North Carolina State is ninth in scoring offense just ahead of Virginia in 10th while the Cavs field the league’s seventh best scoring defense and the Pack is 10th. N.C. State and Virginia rank one-two in red zone offense during league play and both teams are also tops in the ACC in stopping the opposition on third down. Get the picture?

Special Teams

When teams are so evenly matched on the gridiron usually two things make the difference. The first is mistakes or turnovers and Wolfpack coach Chuck Amato says special teams play comes in a close second.

“Special teams become the factor,” says Amato. “If all else is even and you can win the kicking game … in the kicking game is hidden yardage. The kicking game is what it’s going to come down too, there’s no doubt about. It happened in the last two weeks to us.”

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