No. 10 Notre Dame (2-0) at North Carolina State (1-0), Saturday, 12 p.m. ET (ABC)
Line: Notre Dame by 7 1/2, according to .
Series record: N.C. State leads 2-1.
WHAT'S AT STAKE?
The Fighting Irish have started fast with a new quarterback pushing the offense and have the goal of reaching the College Football Playoff. They'll visit the Wolfpack, who installed a new offense in the offseason for a program with a steady run of success under 11th-year coach Dave Doeren.
KEY MATCHUP
N.C. State QB Brennan Armstrong vs. the Irish's defense. Armstrong was one of the nation's top passers in 2021 at Virginia under coordinator Robert Anae. They're together now at N.C. State, where Armstrong's ability to move the chains with his legs is vital for a team still trying to develop a go-to receiver. But Notre Dame's defense has yet to allow an opponent to reach the end zone this season, allowing only a field goal in each of the Navy and Tennessee State wins.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Notre Dame: QB Sam Hartman. The former Wake Forest passer is familiar with the Wolfpack as an every-year opponent in the ACC. Hartman lost in Raleigh with the Demon Deacons last year, taking four sacks in the 30-21 loss.
N.C. State: WR Keyon Lesane. N.C. State needs someone to step up in its receiving corps, and Lesane was the most-possibility to do so during the offseason. He had just two catches for 22 yards in the opener against Connecticut.
FACTS & FIGURES
Notre Dame has won 28 straight regular-season games against Atlantic Coast Conference opponents. ... The Fighting Irish moved up three spots in the AP Top 25 poll. ... N.C. State has won 16 of 17 home games dating to 2020 and hasn't lost a home game in the month of September since 2014. ... The Wolfpack took the first two meetings in the series, first with Philip Rivers leading a Gator Bowl win to end the 2002 season. N.C. State also beat the Fighting Irish in Raleigh in 2016 in a game played during monsoon-like conditions due to Hurricane Matthew. ... The Fighting Irish have given up 110 yards passing through two games. This also marks the first time since 1975 that the Fighting Irish haven't surrendered a touchdown through two games.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll
