What could, and probably should, be a breakthrough season for N.C. State officially started Saturday with everyone trying desperately not to acknowledge that fact.
Ask players about the optimism that surrounds the Wolfpack, with its returning quarterback, plethora of playmakers on offense and fearsome front seven, and they’ll be happy to tell you how they’re just going “practice by practice” and intend to “attack each day” and so on.
Bradley Chubb came closest on the first day of practice to facing the reality of the expectations that are building around the team, in no small part because of Chubb’s potential to be one of the nation’s best offense-disrupters at defensive end.