Noon in Raleigh is 9 AM in Berkeley. A banged-up Cal team flies 2,390 miles to face an NC State program that fired its head coach, GM and defensive coordinator this past week. Todd Goebbel coaches his first game, and Charlton Warren calls the defense for the first time. I'll take the points. NC State is 2-4 against FBS teams, and its biggest FBS win is exactly 10. That was 41-31 over App State, a game NC State led 28-7, let App tie at 31-31 in the fourth, and reached 10 only with a late field goal. The Wolfpack also blew a 17-0 lead in a 35-31 loss at Vanderbilt. Last week they lost 31-28 at Stanford, a team Wake beat 57-3. Cal can attack through the air. NC State has allowed 300-plus passing yards in three of its last four games and has 7 sacks in six FBS games. Safety Tristan Teasdell is out and corner Jamel Johnson is questionable. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, expected to start, went 27-of-37 for 265 yards and no interceptions at SMU. Cal throws a lot, which stops the clock and keeps a backdoor cover open. The records hide the schedules. Cal's FBS opponents are a combined 36-14, and NC State's are 26-19. Against teams closer to NC State's level, Cal beat Syracuse and Virginia Tech and lost by 8 at UNLV. Without Duke Scott, NC State can't run over Cal the way SMU did. Davion Gause ran 15 times for 49 yards at Stanford, behind a line now missing three players who have started this year. The risks are real. Wake beat NC State by 24 and Cal by 34. Cal has allowed 200-plus rushing yards in five of seven FBS games and has no takeaways in three straight. At SMU, Cal led at halftime and then lost the second half 42-0. Cal's questionable list is long:
- running backs Ashten Emory and Adam Mohammed
- receiver Ian Strong
- eight-game line starters Frederick Williams III and Tyson Ruffins
- linebackers AJ Tuitele and JD McKinley Watch the final report two hours before kickoff. If most of Cal's starters play, +9.5 is the side.
Noon in Raleigh is 9 AM in Berkeley. A banged-up Cal team flies 2,390 miles to face an NC State program that fired its head coach, GM and defensive coordinator this past week. Todd Goebbel coaches his first game, and Charlton Warren calls the defense for the first time.
I'll take the points. NC State is 2-4 against FBS teams, and its biggest FBS win is exactly 10. That was 41-31 over App State, a game NC State led 28-7, let App tie at 31-31 in the fourth, and reached 10 only with a late field goal. The Wolfpack also blew a 17-0 lead in a 35-31 loss at Vanderbilt. Last week they lost 31-28 at Stanford, a team Wake beat 57-3.
Cal can attack through the air. NC State has allowed 300-plus passing yards in three of its last four games and has 7 sacks in six FBS games. Safety Tristan Teasdell is out and corner Jamel Johnson is questionable. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, expected to start, went 27-of-37 for 265 yards and no interceptions at SMU. Cal throws a lot, which stops the clock and keeps a backdoor cover open.
The records hide the schedules. Cal's FBS opponents are a combined 36-14, and NC State's are 26-19. Against teams closer to NC State's level, Cal beat Syracuse and Virginia Tech and lost by 8 at UNLV. Without Duke Scott, NC State can't run over Cal the way SMU did. Davion Gause ran 15 times for 49 yards at Stanford, behind a line now missing three players who have started this year.
The risks are real. Wake beat NC State by 24 and Cal by 34. Cal has allowed 200-plus rushing yards in five of seven FBS games and has no takeaways in three straight. At SMU, Cal led at halftime and then lost the second half 42-0. Cal's questionable list is long:
- running backs Ashten Emory and Adam Mohammed
- receiver Ian Strong
- eight-game line starters Frederick Williams III and Tyson Ruffins
- linebackers AJ Tuitele and JD McKinley
Watch the final report two hours before kickoff. If most of Cal's starters play, +9.5 is the side.
California +9.5