The Appalachian State Mountaineers hit the road for Raleigh looking to add to the woes of NC State. The Wolfpack were a national laughingstock in Week 3, as they attempted to run out the clock against Vanderbilt and failed miserably. QB CJ Bailey was running around on fourth down, clinging to a small lead. Rather than simply take a knee in the end zone, or run out of the end zone, he was sacked while fumbling, giving Vandy a go-ahead touchdown with one second left for the unlikely win.
Will NC State be able to bounce back? My bet is yes. The last time NC State was embarrassed, in a Week 0 loss at Virginia, it stormed back at home and crushed Richmond of the FCS. App State has won all three games this season, though, and it is 2-1 against the spread (ATS), including a 27-24 win at East Carolina on Sept. 12 as a 6.5-point underdog in its only previous road contest. Still, I expect NC State to hold serve at home from an outright perspective, but two touchdowns is an awful lot.
This might be the most important game for coach Dave Doeren in his tenure in Raleigh, as the season could go south in a hurry after the crushing loss, or the team can rally around each other.
Appalachian State vs NC State prediction: Appalachian State Mountaineers +14.5 (-115) available at time of publishing. Playable to +14.
