No. 14 Tennessee looks to ride its momentum into a neutral-site clash with No. 24 NC State

No. 14 Tennessee vs. No. 15 North Carolina State in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC)

BetMGM College Football Odds: Tennessee wins 7 1/2.

Series standings: Tennessee leads 2-1.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT?

Duke’s Mayo Classic title. The Vols, who beat Chattanooga 69-3, have a chance to make a better impression on a ranked opponent after opening up against a Championship Subdivision team. They can also make up for a loss from 2018, when they opened the season with a nasty loss to West Virginia in the same stadium. This will be the first time these teams have played each other in a ranked league. NC State entered Dave Doeren’s 12th season with aspirations of competing in the Atlantic Coast Conference after winning 34 times over the past four seasons. The Wolfpack would like to pick up a major non-conference win in a recruiting hot spot.

A key clash

N.C. State’s defense against Tennessee’s fast-paced offense. The Volunteers scored on their first seven plays in the season opener and finished with 718 yards of total offense, second only to Ole Miss among FBS teams. The Wolfpack gave up 361 yards in their first victory.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Tennessee: QB Nico Iamaleava. The five-star recruit from Long Beach, Calif., set a school record by throwing for 314 yards in the first half in his home opener. It was only the fourth 300-yard pass in a half in Vols history. Iamaleava is 2-0 after winning his debut in a rout of Iowa in the Citrus Bowl. He has seven touchdowns and is 34-of-47 for 465 yards.

NC State: WR KC Concepcion. The sophomore quarterback opened the year with three touchdowns against Western Carolina, picking up where he left off as the team’s best and most explosive weapon through the second half that ended last season. Concepcion has multiple touchdowns in six of his 14 career games.

FACTS AND FIGURES

These teams have played each other once this millennium: a 35-21 victory by the Vols in the 2012 Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta. … Tennessee was NC State’s first college opponent in 1893. … The Wolfpack’s four consecutive eight-win seasons stand with Alabama, Clemson, Georgia and Notre Dame as the only power-conference programs in the country with an active streak. … Tennessee is 14-2 outside the Southeastern Conference under coach Josh Heupel, including a 12-1 regular-season mark and winners of 11 straight games. The Vols have outscored those opponents 772-236 in those games. … Tennessee has not allowed a TD in 13 consecutive quarters against non-SEC teams and eight straight overall.

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