Duke and NC State: A Historic Rivalry by Numbers

The Wolfpack and the Blue Devils have faced off 85 times since 1924.

Nov 9, 2024; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack offensive lineman Rico Jackson (64) holds the ball during the first half of the game against Duke Blue Devils at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The in-state rivalry games continue to dominate the early season schedule for NC State in 2025, as the Wolfpack will travel to Durham to face Duke on Saturday afternoon. Head coach Dave Doeren and the Wolfpack got off to an impressive 3-0 start, while the Blue Devils struggled against stiff competition and started the season 1-2.

While not quite as heated as the UNC/NC State Rivalry and not as lengthy as the Wake Forest/NC State rivalry, the Blue Devils and the Wolfpack still have a deep-rooted football history with one another.

Saturday's game will be the 86th time Duke and NC State face off on the gridiron and just the seventh time since 2008. The Blue Devils lead the rivalry overall with 43 wins over the Wolfpack.

Oct 14, 2023; Durham, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren looks on before the first half of the game against Duke Blue Devils at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

A Lack of Success Recently

Since becoming the Wolfpack's head coach in 2013, Doeren hasn't had many chances to face the Blue Devils in one of the Tobacco Road rivalries. Despite being in Raleigh for 13 seasons, Doeren only played Duke four times before this year's fifth game.

The rivalry experienced some new life with the ACC placing matchups between the two for three out of four seasons. The 2025 matchup will mark the third year in a row the game has been played. The veteran head coach only has one win over the Blue Devils during his time with the Wolfpack.

• "We haven't played well against Duke on the road," Doeren said Monday. "Our guys know that. It's an opportunity to go play against a good football team in their stadium."

NC State fell to Duke for a second straight year in 2024, losing 29-19 in Raleigh to a strong Blue Devils squad. In the loss, veteran kicker Kanoah Vinesett scored 12 of the Wolfpack's 19 points, with the lone touchdown coming courtesy of a CJ Bailey touchdown pass to Wesley Grimes.

The last time NC State won a game against the Blue Devils was during the bizarre 2020 season, in which the Wolfpack only faced conference opponents due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Star linebacker Payton Wilson came away with a pair of interceptions in the 31-20 win for the Pack.

Nov 23, 2024; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Military Appreciation Day and National Anthem prior to the first half of the game against Virginia Tech Hokies at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Wallace Wade Stadium: A House of Horrors

The Wolfpack's last trip to Wallace Wade Stadium was a horror show, as it only mustered a field goal in a 24-3 loss to the Blue Devils. The rivalry took a lengthy hiatus after the ACC expanded in 2003, ending a streak of games played between the two from 1944 to 2003.

Even before Doeren's tenure, NC State rarely played well in Durham. Before Saturday's matchup, the Wolfpack's record in Wallace Wade sits at 16-25-1. Despite the stadium being just 22 miles away from Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, NC State simply struggles to walk away with wins, no matter the strength of the roster.

• "It's a big game because it's the next game, for sure. It happens to be 30 minutes away against a group that's beat us four times out of the past five. We're all very aware of that," defensive line coach Charley Wiles said.

Aug 28, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz reacts during the warmups before the game against the Elon Phoenix at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images | James Guillory-Imagn Images

Raleigh Roots

Duke head coach Manny Diaz is no stranger to the NC State program. From 2000 to 2005, Diaz served under Wolfpack head coach Chuck Amato as a graduate assistant, a linebackers coach, a safeties coach and a special teams coordinator. The future Blue Devil moved on and became the defensive coordinator at Middle Tennessee for four seasons before working his way back to power conference football in the same position with Mississippi State.

In 2000 and 2001, Diaz coached current Wolfpack strength and conditioning coach Dantonio 'Thunder' Burnette. With Diaz on the staff in the different roles for six seasons, NC State went 46-28.

Diaz's history in the ACC stretches beyond the Wolfpack and Duke. While coaching the Miami Hurricanes from 2019 to 2021, Diaz beat Doeren and the Wolfpack in two straight matchups.

NC State and Doeren would love nothing more than to start the season 4-0 with a pair of ACC wins already tallied, but Duke presents a stiff challenge. The Wolfpack will try to overcome a troubled history against the Blue Devils and walk out of Durham with a win on Saturday.

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