Mississippi State and North Carolina State were scheduled to meet up in September 2020 in Raleigh.
But because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the nonconference contest never took place.
This year, the two teams will meet in Starkville at 6 p.m. Sept. 11 in just their third matchup in nearly 60 years.
Editor’s note: This is the second installment in The Dispatch’s 2021 Scouting the Schedule series. The first installment was published in Friday’s edition. The series continues Monday with a look at Mississippi State’s third game of the season.
N.C. State quick facts
2020 record: 8-4
Coach: Dave Doeren, 10th season
ESPN Football Power Index: No. 41
All-time series: Tied 3-3
Last meeting: Dec. 30, 2015 (Belk Bowl)
History
N.C. State isn’t an opponent Mississippi State sees very often — until the postseason rolls around.
The Bulldogs and Wolfpack have met only six times and just twice since the Bulldogs won the 1963 Liberty Bowl in Philadelphia.
Both meetings have come in bowl games: the 1995 Peach Bowl, which N.C. State won 28-24, and the 2015 Belk Bowl, which the Bulldogs won 51-28.
N.C. State won the first two contests between the teams in 1930 and 1931.
2020 season
The Wolfpack had a strong season in the ACC, going 7-3 in conference play en route to an 8-4 finish. They dropped the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl to Kentucky, 23-21.
N.C. State’s three other losses came to ranked teams: Virginia Tech, North Carolina and Miami. The Wolfpack beat then-No. 24 Pitt 30-29 on Oct. 3 and took down then-No. 21 Liberty 15-14 on Nov. 21 in Raleigh.
Redshirt junior Bailey Hockman was N.C. State’s leading passer, throwing for 2,088 yards and 13 touchdowns in 10 games last season. The quarterback entered the NCAA transfer portal and headed to Middle Tennessee State.
The two-headed running back duo of sophomore Ricky Person, Jr. and freshman Zonovan Knight was excellent for the Wolfpack as each rusher had more than 700 yards in 2020. Both backs return in 2021 to anchor a strong run game.
Now a senior, wide receiver Emeka Emezie is also back after totaling a team-high 738 receiving yards and scoring five touchdowns in 2020. Returning redshirt junior Thayer Thomas had 529 yards and six touchdowns, Devin Carter is back for his redshirt sophomore year after 477 yards on just 29 catches, and tight end Cary Angeline won’t return after 412 yards and six scores.
Defensive tackle Alim McNeill was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the third round this spring, but N.C. State has three other defenders with more than 75 tackles last season. Linebacker Payton Wilson had 108 tackles and 3.5 sacks, and Isaiah Moore contributed 94 tackles and three sacks. Both players return in 2021.
Key additions
N.C. State brings in three four-star recruits in 2021: quarterback Aaron McLaughlin, linebacker Jordan Poole and wide receiver Micah Crowell.
The Wolfpack brought in four transfer players early this year, most notably Florida State defensive lineman Cory Durden. Durden had 39 tackles and five sacks in 2019 with the Seminoles.
Former FSU safety Cyrus Fagan also transferred to N.C. State, as did defensive back Derrek Pitts from Marshall and guard Chandler Zavala from Fairmont State (West Virginia).
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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