The Anti-Preview: Notre Dame VS NC State

The anti-preview was having flash flood flashbacks from last season until a hard right by Matty Storm changed the feel and maybe the outcome of this game. To be honest, I almost wish the game would have been rescheduled. Not because I love when storms

demolish entire cities (although, ironically, I do love a good storm) but because right now... Notre Dame is not a very good football team.

You can list off all the reasons why, and the asshole buddy of yours with the Lou Holtz slippers will call them excuses, but any way you slice it... the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are not a good football team- right now. They could just use a week to reset itself a bit.

None of that happened, however, and so the Irish travel to Raleigh, North Carolina to take on...

NC State Wolfpack

OH SWEET MOTHER NATURE! The Wolfpack is wearing throwback uniforms for this weekends game. It’s to honor the 50th anniversary of BEAUTIFUL Carter-Finley Stadium. In fact, come gametime, it will be 50 years to the day.

That seems like a lot of pressure for a team that really hasn’t had much pressure on it thus far in 2016. The Wolfpack are 3-1, but those three wins are against William & Mary, Old Dominion, and Wake Forest. NC State’s lone loss came at the hands of the East Carolina Pirates, 33-30.

Honestly, there is a mystery about this team that bothers me. Notre Dame has trouble in true road games, and they have trouble defending the pass. Well... this game is at NC State’s anniversary party, and their quarterback, Ryan Finley, can throw the ball pretty well.

#goacc

What Should You Be Drinking?

I don’t know, but perhaps this is all some wonderful miracle. Notre Dame has its second noon game in a row. THAT’S BRUNCH FOOTBALL Y’ALL! And brunch football has its advantages:

What Should You Be Eating?

Once again... ADVANTAGE BRUNCH FOOTBALL!

What Should You Be Wearing?

Notre Dame is already 1-0 against a pack of wolves this season- and y’all did it on the hunt. This time we tracked those bastards through the mountains and past heavily guarded patches of ‘seng and we can’t put down our guard. We hunt once again.

The Best Thing About This Game?

Other than the noon kickoff? How about knowledge? If Notre Dame wins this game, it puts the Irish at 3-3 with a real chance at making a decent run for the remainder of the season. If they lose, 2-4 is the telltale sign that the end times are near and we should seek shelter with our families right away.

So we get hope or we get despair. A 50/50 chance that will decide the fate of our moods for the next year (or for at least a week).

5 Reasons To Hate NC State

1. Phillip Rivers
2. Raleigh and the surrounding area (Apex, Holly Springs, etc.) is a much prettier place to live than South Bend.
3. For being 3-1
4. Adidas
5. The disappearance of T.A. McLendon

Shamrock Stars

DeShone Kizer. It’s hard to say that Kizer is due for a huge game after just throwing for 471 yards and 3 touchdown... but he’s due for a huge game. That means more than just on the stat sheet. Kizer is due for a game where his decisions were flawless- which of course leads to a nice stat line.

Jerry Tillery. Call it a hunch. If I’m penciling in Kizer to have a big game after he has a big game- why not Tillery. Perhaps one more week of cutting loose with brand new Notre Dame fun champion, Greg Hudson, will allow Tillery to break free from whatever shell that is hiding his massive body back from being an animal. BE A DAMN ANIMAL TERRY JILLERY.

At the end of the day...

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are fighting for dignity. The season has been awful, and there is no sugar-coating the realities that are the causes nor the realities that provide the future. This game sees the Irish finally play harder than the opponent across from them. It’ll still be weird: Notre Dame 36, NC State 29.