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NC State Football: Preview, prediction, live stream vs. Boston College

By Connor Muldowney

RALEIGH, NC - NOVEMBER 04: Ryan Finley #15 of the North Carolina State Wolfpack walks off the field after being defeated by the Clemson Tigers 38-31 at Carter Finley Stadium on November 4, 2017 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
RALEIGH, NC - NOVEMBER 04: Ryan Finley #15 of the North Carolina State Wolfpack walks off the field after being defeated by the Clemson Tigers 38-31 at Carter Finley Stadium on November 4, 2017 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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NC State football will travel to Boston College in Week 11 for an interesting ACC showdown. Here’s everything you need to know.

To begin the 2017 season, NC State was thought to be a dark-horse contender in the ACC. A loss to South Carolina in the season-opener changed things, but it didn’t take long for the Wolfpack to get back into the playoff conversation. They then reeled off six straight wins, but have since lost two in a row to Clemson and Notre Dame.

Are the Wolfpack still serious contenders? They may not win the ACC this year, but they have proven to be a tough matchup. Bradley Chubb has been a monster on the defensive line and Ryan Finley has been a pleasant surprise at quarterback. In fact, he’s passed for 2,519 yards, 15 touchdowns and only three picks.

The Wolfpack travel to Chestnut Hill, Mass., to take on Boston College in Week 11. The Eagles have been one of the more surprising teams in the conference, going 5-4 through nine games. This team is one win away from bowl eligibility for the second straight season.

Anthony Brown leads the way at quarterback, passing for 1,338 yards and 11 touchdowns with eight interceptions. That may not seem all that impressive, but he’s just a freshman. Fellow freshman AJ Dillon, the top running back, has broken out for 843 yards and seven touchdowns on 4.6 yards per carry.

Here’s how you can watch Saturday’s NC State vs. Boston College game:

Date: Saturday, Nov. 11
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Location: Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Venue: Alumni Stadium
TV: ABC, ESPN 2
Live Stream: WatchESPN

Keys to Victory

For NC State to come away with a nice road win, the Wolfpack need to attack Boston College’s usually-solid secondary. Finley has been one of the best passers in college football and he needs to steer into the skid. He needs to attack a unit that has been solid all year and put up his usual numbers. As long as he does just that and doesn’t turn the ball over, the Wolfpack will be in good shape. It wouldn’t hurt to get the run game going against the Eagles’ porous rush defense.

For Boston College, Brown needs to take to the skies. Boston College isn’t going to be able to win a shootout, but in order for the Eagles to gain any momentum offensively, Brown is going to need to have one of his best games under center. NC State doesn’t have the best secondary, which is why he needs to take advantage. Get out to an early lead and then force the Wolfpack to play Boston College’s style of football.

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Prediction

Despite being at home, Boston College doesn’t stand much of a chance in this one. I do believe Ryan Finley will struggle in the first half, but he will rebound and make some plays late, giving the Wolfpack a two-touchdown victory. He will finish with over 250 yards and a couple of touchdowns, but the Wolfpack secondary will step up and cause a couple of big turnovers. That’ll act as a major confidence-boost for this unit moving forward.

Final Score: NC State 31, Boston College 17

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