Ad Disclosure
Dan Mullen is taking the Wolfpack to cover an 8.5-point spread in Saturday’s top-25 showdown with Tennessee at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.
The 14th-ranked Volunteers head into a neutral site matchup with the 24th-ranked Wolfpack after completely dismantling Chattanooga in their opener last weekend. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava took the sport by storm with a first-half performance that featured 314 yards and 3 scores through the air.
NC State was less effective, clawing to a 38-21 win over FCS Western Carolina. The Wolfpack trailed 14-7 after the first quarter and went into the fourth down 21-17. But they scored 21 unanswered in the fourth to stave off an upset and promptly turned their attention to the Vols.
Was NC State caught looking ahead? Perhaps. Regardless, the public is fading the Wolfpack and pouring money onto the Vols, pushing the point spread up close to 10 at some sportsbooks.
At the time of publication, NC State is a 9.5-point underdog at ESPN Bet. That book’s line opened at Tennessee -4.5.
Mullen shared his picks for the weekend on social media Friday. He has Texas covering against Michigan and winning the game. He has Oklahoma State beating Arkansas. And he ultimately has Tennessee beating NC State, just not by more than 8 points.
(Mullen’s graphic that is linked above shows multiple input errors with other games. It might not still be posted by the time you’re reading this.)
Iamaleava’s first-half performance set a school record for yardage in a half. He was sharp throwing the ball, completing 78.6% of his passes and posting a QBR of 81.6.
NC State quarterback Grayson McCall also had a respectable debut. He threw for 318 yards and 3 touchdowns while completing 26 of his 40 pass attempts. McCall was picked off on his second possession, but bounced back nicely from that turnover and led back-to-back 7-play, 75-yard touchdown drives.
All 3 of his touchdown passes went to wideout Kevin Concepcion, who ended the day with 121 yards on 9 catches.
Kickoff on Saturday between the Vols and the Wolfpack is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
