Wk 3 · 2026

NC State Wolfpack at Vanderbilt Commodores — Sat, Sep 19

Sat, Sep 19 · FirstBank Stadium, Nashville, TN · SEC Network FINAL

Weather

No forecast yet. Forecasts reach about 16 days ahead, so this fills in nearer the game. A seasonal average printed here would look exactly like a forecast, which is why there is not one.

NC State Wolfpack

ACC · 3-3

12:45pET

VAN -3 · total 50.5 DraftKings opened -4 · 1 toward NCSU

Ratings differential VAN by 3.6

Vanderbilt Commodores

SEC · 3-3

What is at stake

A non-conference game. It moves both overall records but neither conference race.

What the ratings imply

The differential above is arithmetic on two published numbers: The CFB King’s 2026 final efficiency ratings, plus 2.4 points of home field. It is not a projection, a value, an edge or a lean, and nothing on this site compares it with the betting line to tell you one is better. Until 2026 games are played it is last season’s measurement of two teams that have changed.

Efficiency · 2026 ratings

NC State: +1.5#64

Efficiency margin

Vanderbilt: +2.7#61

NC State: 33.7

Offense (pts/100)

Vanderbilt: 31.5

NC State: 23.1

Defense (pts/100)

Vanderbilt: 19.8

NC State: 71.0

Pace (plays/g)

Vanderbilt: 65.0

NC State: 6.00

Yards / play

Vanderbilt: 5.36

NC State: 6.06

Yards / play allowed

Vanderbilt: 5.55

Opponent-adjusted ratings from The College King's 2026 final numbers. Bars share a scale within each row, so the two lengths are comparable; the brighter side is the better of the two, and a longer bar is the better number — including the rows where a lower figure is the good one. Pace is the exception: it is how fast a team plays, not how well, so neither side is lit and a longer bar there means only more plays.

Team stats · 2026 per game

NC State: 33.0

Points / game

Vanderbilt: 24.0

NC State: 27.7

Points allowed

Vanderbilt: 29.5

NC State: 426

Yards / game

Vanderbilt: 348

NC State: 364

Yards allowed

Vanderbilt: 354

NC State: 230

Pass yds allowed

Vanderbilt: 214

NC State: 134

Rush yds allowed

Vanderbilt: 140

NC State: 1.50

Turnovers / game

Vanderbilt: 1.67

From completed 2026 box scores; defensive yardage covers the regular season and conference championships.

NC State form

L 14-38vs WAKEW 31-28vs LOUW 41-31vs APPL 31-35at VANW 73-0vs RICH

2026 season

Vanderbilt form

L 17-52vs MISSL 14-38at UGAL 15-21at AUBW 35-31vs NCSUW 35-26vs DEL

2026 season

NC State this season

Straight up3-3 · 50% (6 games)

Against the spread2-4 · 33% (6 games)

Over / under4-2 · 67% (6 games)

Vanderbilt this season

Straight up3-3 · 50% (6 games)

Against the spread3-3 · 50% (6 games)

Over / under4-2 · 67% (6 games)

Lines are captured from ESPN's board before kickoff and locked at kickoff, so an in-play price cannot overwrite the number a game is graded against.

Common opponents · 0

These teams share no opponents on the 2026 schedule.

Open these two in the comparison tool for every shared and unshared opponent.

Series history · 2006–2026

Since 2006, Vanderbilt leads 2–1 · Vanderbilt won the last one

3 meetings in 2006–2026 · average margin 2.0 points toward NC State

Yr	Date	Result	Site	Won
2026	2026-09-19	NC State 31 — 35 Vanderbilt	at VAN	Vanderbilt
2016	2016-12-26	NC State 41 — 17 Vanderbilt	neutral	NC State bowl/CFP
2012	2012-12-31	NC State 24 — 38 Vanderbilt	neutral	Vanderbilt bowl/CFP

NC State leaders 2026 regular season

Passing	CJ Bailey QB #11	98/150, 1266 YDS, 8 TD, 4 INT
	Will Wilson QB #10	8/11, 33 YDS, 1 TD
Rushing	Jayden Scott RB #1	62 CAR, 358 YDS, 4 TD
	Davion Gause RB #7	46 CAR, 188 YDS, 1 TD
	Will Wilson QB #10	35 CAR, 166 YDS, 6 TD
Receiving	Keenan Jackson WR #8	22 REC, 339 YDS, 5 TD
	Preston Douglas TE #19	19 REC, 241 YDS, 1 TD
	Joshisa Trader WR #2	16 REC, 221 YDS
	Davion Gause RB #7	10 REC, 117 YDS

Defense

Tackles	Popo Aguirre LB #0	42
	Brian Nelson II CB #7	24
	Ronnie Royal III S #2	18
Sacks	Elijah Satchell LB #58	2
	Harvey Dyson III LB #5	1.5
	Chase Bond DE #92	1
Interceptions	Jackson Vick CB #22	1
	Brody Barnhardt S #29	1
	Jaren Sensabaugh CB #14	1

full roster and per-player history

Vanderbilt leaders 2026 regular season

Passing	Jared Curtis QB #2	63/98, 746 YDS, 4 TD, 3 INT
	Blaze Berlowitz QB #1	26/48, 368 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing	Sedrick Alexander RB #28	45 CAR, 200 YDS, 4 TD
	Makhilyn Young RB #22	34 CAR, 134 YDS, 1 TD
	Jared Curtis QB #2	41 CAR, 133 YDS, 2 TD
Receiving	Junior Sherrill WR #0	28 REC, 474 YDS, 3 TD
	Tristen Brown WR #5	9 REC, 130 YDS
	Jayvontay Conner TE #8	11 REC, 126 YDS
	Ja'Cory Thomas WR #6	6 REC, 78 YDS

Defense

Tackles	CJ Heard S #8	40
	Bryan Longwell LB #11	31
	Nick Rinaldi LB #24	26
Sacks	Nick Rinaldi LB #24	3.5
	CJ Heard S #8	3
	Issa Ouattara DL #5	2
Interceptions	Miles Capers EDGE #29	1
	Bryce Cowan LB #22	1
	Martel Hight CB #4	1

full roster and per-player history

These are regular-season totals for the season named on each card — the players who led that team that year, taken from ESPN's team leaders. That list is keyed to the season, not to today's roster, so a leader who has since transferred or run out of eligibility still appears against the year he earned it; the roster pages and the depth chart on each team page are where the current squad is. A team switches to this season's numbers once it has played a game. The roster pages count bowl games too, so a player's two lines can differ by a game.