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ESPN’s FPI predicts outcome of Tennessee’s game vs. NC State

Published: Sep 1, 2024 · 4:33 PM EDT

ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) predicts the outcome of each college football game each week.

The projections for this week include the Tennessee-NC State matchup. The game features two top 25 teams that are both coming off wins in Week 1.

Tennessee took care of business in Week 1, knocking off Chattanooga, 69-3. While it was easy for Tennesseee, NC State was trailing Western Carolina by 4entering the fourth before pulling away for a 38-21 win.

FPI gives the Volunteers an 88% implied win probability. This means the Wolfpack are big underdogs with just a 12% chance to win.

There were big expectations for Vols quarterback Nic0 Iamaleava entering his first season as the starter, and he did nothing to lower those expectations. He completed 10 passes in a row to start the game, going 22-of-28 for 314 yards and 3 touchdowns. His backfield mate was also dominant, as Dylan Sampson rushed the ball 12 times for 124 yards and 3 touchdowns. The defense took care of business and has maybe the best defensive player in college football in defensive end James Pearce Jr.

Grayson McCall had a big outing in his first game at NC State while throwing for 318 yards and 3 touchdowns. Duke transfer running back Jordan Waters had 20 carries for 123 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Kevin Concepcion had 9 catches for 121 yards and 3 touchdowns. The defense will have to play much better, as they struggled with dual-threat quarterback Cole Gonzales of Western Carolina. Gonzales had 287 total yards and 2 passing touchdowns, which could be a bad sign against Iamaleava.

The Volunteers are favored by 6.5 points against NC State and the over/under is 58.5 according to FanDuel. This is a big opportunity for both teams to pick up a big nonconference win against a top 25 team.

Mark Kern