Georgia Southern @ North Carolina State preview

All eyes will be on Jacoby Brissett as the Florida transfer makes his North Carolina State debut Saturday afternoon in the Wolfpack's season opener against visiting Georgia Southern. Brissett sat out the entire 2013 campaign following the move from the Gators, and will be tasked with reversing the fortunes of a program that lost all eight ACC games it played a season ago. But even with Brissett in place, coach Dave Doeren has his share of concerns on offense.

The Eagles will make their first appearance as a Football Bowl Subdivision team, joining the Sun Belt Conference in the offseason after racking up six FCS national championships. Georgia Southern is led by new coach Willie Fritz, who previously guided Sam Houston State and has a career 176-67-1 mark at three collegiate stops. The Eagles are known for their high-powered triple-option offense, one that guided them to a 26-20 win over Florida last season.

TV: 12:30 p.m. ET, ESPN3. LINE: North Carolina State -20.5

ABOUT GEORGIA SOUTHERN (2013: 7-4): It's unclear how Fritz's arrival will affect an offense that ran the triple-option to near-perfection at times in 2013, but after leading Sam Houston State to impressive offensive showings over the past three seasons, it's clear he's the right man for the job. "We're a triple-option type team," he said. "We do it a different way than you have been doing it here." Fans should expect a similar run-heavy approach, but Fritz is expected to employ more passing and spread formations.

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA STATE (2013: 3-9): The Wolfpack had major issues with a leaky offensive line last season, and Doeren's offense is loaded with young, unproven wide receivers. But the second-year coach is confident Brissett's arrival will fix some of what ails the team. "He wants to win, and it's personal," Doeren said. "He's got to go do it. We've got to get players around him to help him, but he has the skill set and the intangibles that you look for when you recruit that position."

EXTRA POINTS

1. Georgia Southern stunned the Gators at the end of the 2013 campaign despite not completing a pass.

2. Fritz led Sam Houston State to FCS title games in 2011 and 2012, losing to North Dakota State both times.

3. The Wolfpack went winless in conference play for the first time since 1959.

PREDICTION: North Carolina State 45, Georgia Southern 37