NC State Wolfpack vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Trends and Free Picks

Give HC Tom O’Brien all the credit in the world for the way that he has handled his Wolfpack so far this season. They have been either short dogs or short favorites in each of their L/2 games and have come forth with solid wins in both games. The defense has been the critical unit for this team so far, as the offense has been inconsistent at times. The Wolfpack are averaging allowing just 294.0 yards per game this year this season, the 33rd ranked mark in the land. Trying to run on this team has been impossible this year as well, as 85.3 yards per game is all that the opposition is successfully mustering. Obviously, that will be up against its toughest test this year against the spread triple option of HC Paul Johnson and the Ramblin’ Wreck. Since he started in Raleigh Durham three years ago, QB Russell Wilson has done a great job hanging on to the football. He might completing just 56.4 percent of his passes this year, but 744 yards, eight scores, and no picks suggests that he is doing a fantastic job.

Georgia Tech has that awful loss to the Kansas Jayhawks to try to overcome, but all things considered, the Jackets have had plenty to cheer about this year. The offense is averaging 345.0 yards per game on the ground, numbers that are making even teams like Navy and Army scratch their heads. As always, QB Josh Nesbitt isn’t proving to be the most efficient passer in the world, but completing just nine passes for an even 200 yards on the year isn’t so bad. The rushing game has produced five players with at least 90 yards in three games, but Nesbitt leads the pack with 267 yards and a whopping six TDs. Poor RB Anthony Allen has yet to taste the end zone this year, but he is averaging 6.3 yards per carry and is second on the team with 232 yards on the ground. RB Orwin Smith is good for the big play, as he is averaging 14.4 yards per carry to lead the team. All things told, Johnson has to be happy that his squad is averaging an astounding 6.16 yards per carry as a team. If the defense could just pick it up a tad and allow less than the 20.7 points per game it is now, G-Tech will be back in business.

It wasn’t all that long ago that the Boston College Eagles were a team that look a lot like this year’s Wolfpack. Tom O’Brien had just left the program to come here to NC State, and an NFL prospect named QB Matt Ryan led the troops all the way up be ranked No. 2 in the land at one point. That BC team was an underdog quite a bit in situations like this. We’re not saying that the Wolfpack are the next bunch of Eagles, but they certainly should be getting more respect than this. Don’t be shocked if NCSU pulls the upset and cracks the Top 25 next week.