NC State Wolfpack vs. California Golden Bears Pick & Prediction OCTOBER 19th 2024

Preview and Prediction

Following two consecutive defeats at home, a first since 2019, North Carolina State will aim to secure a victory on the road as they head to the West Coast for the first time this season in the revamped Atlantic Coast Conference. Their opponent will be California, and the game is scheduled for Saturday afternoon in Berkeley, Calif.

The Wolfpack (3-4, 0-3 ACC) have yet to win a conference game this season and have not lived up to expectations after being selected to finish fourth in the ACC preseason poll, receiving eight first-place votes. As they prepare to face the Golden Bears (3-3, 0-3), NC State risks losing control of their season.

In their previous game against Syracuse, the Wolfpack suffered a close loss and lost the turnover battle 3-0.

According to NC State coach Dave Doeren, the team must not take winning for granted and must remember the importance of details, field position, and turnover margin. "When you start taking things for granted, the football gods have a way of reminding you how difficult it is to win a game," Doeren said this week.

After quarterback Grayson McCall, a transfer from Coastal Carolina, sustained his second head injury in the past 12 months during NC State's loss to Wake Forest on Oct. 5, true freshman CJ Bailey has taken over as the starting quarterback. In their last game against Syracuse, Bailey had his best performance yet, completing 17 of 24 passes for a season-high 329 yards and two touchdowns. However, he also had one fumble and one interception.

NC State has the highest turnover rate in the ACC, averaging 1.9 turnovers per game.

Cal has also been on a losing streak, with three consecutive losses by a combined eight points. They lost by five points on the road against Florida State, by one point at home against Miami in a controversial ending, and most recently by two points against Pittsburgh. Two of their losses were against AP-ranked opponents.

According to Cal coach Justin Wilcox, the team's main issue has been protecting their quarterback. The Bears have allowed 24 sacks in six games, which is the second-worst record in FBS, tied with Colorado and behind only South Carolina.

"We need to reduce the number of sacks we give up. Everyone is responsible for that," Wilcox said. "We need to throw the ball on time, and we need to protect the quarterback. The quarterback also needs to make better decisions at times."

Cal's quarterback is Fernando Mendoza, who has a completion rate of 66.5% and averages 8.1 passing yards per attempt, both of which rank in the top 10 in the ACC.

This Saturday's game will be the first meeting between NC State and Cal in football.

PREDICTION

NC State Wolfpack

California Golden Bears