First look: NC State LB out for season, Cal DB may be problematic for CJ Bailey
For the first time in program history, N.C. State football hits the road this week to face newly minted ACC member California and it’ll miss its leading tackler.
Wolfpack Radio reported after the team’s 24-17 loss to Syracuse that Mike linebacker Caden Fordham is out for the season after being injured in practice.
Entering the game, Fordham led the team with 48 tackles. This season, the Wolfpack has already lost defensive end Red Hibbler. He led the program in sacks in 2023 but opted to redshirt and will transfer at the end of the year.
Devon Betty started in the middle against the Orange, with Sean Brown and Kamal Bonner on either side. Betty said after the game that Fordham’s absence was a big change.
“I played Mike all last year, but the thing for me this week was just to get my voice back out,” Betty said Saturday. “I’ve been a little quiet, because I’ve been on the outside. I kind of just been letting Sean and Caden handle the Mike position. Me moving back in the middle, I had to step up and use my voice again more than I usually do.”
Betty finished the game with 10 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, one quarterback hurry and a pass breakup.
N.C. State trailed by as many as 10 points but clawed back to make it a one-possession game. Head coach Dave Doeren said on Thursday that the team wanted to finish well, something it didn’t do against Wake Forest. He was proud of the effort in late-game situations.
“To see them come back like that shows me they’ve got a lot of fight,” Doeren said. “I am proud of them for that, for coming back and fighting and giving us a chance to have a one-possession game there down the stretch.”
The Wolfpack will have to focus on finishing drives well, regardless of who plays at linebacker this week, if it wants to prevent starting 0-4 in league play for the first time since 2014. It went winless in 2013 and only won one conference game in 2019.
Meanwhile, Cal started the season 3-0 but has lost three straight ACC games, all of which were decided by five points or fewer. Its 39-38 loss to Miami came down to a controversial call that was ruled in the Hurricanes’ favor.
With the Golden Bears up 38-32, Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza took a helmet-to-helmet hit from Miami’s Wesley Bissainthe on third-and-12. Instead of gaining a first down in an attempt to run out the clock, Cal was forced to punt. The Hurricanes responded with a 92-yard touchdown drive to pick up a come-from-behind win.
The game shouldn’t have come down to that, though. Cal led Miami, 35-10, in the third quarter and had the upset in the bag. Instead, its defense collapsed down the stretch and allowed the Hurricanes to leave with the victory.
Cal doesn’t have the best numbers — although it ranks No. 3 in the nation for turnover margin (1.67) — but it seems to be a tougher team than the record indicates.
Player to watch: Cal DB Nohl Williams
Golden Bears defensive back Nohl Williams may be an underrated player for the new ACC member school. Williams was a three-star recruit out of high school and a four-star prospect when he transferred from UNLV.
The senior leads the nation with six interceptions this season, one of which he returned for a pick-six, and interceptions per game. Williams contributed a trio of pass breakups, as well.
He leads the league in passes defended (1.5 per game), which is good enough for No. 6 in the nation, and contributed two touchdowns this season.
N.C. State freshman quarterback CJ Bailey started to find a rhythm in the last two weeks, but still struggles with accuracy at times. Bailey has completed 87 of 131 passes for 1,070 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions. With Williams’ ability to read the ball, the Cal secondary star could be a problem for the youngster in the backfield.
Vegas betting line
Cal opened as an 8.5-point favorite Sunday, according to FanDuel Sports Book. It set the over-under at 46.5 and the N.C. State moneyline is listed at +250.
NC State vs Syracuse game info
Teams: NC State Wolfpack (3-4, 0-3 ACC) vs Cal Bears (3-3, 0-3 ACC)
Where: California Memorial Stadium, Berkeley, CA
Date: Saturday, Oct. 19
Time: 3:30 p.m.
TV: ACC Network
Stream: fubo TV, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, DIRECTV Stream, Sling TV
Series history: This is the first meeting between the two teams.
This story was originally published October 14, 2024 at 5:00 AM with the headline "First look: NC State LB out for season, Cal DB may be problematic for CJ Bailey."
