5 Reasons why NC State beats Tennessee in 2024

The ACC is a conference that has a really good chance at surprising people in 2024. Programs like NC State, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and SMU are just a few that seem to be on the rise in addition to the regulars that are always in the national conversation in the Clemson Tigers and Florida State Seminoles.

If the conference does perform well overall, chances are some of the teams mentioned will pull an upset or two out of conference. With the NC State Wolfpack playing the Tennessee Volunteers in week two, look for one of these upsets to happen early with the Wolfpack handing the Vols an early season loss.

Here are 5 reasons why the NC State Wolfpack will defeat the Tennessee Volunteers

1. Neutral site favors the Wolfpack

The Wolfpack do not have nearly as much of a homefield advantage as the Vols. Thankfully for the Wolfpack, this game will not be played in Knoxville, but at the home of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers’ Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.

With is being a neutral site game and pretty equidistant between the two schools, expect the crowd to be split. This often times does not impact either team, but it does eliminate a potential negative impact in the crowd that can intensify things much more for opponents on rocky top than in Raleigh.

2. Underrated offensive weapons for the Wolfpack

Kevin “KC” Concepcion is a name folks will become familiar with quickly across college football, and this game will help bring the sophomore wide receiver to the forefront. As a true freshman last season, Concepcion emerged as the leading receiver for the Wolfpack catching 71 passes for 839 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Concepcion’s 71 catches ranked as the sixth-best single season mark in school history. He name ACC Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year for 2023.

The Wolfpack also bring in transfer quarterback Grayson McCall from Coastal Carolina. McCall spent five seasons with the Chanticleers completing 69% of his passes and throwing for nearly 10,000 yards from 2020-2023. He threw 88 touchdown passes to only 14 interceptions, proving he can take good care of the ball.

3. Offensive coordinator Robert Anae

Although the Wolfpack ranked 10th in total offense in the ACC last year, look for them to be much improved in 2024 under offensive coordinator Robert Anae who is going into his second season with the school. More familiarity with the players and vice-versa should give Anae the boost he needs to propel the Wolfpack up the offensive statistical categories across the board this season.

During his time as offensive coordinator at his previous stops, Anae has developed five quarterbacks that have went on to play in the NFL. During his time at Syracuse, his running back Sean Tucker ranked second in the ACC in rushing yards per game.

Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren is obviously credited for the hire of Anae, and Anae is an expert in maximizing the talent he has, so look for this to show face even more in his second year with the Wolfpack.

4. Tennessee breaks in a new secondary

The Vols lost many piece from their secondary to graduation and the transfer portal following the 2023 season.

With the weapons and experience the Wolfpack bring in, the Vols secondary will be tested often. While on the season the Vols should end up okay record-wise and on the back end, things usually take awhile to settle into place. And with this game being in week two, that has a strong possibility of showing itself against the Wolfpack.

5. Nico Iamaleava’s second start

The Vols break in a redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava this season. This will be Iamaleava’s first power four test aside from the Citrus Bowl against the Iowa Hawkeyes last season. The former five-star spent last season behind Joe Milton. Do not get me wrong, Iamaleava is primed for a great career with the Vols, but he is going up against an experienced Wolfpack defense and in his first regular season power four star.

Losing to NC State is a good thing for the Tennessee Volunteers

While the Vols should end up as a solid team on the year, this early season non-conference test may be better in the long run for them if Iamaleava gets a dose of losing early. Sometimes figuring out early that it is not as easy as high school week in and week out is the best thing long-term. And do not be surprised if that is indeed what happens with the Vols against the Wolfpack in week two.