The NC State football team will return to Carter-Finley Stadium after a devastating loss to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets to take on the UNC-Chapel Hill Tar Heels. If the Tar Heels win, they will be bowl eligible, so this is a chance for the Pack to play spoiler despite not being bowl eligible itself, and a way for the young talent on the roster to show out in honor of the seniors that will be leaving the program, with the game taking place on Senior Day.
The Pack (4-7, 1-6 ACC) has won nine of the last 12 games in the rivalry, dating back to 2007. Meanwhile, the Tar Heels (5-6, 3-4 ACC) have not won a game against NC State since 2015. This all is up in the air with the injured status of the Pack and UNC’s Sam Howell having a strong season.
Devin Leary vs. Tar Heels secondary
Redshirt freshman quarterback Devin Leary has been wildly inaccurate this season, but could potentially set the record straight with a statement victory over a chief rival. Leary’s most accurate game of the year in meaningful snaps was actually last week, against the Yellow Jackets, where he passed for a career-high 61.3 completion percentage. If Leary passes at or above the 60% mark in the game, it would be a huge success.
The UNC secondary provides the perfect opportunity to do so and to have a great passing game all-around. The secondary of the Tar Heels has been led by Myles Wolfolk, who has three interceptions on the year, but the corps as a whole only has seven interceptions in all. To make matters worse for the Tar Heels, it was announced last week that Wolfolk would miss the remainder of the season, so it will be up to the rest of the secondary to step in for him.
Wide receivers vs. Tar Heels secondary
A stellar performance in this game for junior Emeka Emezie still would likely not jettison the receiver into 2020 NFL draft territory, but it would mean well for his future on the team and his possibility to enter the draft in 2021, as he has one more year of eligibility for the Pack remaining.
The wide receivers, including freshman Devin Carter and redshirt sophomore Thayer Thomas, will have a perfect opportunity to show out against a Wolfolk-less Tar Heel secondary. This is an area the Wolfpack should definitely attempt to end on a high note on, as the air game has been lackluster, to say the least.
Running backs vs. Tar Heels D-line and linebackers
Co-offensive coordinator Des Kitchings has done a fine job this season despite the overall offensive woes of this team. The three-headed monster of freshmen backs Zonovan Knight and Jordan Houston, as well as sophomore Ricky Person Jr., has looked strong this season, despite both Knight and Person dealing with injuries. Kitchings was the running backs coach for the team last season and will allow one last showcase for the backs that have amassed 1,382 combined yards on the season thus far.
The Tar Heels linebackers are led by former quarterback Chazz Surratt, who is tied for first on the team in sacks alongside fellow linebacker Tomon Fox. Dominique Ross and Jeremiah Gemmel also have five sacks combined, with both starting due to UNC’s 3-4 defensive scheme. The group also has 31.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, 23 quarterback hurries and six forced fumbles.
This will be one of the toughest matchups, and likely the one to watch for the game, as the running backs have been a focal part of the offense this season. If the ground game is shut down, the Pack will need to turn to the skies, where they need consistency.
O-line vs. Tar Heels D-line
The offensive line has seen much better days, but it has one last chance to prove itself when it takes on a Tar Heels starting D-line that has just seven sacks on the year. The Wolfpack offensive line has given up its fair share of sacks this season, 17 to be exact, but more importantly, it has put its quarterbacks under constant pressure.
While the Tar Heels D-line has not impressed, the aforementioned linebacker corps definitely has a chance to wreak havoc on the Wolfpack O-line. If the O-line can hold its own and give Leary time to shine in the pocket, it will be one of the most commendable performances by this group this season.
Tight ends vs. Tar Heels linebackers, secondary
One of the biggest challenges for the Wolfpack heading into this matchup is how the coaching staff and Leary can get redshirt junior Cary Angeline involved on offense. The 6-foot-7 tight end is capable of catching hard passes and gives the Pack a big body down the field, which is much needed for an offense that has struggled to pass the football this season.
Angeline is the key to dicing through the Tar Heel linebackers, who look to have a huge impact on the game. If Angeline can get going and draw enough attention from linebackers, it could open up other holes in the Tar Heel defense for the Pack to exploit.
Kickoff for the rivalry game is set for 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 30. The game can be viewed from home on ACC Network and can be listened to on the Wolfpack Sports Network.
