Who will be NC State football’s toughest opponents in 2023? Ranking all 12 by difficulty
NC State football coach Dave Doeren has led the Wolfpack to at least eight wins in five of the last six seasons, including three years with nine victories.
Entering his 11th season with the program, Doeren has a solid defense led by all-ACC linebacker Payton Wilson and a new-look offense steered by Virginia transfer Brennan Armstrong.
NC State is coming off an 8-5 season, including a 4-4 record in the ACC. The Wolfpack has won 17 of its last 18 games at Carter-Finley Stadium.
The Fayetteville Observer ranked the Wolfpack’s 2023 schedule, examining the quality of the opponent, among other challenges.
2023 NC State football schedule, in order of easiest to toughest games
Week 3 vs. VMI
VMI’s 2022 record: 1-10 (0-8 SoCon)
Series record: 7-11
Kickoff: TBD, Sept. 16
Notes: It’s been nearly 80 years since the Wolfpack and Keydets have met on the gridiron. Following a 1-10 season, VMI begins a new era under Danny Rocco. The Keydets have a winning record against State, but the Wolfpack shouldn’t have much trouble putting this game out of reach early.
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Week 1 at UConn
UConn’s 2022 record: 6-7
Series record: 3-0
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m., Aug. 31, CBS Sports Network
Notes: NC State’s new-look offense will have the chance to gain some confidence against a UConn program that hasn’t posted a winning record since 2010. The Wolfpack won 41-10 against the Huskies last season.
Week 4 at Virginia
Virginia’s 2022 record: 3-7 (1-6 ACC)
Series record: 35-21
Kickoff: 7:30, Sept. 22, ESPN
Notes: The Wolfpack opens its ACC schedule on the road, but Virginia has plenty of question marks in its second season under Tony Elliott. NC State has won back-to-back games in Charlottesville and hasn’t lost to the Hoos in Virginia since 2006.
Week 6 vs. Marshall
Marshall’s 2022 record: 9-4 (5-3, Sun Belt)
Series record: 5-0
Kickoff: TBD, Oct. 7
Notes: The Thundering Herd made some noise in 2022 with a win at Notre Dame and a season-ending victory in the Myrtle Beach Bowl. The Wolfpack doesn’t need to get caught napping against a program that would love to add another high-profile victory to its resume.
Week 5 vs. Louisville
Louisville’s 2022 record: 8-5 (4-4 ACC)
Series record: 4-8
Kickoff: 7 p.m., Sept. 29, ESPN
Notes: The Wolfpack welcomes Louisville to Raleigh for its ACC home opener. The Cardinals are in their first season under coach Jeff Brohm, but they earned a 25-10 win against State in Kentucky last season.
Week 12 vs. Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech’s 2022 record: 3-8 (1-6 ACC)
Series record: 19-28
Kickoff: TBD, Nov. 18
Notes: Sandwiched between games against Wake Forest and North Carolina, the Wolfpack’s trip to Blacksburg comes during one of its toughest stretches on the schedule. State hasn’t won at Lane Stadium since 2004, losing its last three by an average of three touchdowns.
Week 11 at Wake Forest
Wake Forest’s 2022 record: 8-5 (3-5 ACC)
Series record: 68-42
Kickoff: TBD, Nov. 11
Notes: This has consistently become one of the Wolfpack’s most important games on the schedule of late. The teams have split the last 10 in the series, but State hasn’t won in Winston-Salem since 2015. Two of the last three losses at Wake were one-possession games.
Week 7 at Duke
Duke’s 2022 record: 9-4 (5-3 ACC)
Series record: 37-41
Kickoff: TBD, Oct. 14
Notes: The Tobacco Road rivals haven’t met since 2020, but the Wolfpack has won 12 of the last 14 against the Blue Devils. Entering its second season under Mike Elko, Duke is among the dark horse contenders in the league after winning nine games in 2022.
Week 13 vs. UNC
UNC’s 2022 record: 9-5 (6-2 ACC)
Series record: 38-68
Kickoff: TBD, Nov. 25
Notes: The Tar Heels played in the ACC championship game last season, but the Wolfpack earned bragging rights for the second year in a row with a 30-27 double overtime win in Chapel Hill. State has won two of the last three against UNC in Raleigh.
Week 10 vs. Miami
Miami’s 2022 record: 5-7 (3-5 ACC)
Series record: 5-11
Kickoff: TBD, Nov. 4
Notes: The Wolfpack has lost four in a row against the Hurricanes, who are looking to rebound from a disappointing 2022 season. Three of the last four games in the series have been decided by seven or fewer points, including a 44-41 win for Miami at Carter-Finley Stadium in 2020.
Week 2 vs. Notre Dame
Notre Dame’s 2022 record: 9-4
Series record: 2-1
Kickoff: Noon, Sept. 9, ABC
Notes: Carter-Finley Stadium will be rocking in the Wolfpack’s home opener with Notre Dame coming to town. The Fighting Irish added Wake Forest transfer Sam Hartman to a squad that is projected to be among the top 15 teams in the nation. State is 2-1 against Notre Dame, including a home victory in 2016 during Hurricane Matthew.
Week 9 vs. Clemson
Clemson’s 2022 record: 11-3 (8-0 ACC)
Series record: 29-60
Kickoff: TBD, Oct. 28
Notes: The good news: State gets to face the Tigers after an open week and doesn’t have to travel to Death Valley. The bad news: the Wolfpack is 1-9 in its last 10 games against Clemson. NC State – the team and its fans – will have to bring its best to challenge what has become the ACC’s premier program and a consistent College Football Playoff contender.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: NC State football schedule 2023: Wolfpack’s toughest ACC games
