Jul 23, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Florida State head coach Mike Norvell answers questions from the media during ACC Media days at Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Wolfpack Game 1: Easy Sweep or Challenge?

Originally posted on NC State Wolfpack on SI
By Nathan Berry | Last updated Jul 29, 2025 7:00 AM ET

Coming off of a rocky 6-7 year, the NC State Wolfpack football team has 12 games to prove its players are capable and Head Coach Dave Doeren can get a team back on its feet.

Every season starts with game one, in which there lies opportunity for an easy win or a bad omen for the rest of the year. This year, the Wolfpacks game one will be against the East Carolina Pirates in the Carter-Finley Stadium, who has the better advantages going into the match-up?

Advantages

Doeren and the Wolfpack will be facing the Pirates at home, giving them the home crowd and no issues surrounding travel fatigue.

Compared to their 2024 roster, NC State has a team that is familiar with each other among many familiar faces such as QB CJ Bailey, RB HollyWood Smothers, and top TE Justin Joly. They also have some familiarity on the defensive side of the ball, bolstering their team chemistry that is so intensely important in a sport such as football.

Having played the pirates in their last game before the off-season in the Military Bowl, the Wolfpack have a strong motivation of revenge after losing by five 21-26.

Each Wolfpack player was willing to learn from the teams losses last year and grow as said by Coach Doeren in the ACC Kickoff Media Day, "It's probably been the most coachable team I've had in a long time coming off of a year where we felt like we left a lot of meat on the bone. They've been focused, a lot of fun to work with."

Disadvantages

As stated previously, the Wolfpack lost to the Pirates 21-26 in their 2024 season finisher. The Pirates have kept key offensive and defensive pieces on their team such as WR Kelan Robinson and DL Samuel Dankah.

The Pirates are lead by growing former MSU Spartan QB Katin Houser, who played decently against Big 10 opponents who tend to be stronger competition than the Wolfpack. He is also a Senior, so he has stronger motivation than ever to blow up the Wolfpacks defense in order to impress NFL scouts.

East Carolina has many returning players as well in a unified locker-room, making it harder for the Wolfpack to disrupt their chemistry since they are comfortable with each other and know how everybody plays.

As of July 28, the Wolfpack are favored to win with a betting odds spread of negative seven on multiple sports betting apps. Generally having more advantages than disadvantages, even though nothing is set in stone, it appears that NC State will have a favorable beginning to the 2025 season.

This article first appeared on NC State Wolfpack on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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