Brett Moore/USAToday sports
Wolfpack Kickoff: Week 12, UNC
NC State (4-7, 1-6 ACC) vs. North Carolina (5-6, 3-4 ACC)
Carter-Finley Stadium (57,600)
7 p.m., ACC Network (PxP: Dave O'Brien; Analyst: Tim Hasselbeck, Sideline: Katie George)
Streaming: WatchESPN; National radio: Sirius 133, XM 193; Live stats: GoPack.com
Weather at kickoff: Partly cloudy, 37 degrees at kickoff, 80 percent chance of rain
Series history: UNC leads 66-36-6 (30-16-4 in Raleigh)
Last meeting: State 34, UNC 28 (OT), Nov. 24, 2018
Last week: State lost to Georgia Tech 28-26, UNC beat Mercer 56-7 52-27
BetOnline line: State plus 10 | Over/Under 110
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
I think it’s an emotional game. You want them to play in their emotions. The biggest thing is just executing for us. We’ve just got to come out, play smart football, play for four quarters, and make the plays that are there to make. We both have 11 games of film to watch on each other, and we’re trying to do as much as we can to teach the game plan to the guys so they can play fast. Coach Dave Doeren
This week is fun because it’s the last week of the season and we’ve still got a possible bowl game out there and we’re playing a rival in NC State and we haven’t done very well against them. Like the Duke game, they’ve dominated this series as of late, so it’s time for us to step up and play better. Like against Duke, we’ve got to do our part in this rivalry and we haven’t done that four of the last five years. And, you’ve got bowl eligibility at the end for us and that’s something that these guys want to do. A lot of our team hasn’t been to a bowl. UNC coach Mack Brown
"It's okay for seniors to be selfish this week, because you know it's your last week and you don't know if you're going to go to the next level. You take it one day at a time and just soak in everything that you get." Senior safety Jarius Morehead
PLAYERS TO WATCH
| NC STATE | UNC | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Passing | Devin Leary | 94-190-3 1,121 yards 7 TD | Sam Howell | 211-355-6 2,946 yards 32 TDs |
Rushing | Zonovan Knight | 124 carries 689 yards 5 TD | Michael Carter Jr. | 143 carries 822 yards 3 TD |
Receiving | Emeka Emezie | 54 catches 528 yards 2 TD | Dazz Newsome | 57 catches 817 yards 1 TD |
Cary Angeline | 25 catches 378 yards 5 TD | Dyami Brown | 40 catches 797 yards 10 TD | |
Defense | Tanner Ingle | 68 tackles 5 TFL 4 PBU | Chazz Surratt | 100 tackles 5 sacks 1 INT |
Larrell Murchison | 44 tackles 7 sacks 2 FR | Jeremiah Gemmel | 76 tackles 2.5 sacks 2 FF |
NOTABLE
Saturday's game will be the 109th meeting between the Wolfpack and Tar Heels. The rivalry bean in 1894 and is the oldest among State's ACC rivals and the fourth-most played series in conference history. ...
Although UNC leads the overall series 66-36-6, the Wolfpack has won nine of the last 12 meetings, including four of the last five and three straight. ...
Twelve seniors will be honored on Senior Night before their final game at State. They are walkons Will Brown and the Dabbs twins -- Tyler and Will -- nickel Stephen Griffin, wide receiver Tabari Hines, defensive end Deonte Holden, offensive tackle Emanuel McGirt, cornerback Kishawn Miller, safety Jarius Morehead, defensive tackle Larrell Murchison, backup long snapper Jackson Quiggle and defensive end James Smith-Williams. ...
Two seniors that are not being recognized Saturday are cornerback Nick McCloud and offensive tackle Tyrone Riley. McCloud was injured in the season opener against East Carolina and played in only one more game during the season. He will be able to take a redshirt. Riley went down on the second day of training camp and missed the entire year. He is applying for a sixth year of eligibility ...
Nick McCloud has played in only two games this season
Adam Hagy/USAToday sports
The Wolfpack has started 45 different players this season, the most among Power 5 programs. Only one other team, Clemson, has played more freshmen than State. The reason for all that turnover and youth is injuries. The Wolfpack has lost a total of 95 games among 29 players to injury during the course of the season. ...
Nine of UNC's 11 games in 2019 have been decided by seven points or fewer -- including two in overtime. Sitting on five wins, the Tar Heels need a victory at Carter-Finley to secure a bowl spot. State has already been eliminated from postseason contention.
