike against Virginia. No receiver caught more than two passes against Viriginia, between Bailey and backup quarterback Will Wilson. Against Vandy, Bailey primarily targeted three wide receivers consistently. Keenan Jackson caught nine passes for 102 yards and all three touchdowns. Jackson is a junior from Waxhaw who has spent his entire collegiate career at NC State. Jackson played for Andy Capone at Weddington High School, who just happened to be on the App State Baseball team from 2011-2013. Jackson is a burner, as he was a state champion sprinter on the relay teams. Tight end Preston Douglas caught four balls for 50 yards against Vandy, bringing his total on the year to nine receptions for 121 yards. Running back Davion Gause caught five balls for forty-four yards and chipped in seven carries for 35 yards.
For the second straight week the Mountaineers built a two score lead and then had to survive a slight fourth quarter scare to hold on for a win. That felt like a positive for the East Carolina game, but for Charlotte, that felt like a step backwards. If this is the way the Mountaineers plan to win every game then halftimes might require some meditation. Once again, a sluggish run game is probably the main deterrent to closing games out. The 49ers were held to a touchdown until the fourth quarter, but as soon as the Mountaineers went up 26-7, the defense immediately surrendered a twelve play drive that cut the lead to 26-15. The next two Mountaineer drives drained 2:37 and 0:19 seconds off the clock respectively, and the pick six forced the Mountaineers into successfully defending an onside kick. The job got done, but it did not happen without some tense moments. Outside of the interception, Malachi Singleton was exceptional. He’s now thrown for 260+ yards in all three games and was named the Sun Belt player of the week. Sam Pickett III and Chris Lofton each caught six passes, with Lofton going for 90 yards and grabbing a touchdown.
So clearly what has happened here, is that both App State and NC State were overlooking this huge in-state matchup last week and that’s why both teams had such interesting finishes to their football games last Saturday. That could be a stretch. But if we are being honest, the first game on NC State’s home schedule to sellout was App State. Just like the last two games, this is another game that is for the fans. You will once again find colors intermingled through tailgate lots and in the seating bowl at Carter-Finley. And you will see both fan bases arguing for respect among those they wish to be compared with. NC State has been in the Atlantic Coast Conference since 1953. Yet increasingly you find arguments and debate about NC State being an ACC school in name only. I have never understood those opinions. They were literally there when it was invented. Thirty-two years prior, NC State was in the Southern Conference. Sure, other schools may have ‘outgrown’ the ACC, but most everyone reading this knows no different. NC State is part of the textile fabric that binds that conference. And yes, Appalachian State will be looked down upon because their time in the Southern Conference occurred 19 years after NC State left. The reality, dollars aside, these two schools are closer to each other than pretty much anyone east of the ketchup-in-your-bbq-sauce-line want to admit. That might not be a popular opinion. I’m OK with that. Both fan bases have a chip on your shoulder inferiority complex and pretty carry it with them wherever they go. And for the first time in 20 years, those two worlds will collide on Saturday evening. Some intangibles that can become part of how the game unfolds is that Appalachian has found ways to lead in the fourth quarter and prevailed. The Wolfpack have found ways to lose. The first quarter will be critical for both sides to establish their pace for the game. I would expect NC State to lean on their running game often. Whether that be with their backs, or mixing in Will Wilson in both short yardage and first down runs. It will be important for App State also work on those tough yards in their own run game. It simply must get better. Malachi Singleton has been great, but it will take more than just an individual effort to knock off the Pack. In the end I believe NC State will pull away, but they won’t feel great about it.
The First Pick
Tractors and Hicks 34
Mountaineers 24