The season finally kicks off for college football and three teams in the ACC will start their season. Louisville, NC State, and Wake Forest will all be in action at home, as all three are favored heading into their matchup.
All Things ACC kicks off the season with a few previews and predictions for the games, as we look forward to providing much more down the road this season.
Charlotte at No. 19 Louisville
Charlotte is heading into their second full year at the FBS level but it doesn’t get any easier from last season heading to Louisville. After a 2-10 season last year, they take on their first ranked opponent and they certainly will have the odds against them. As of Monday, Louisville had a 40 point spread heading into the game as Lamar Jackson and company hope to kick off what should be a highly anticipated season.
The Cardinals should roll in this one at home for a nice warm-up game but it will also give Jackson, a Heisman darkhorse by many, a chance to show his stuff on the field. Along with that, the Cardinals defense will be ready to roll against the experience running attack of Charlotte, along with the 49ers new quarterback in Kevin Olsen.
Consider Jackson to start the year off right with a solid performance while the run game really hurts the 49ers defense, even if they are an experienced one. In their three seasons as a football program, the 49ers have given up over 190 yards per game on the ground in each season.
Prediction: Louisville 49 – Charlotte 10
William and Mary at NC State
NC State kicks off their season Thursday night again William & Mary, a team they haven’t faced since the 2008 season (won 34-24). The Wolfpack started out in the right way last year, winning their first four games against opponents they were favored in but eventually crawled to a 7-6 overall record.
They start off the season against a team that has experience and talent. Last season, the Tribe went 9-3 overall and return eight starters on offense, including quarterback Steve Cluley (2,768 yards passing, 16 touchdowns), running back Kendell Anderson (1,418 yards, 16 touchdowns) and several talented receivers. On defense though, the Tribe did lose some key pieces but still have an experienced unit with six starters returning.
This one might not be a pushover some may expect and NC State is still working out a few position battles, as Head Coach Dave Doeren recently reported that he will be playing two quarterbacks – Ryan Finley and Jalan McClendon.
Offensively, it will give fans a chance to check out the rushing attack that should be one of the better ones in the conference along with some emerging talents in the passing game. Furthermore, it also gives people a glimpse of a defense that the Wolfpack have high hopes for this year.
Prediction: NC State 35 – William & Mary 17
Tulane at Wake Forest
Tulane struggled last year, giving up over 400 yards and 36.3 points per game. Against Duke and Georgia Tech last year, the Green Wave gave up 37 points to the Blue Devils and 65 to the Yellow Jackets, while along scoring 17 total points in both games.
Now they take on Wake Forest a team they are 2-0 against but the last time these two teams met up was back in 1995. The Green Wave returns 13 starters from last season but will be starting a new quarterback and they lost their leading receiver from last season.
The Demon Deacons struggled at times on offense but with some new faces and more experience, Wake Forest should average more points per game than last season (17.8). The Demon Deacon defense should be a solid unit and keep them in games and overall, may be too much for an offense that struggled offensively last season.
Prediction: Wake Forest 34 – Tulane 14
