Two schools, 25 miles, one bitter rivalry. No matter what some UNC-Chapel Hill fans claim, the heated rivalry between NC State football and Carolina has provided some of the most show-stopping, heart-racing moments of ACC football in the past two years. This season, however, it went a bit differently.
Instead of a thrilling comeback or a tense overtime bout, NC State established an imposing lead and never looked back at Carter-Finley Stadium on senior night. With help from its stars graduate linebacker Payton Wilson, graduate quarterback Brennan Armstrong and freshman receiver Kevin Concepcion, the red-and-white dismantled the Tar Heels 39-20.
“Not a rivalry”
If you know anyone who goes to UNC or is a fan of Carolina football, there’s a good chance you’ve heard this go-to line. Well, they’re actually right; it’s pretty one-sided. As of late, NC State has dominated the classic rivalry when it comes to football by winning six of the last eight games between the two.
On top of that, the Wolfpack has now beaten the Tar Heels three years in a row. While the annual duels in 2021 and 2022 were heart-stopping upset victories for the red-and-white, NC State demolished the Drake Maye-led Tar Heels in Raleigh on Saturday.
At one point in the second quarter, the future NFL quarterback found himself with one completion on seven throws for 3 yards and facing a 23-0 deficit. Maye and company did battle back, but it was too little, too late. Armstrong and the Pack were long gone by the time the Heels found their footing.
It was a statement win on both sides of the ball, and year after year, head coach Dave Doeren has continually found ways to thwart the Heels, no matter how much talent they sport and how brash they are leading up to the game. But sure, it’s not a rivalry.
Wilson’s Wolfpack
It’s for the culture. And no one embodies NC State football’s culture more than Wilson.
There’s a long list of adjectives to describe the Wolfpack’s undisputed leader of the 2023 season: gritty, tough, relentless and selfless are all at the top of that list. No matter how dismal things seemed for NC State this season, especially after its 24-3 loss at Duke, the red-and-white never gave up.
With Wilson at the helm, NC capped off its five-game revenge tour with its win over Carolina where the ACC linebacker of the week played arguably his best game of the season. He posted a whopping 15 total tackles — 2 of which were for losses — a forced fumble, a quarterback hurry and an interception in his bittersweet finale at Carter-Finley.
Before his signature performance, the fan-favorite received the loudest applause of the night when he received his senior night flowers. And after, Wilson shook every last hand and signed every last autograph before entering the tunnel for his last time.
The graduate will undoubtedly be playing on Sundays come 2024, but he cemented himself as an NC State great and possibly the best linebacker in the nation with his emotional and inspired performance.
Armstrong 2.0
Armstrong’s journey with the Wolfpack has now come full circle. From getting benched, confidently returning to the starting role and now a dominant senior night, Armstrong has battled through it all this season and played his best game in the red-and-white against the Tar Heels.
After getting banged up last week at Virginia Tech, the graduate relied on his arm to get the job done against Carolina. He racked up an impressive 334 yards for 3 touchdowns on 71% passing and added another 27 yards on the ground — enough to earn him the title of ACC quarterback of the week.
His best throw of the night? A perfectly placed 20-yard strike in the back of the endzone to redshirt sophomore wide receiver Dacari Collins.
Armstrong made every play he needed to and more against UNC. He led his team on eight-straight scoring drives, converting first down after first down on the team’s way to a 39-point performance. Armstrong has heard his fair share of boos this season, but he deserved every bit of the raucous cheers he received before, during and after his signature win in Raleigh.
The phenom
Chances are you’ve heard the name K.C. Concepcion by now, and at this point, how could you not? The freshman phenom has taken Raleigh by storm this season, and he didn’t shrink under the lights against UNC.
Whether it was out of the backfield or lined up out wide, Concepcion was electric every time he touched the ball, which was often. The freshman rightly earned 18 total touches on the night — 11 runs and 7 receptions. Concepcion led NC State in both receiving and rushing yards, earning 63 and 131 yards, respectively. He also hauled in two show-stopping receiving touchdowns to cap off his ACC wide receiver and ACC rookie of the week performance.
UNC had no answer for Concepcion on Saturday. If he hadn’t already earned the Wolfpack faithful’s undying respect after his historic freshman season, he definitely did after torching Carolina’s defense.
