NC State Game Preview
11/11/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 11, 2010
Video: Game Preview With Jim Grobe 
Game Notes: Wake Forest 
| NC State
Television Coverage: ESPN3.com
Radio Coverage: Listen Live
In-Game Updates: | Twitter Feed
By Steven Johns, WakeForestSports.com
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest will try to snap its recent losing streak when it travels down I-40 to Raleigh, N.C. to take on in-state rival NC State.Both teams are coming off of a loss last weekend as Wake Forest fell to Boston College while NC State dropped a nail-biter to Clemson.
NC State is currently a half game behind Florida State for the top spot in the Atlantic Division, and the Deacons hope they can spoil NC State's ACC Championship hopes.
"It would be very cool" said freshman safety Duran Lowe. "We need to get a win, we've been struggling, so a win would really help us out and bring a spark into our team. The season has not gone how we wanted it to go, but at the same time we've still got to prepare week in and week out to play. The season is not over. We still have three games left."
The loss against Boston College officially eliminated Wake Forest from bowl contention, but the Deacs still have reason to play hard.
"You can't dwell on the past; you've got to look towards the future" said Lowe. "We're just preparing ourselves for next year."
Getting a win against NC State will be a difficult challenge. Junior quarterback Russell Wilson and the rest of the 18th-ranked Wolfpack passing offense has been causing trouble for opposing defenses all year.
The Wolfpack is averaging 32.6 points per game, largely due the ability of Wilson.
"The thing that Russell Wilson has, like the other great quarterbacks we've played, is the ability to both run and throw the football" said head coach Jim Grobe. "That's what can make a quarterback so dangerous. Russell Wilson competes so hard that he raises everyone else's level. You not only have a very talented kid who can run and throw the football, but he also elevates all the guys around him."
Wilson will be taking on a Wake Forest defense that is surrendering 38.8 points per game, though the Deacs had one of their best defensive efforts of the season against Boston College, hold the Eagles under 300 yards of offensive.
"We've just got to contain (Wilson)" said Lowe. "He likes to scramble a lot; he's a fast quarterback, so our line's going to have to contain him."
Wake Forest will need to get off to an early start on offense in order to beat the Wolfpack.
"Playing good early is important" said Grobe. "We talked about that last week, too, but right out of the blocks on the first play we threw an interception. Boston College took advantage of it and took it right in and scored. You would hate to start that way on the road. It was tough enough starting poorly at home. Playing at their place, we need to play good, solid football right from the start since that crowd can be pretty hostile, especially if things are going their way."
The defense also needs to step up against NC State.
"We definitely want to keep getting after it as a defense, and that speaks back to us wanting to improve in practice every week" said freshman safety Daniel Mack. `We're seeing ourselves starting to work towards our goal, but we just have to keep working at it. We're not where we want to be yet."
While NC State is a tough opponent, Wake Forest is ready for the challenge.
"Every week we have our hands full, we've just got to go in with our heads held high and play to the best of our ability," said Lowe.
