Primetime College Football: Bearcats vs Wolfpack
This game goes down on the ESPN network and it features the University of Cincinnati Bearcats taking on North Carolina State University Wolfpack, who will be facing off for their first ever meeting between the two schools and it goes down at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh.
The Bearcats are the two-time defending Big East champions and picked up their first win of the season as well as first victory under new head coach Butch Jones after beating Division II Indiana State 40-7. Cincinnati offense bounced backed after it’s opening season loss to Fresno State by totaling up 393 yards after only managing 234 total yards the previous game.
Quarterback Zach Collaros, 11-17 130 yards 2 touchdowns and rushed for one touchdown, also had a bounce back game. Cincinnati rushing attack also returned for a better performance and tallied up 263 yards after only 15 yards in the opener. Sophomore running back Darrin Williams,117 yards, started in place of the injured Isaiah Pead. Senior running back John Goebel added 75 yards and 2 touchdowns. Collaros did lose his favorite target Vidal Hazelton in the season opener after he tore ligaments in his knee and is to miss the remainder of the season but saw senior wide receiver Armon Binns, 59 yards 2 touchdowns, step up.
Defensively the Bearcats only allowed 254 total yards but continued to be strong on third-down as they are now 9-30. Junior linebacker J.K. Schaffer lead the defense with 9 tackles while sophomore linebacker Maalik Bomar did the most damage with one sack and 2 tackles for loss.
The Wolfpack are coming off a big win in Orlando over University of Central Florida Knights 28-21 and where one of the few ACC teams to even win this past weekend. Head coach Tom O’Brien has North Carolina off to it’s best start since San Diego Chargers quarterback Phillips Rivers 2002 campaign, when the team won its first nine games.
The Wolfpack pulled off the victory but only was able to muster up 239 total yards as it saw a pretty disastrous game from junior quarterback Russell Wilson,10-30 105 yards one touchdown. Wilson was helped out in part by the freshman rushing duo of Mustafa Greene, 55 yards one touchdown, and Dean Haynes, 49 yards one touchdown. North Carolina backed up it’s second week without a turnover though.
NC State’s defense won the game for the team last weekend, as the unit recorded five turnovers and scored what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown on sophomore C.J. Wilson 43-yard INT return late in the third quarter. Junior linebacker Audie Cole was all over the field and put up a Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin Player honorable mention performance with his 12 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack, and one INT.
PICK: North Carolina State University Wolfpack



