NCAAF Game Preview - North Carolina State at Wake Forest

Sat Nov 2, 2019 12:00 PM EDT

North Carolina State is changing quarterbacks again, while the quarterback situation for No. 23 Wake Forest looks less certain as it prepares for Saturday's home game in Winston-Salem, N.C.

The Demon Deacons (6-1, 2-1 ACC) figure to have a couple of good options.

Jamie Newman suffered a shoulder injury against Louisville in the team's lone loss on Oct. 12. Sam Hartman took over in that game and then helped direct a victory against Florida State on Oct. 19 before a bye week.

"If we don't have Sam Hartman, we probably don't win," said coach Dave Clawson.

Newman leads the Atlantic Coast Conference -- and is seventh nationally -- in total offense with 341.2 yards per game. He also leads the conference with 295.3 passing yards per game.

Clawson's long-standing rule is that a starter doesn't lose his spot on the depth chart because of an injury.

"If Jamie can go, he'll go," Clawson said.

Wake Forest's 2018 game in Raleigh marked Newman's first start, when he led a game-winning fourth-quarter drive against N.C. State. That came after Hartman's season-ending injury in the game before.

N.C. State (4-3, 1-2) is turning to redshirt freshman Devin Leary to make his first start.

"Devin is ready. I don't think we forced him into the position before he was ready, which for any quarterback is a bad thing," NC State coach Dave Doeren said. "He has taken advantage of not only when he was a (third stringer), the things he wasn't doing well, but he has studied."

Leary becomes the third player to make his first career start at quarterback in the same season, something that has never happened before in the Wolfpack program's history.

Leary came off the bench in the team's most recent game -- a 45-24 loss at Boston College on Oct. 19, when he completed 15 of 33 passes for 259 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. He is 20 of 41 for the season and took first-team reps during the team's open week.

"Hopefully at quarterback Devin continues to get better and better and make those plays he showed us in the fourth quarter (at Boston College) that will help the offense," Doeren said.

Matthew McKay started the first five games for N.C. State before giving way to Bailey Hockman for the past two. They are listed as co-backups this week. The past seven N.C. State quarterbacks to make his first career start have won that game.

This wraps up a three-game homestand for the Demon Deacons, who are trying to stay within a game in the loss column of undefeated Clemson in the Atlantic Division.

Wake Forest receiver Sage Surratt tops the ACC with 125.9 receiving yards per game and nine receiving touchdowns.

N.C. State leads the series 66-40-6, although Wake Forest won the past two years. The Wolfpack has won in Winston-Salem in only two of its past 11 trips.

For only the fourth time, the Wolfpack is facing a nationally ranked Wake Forest team.

This week's matchup includes N.C. State receiver Tabari Hines playing against his former team. He played three seasons for the Demon Deacons before a 2018 stopover with Oregon was cut short, allowing him to redshirt and transfer again with a season of eligibility remaining. He has 21 catches for 192 yards and a touchdown this season.

Wake Forest kicker Nick Sciba has made a national-best 23 consecutive field goal attempts. Five of those came in the Florida State game.

--Field Level Media