NC State opens the 2023 college football season on the road with a visit to UConn on Thursday. The Wolfpack, in coach Dave Doeren’s 11th season in Raleigh, reached as high as No. 10 in The Associated Press college football poll a season ago and are chasing an elusive 10-win season.
Starting on the road isn’t the norm for a Power Five school, and the Huskies were 5-1 at home a year ago. The Wolfpack throttled UConn a season ago, cruising to a 41-10 win behind 310 yards passing and four touchdowns by quarterback Devin Leary.
The Game
NC State at UConn
East Hartford, Conn.
Thursday, 7:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network
Records
NC State: 8-5 (4-4 ACC) in 2022
UConn: 6-7 in 2022; independent
Head-to-head
NC State 3-0 all-time, including a 41-10 win in Raleigh last season.
Players to Watch
NC State quarterback Brennan Armstrong: After a quarterback carousel that saw four different players start a game last season, the Wolfpack added Armstrong, the former Virginia quarterback, via the transfer portal. Things won’t be totally new for Armstrong — he played under new NC State offensive coordinator Robert Anae in 2021, setting schools records with 4,449 passing yards and 31 touchdowns.
UConn wide receiver Keven Clercius: The Huskies lost top receiver Aaron Turner to Cincinnati in the transfer portal, so Clercius becomes the top passing target. UConn will need to him spark a passing attack that ranked 127th out of 131 teams in passing yards per game at just 111.9.
Odds
Betonline.ag: NC State -14, over/under 45
