NC State football is set to face off with its archrival, the UNC-Chapel Hill Tar Heels, in its regular season finale on Saturday, Nov. 25 at Carter-Finley Stadium.
This will mark the 113th meeting between these programs in this heated rivalry, and even though the all-time series is tilted rather firmly in favor of UNC, NC State has found lots of success in recent years against Carolina. This included a showdown last season that proved to be an instant classic when the Wolfpack took down the Tar Heels in double overtime after UNC missed a game-tying field goal.
Leaping out to a 6-0 start to the season, UNC reached as high as No. 10 in the nation. However, the season began to trend in the opposite direction when Carolina dropped back-to-back games against Virginia and Georgia Tech.
Despite pulling off an electric win over Duke since then, the Heels fell again last week in Death Valley against Clemson. The Tar Heels should be anxious to put that game behind them, and will look for a complimentary performance that has been largely lacking during the past month of the season.
When it comes to NC State, the team is fresh off of its fourth straight win — an impressive 35-28 victory at Virginia Tech. Riding one of its best offensive performances of the season, the Pack continually found ways to make plays and control the tempo of the game.
A major area of focus for NC State will be on Tar Heel quarterback Drake Maye. So far this season, he has performed at a high level; he leads the ACC in terms of passing yards and touchdowns. Maye commands a unit that includes the likes of wide reciever Tez Walker, who, despite initially missing the first few games of the season, has had quite an impressive season with 670 yards and six touchdowns. The unit also includes dangerous names such as wide receiver JJ Jones and tight end Bryson Nesbit, as they have combined for over 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns.
NC State’s defense will have its hands full after it has continually gotten better this season. It looks to continue its success as it only allows 215 passing yards per game. Currently, the Pack boasts seven individuals who have two interceptions on the season. This week, it will surely look for contributions from redshirt junior cornerback Shyheim Battle and junior cornerback Aydan White, among others.
UNC has been very successful in its running game. Currently the ACC’s leading rusher, running back Omarion Hampton has put together an impressive season, totaling 1,414 rushing yards and an astounding 15 touchdowns. The Pack should also take into account Maye’s mobility — he’s accounted for eight touchdowns on the ground.
For the NC State defense, the run game has been an aspect in which it has largely thrived this season. Currently allowing the third-lowest amount of rushing yards in the ACC, the defense will look to continue its success. It will look for contributions from graduate linebacker Payton Wilson, who helped lead the Pack last week with 11 total tackles and 3.5 tackles for a loss.
On offense, NC State has looked much improved from where it stood in the opening half of the season. With graduate quarterback Brennan Armstrong back at the forefront, the Pack has found much success over the past two weeks. In last week’s contest, Armstrong turned in his best performance of the season with 289 total yards and four combined touchdowns. If the passing game is to succeed, NC State will surely turn to freshman receiver Kevin Concepcion, who caught two touchdowns last week.
This week should prove to be an opportunity for Armstrong and the offense to move the ball through the air; the UNC passing defense currently allows an average 234 yards per game. However, UNC’s defense contains several defensive backs that the Pack will need to keep an eye out for.
This week should prove to be opportunistic for the Pack’s run game. It will face off against a Tar Heel run defense which currently allows 162.5 yards per game, which is the fourth lowest mark in the ACC. The unit is bolted down by 2022 first team All-ACC selection linebacker Cedric Gray, who leads the team with an impressive 104 total tackles and 10 tackles for loss. He is complimented with the presence of fellow linebacker Power Echols who has 83 total tackles of his own.
Currently on a four \game winning streak, NC State football has completely shifted the trajectory of its season. Heading into a huge rivalry matchup with UNC on senior day, the Pack will look to add yet another seasonal milestone. With a long history of hatred between the two programs, there is no telling what this Saturday will bring.
Kickoff between the Wolfpack and the Tar Heels will be at 8 p.m. at Carter-Finley Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 25. The game will be televised on ACC Network.
