North Carolina State @ South Alabama preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 15, 2012 ) South Alabama 7, North Carolina State 31

North Carolina State hits the road for a second straight Saturday, visiting South Alabama for its final pre-ACC tune-up. The 3-0 Wolfpack are also heading to Mobile on a roll with last week’s 38-14 rout of Old Dominion serving as their closest contest of the season.

Still, having played the likes of Troy, FCS program Eastern Kentucky and Old Dominion, N.C. State's early slate ranks 176th out of 253 Division I teams (FBS and FCS combined) in analyst Jeff Sagarin’s strength-of-schedule ratings. Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren isn’t about to apologize. “You can look across the country and look at teams that maybe scheduled a different way that are sitting there at 1-2 or 0-3,” Doeren told reporters Monday at his weekly news conference. “Walk in the locker room right now and see how positive they feel.” South Alabama is feeling good about itself at 2-1 after last Saturday’s 34-27 overtime win at San Diego State.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPNews. LINE: N.C. State -17

ABOUT N.C. STATE (3-0): The Wolfpack have won six straight games, including a 34-27 St. Petersburg Bowl triumph over UCF, dating back to last season. Despite some early-season injuries and personnel shifts on the offensive line, N.C. State has played a highly-effective game of keep-away while owning an FBS-best 40:37 time of possession average. Senior Jacoby Brissett has completed 77.8 percent of his passes, throwing for four touchdowns without an interception, while the Wolfpack defense ranks second nationally with 188.3 yards allowed per game.

ABOUT SOUTH ALABAMA (2-1): Coach Joey Jones called the Jaguars’ upset win over the Aztecs the biggest in the Sun Belt Conference program’s history, and it was just what it needed following a 48-9 drubbing the previous Saturday at Nebraska. Sophomore tailback Xavier Johnson rushed for a career-high 142 yards and two scores, including the game-winning 2-yard run in overtime, while tight end Gerald Everett also hit career highs with eight receptions for 164 yards. The South Alabama defense – led by cornerback Jeremy Reaves who notched 10 total tackles for the second straight outing – limited San Diego State to 305 total yards, including a minus-4 on its only possession in overtime.

EXTRA POINTS

1. N.C. State has won the only two games in the series, posting 35-13 and 31-7 home victories in 2011 and 12, respectively.

2. Wolfpack RB Matt Dayes has opened the season with three 100-yard-plus rushing games while scoring six TDs.

3. South Alabama K Aleem Sunanon became the program’s all-time leading scorer last week with his four extra points and two field goals, including the game-tying 46-yard boot as time expired in regulation.

PREDICTION: N.C. State 31, South Alabama 17