NC State opens as slight favorite in non-conference tilt vs. Virginia
Although they’re a pair of ACC foes, NC State and Virginia have only played three times in the last dozen years due to the league’s scheduling quirks with divisions, and now a 17-team conference.
With that in mind, Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren scheduled a non-conference home-and-home with the Cavaliers over the next two years, beginning Saturday (noon, ESPN2) inside Carter-Finley Stadium, to see the nearby opponent more often. And NC State is expected to earn its fourth win over Virginia under the 13th-year coach — at least that’s what the oddsmakers believe.
The Pack opened as a 3.5-point favorite over the Cavaliers, according to the Action Network, going into Week 2.
Looking at the past three meetings with Virginia under Doeren, NC State has been able to cruise past the Cavaliers in two of them with a 35-21 victory at Carter-Finley Stadium in 2018 and a 38-21 win at Scott Stadium in 2020. The Wolfpack took the most-recent meeting with a 24-21 win via a Brayden Narveson walk-off field goal in Charlottesville during the 2023 campaign.
While the 3-point advantage seems small, NC State wasn’t able to cover as a 13.5-point favorite in its 24-17 win over East Carolina to open the 2025 campaign Thursday night. Virginia, meanwhile, is 1-0 against the spread as it covered as a 12-point favorite in a 48-7 win over Coastal Carolina — and former NC State quarterback MJ Morris — Saturday night.
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NC State sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey was 24-of-34 passing for 318 yards with two total touchdowns and an interception in the Wolfpack’s season-opening win. Redshirt sophomore running back Hollywood Smothers posted 76 rushing yards and a touchdown on 22 attempts, while senior wide receiver Wesley Grimes paced the Wolfpack with four receptions for 121 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, NC State linebackers Caden Fordham and Sean Brown posted 11 and 10 total tackles, respectively, against ECU. The Wolfpack’s pass rush, meanwhile, was disruptive as Wyoming transfer Sabastian Harsh logged 2.5 tackles for a loss and six quarterback pressures.
Virginia’s offense, on the other hand, was led by North Texas transfer quarterback Chandler Morris, who was 19-of-27 passing for 264 yards and two touchdowns before departing the Week 1 win with an apparent shoulder injury. He also led the Cavaliers with five carries for 50 yards. James Madison transfer wide receiver Cam Ross headlined Virginia’s receiving corps with seven catches for 124 yards and a touchdown.
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