Saturday, Carolina and NC State square off on the football field for the 110th time in arguably the biggest college football rivalry in the state. Here’s everything you need to know about the game.
The History:
- Saturday marks just the third occurrence that both teams are ranked nationally in a head-to-head meeting, and this week will be the first game played in Chapel Hill. The first contest was in 1979, a 35-21 win for No. 19 UNC over 15th ranked NC State. The other affair on Sept. 25, 1993 went in favor of No. 18 UNC over No. 19 NC State, 35-14.
- This game has been played on the final weekend of the regular season each of the last six seasons going back to 2014. Oct. 24 is the earliest meeting between the two schools since a Sept. 24, 2005 matchup that went in favor of the Tar Heels, 31-24, in Raleigh.
- The rivalry, which began in 1894, is the Wolfpack’s oldest among ACC teams and the fourth-most played series in the ACC.
- The Carolina-NC State series is the fourth most played in ACC history. Carolina is part of four of the five most-played series in ACC history.
- The last time NC State played a ranked UNC team in Chapel Hill, the Wolfpack won 41-0 (2008).
- This game has been played on the final weekend of the regular season each of the last six seasons going back to 2014. Oct. 24 is the earliest meeting between the two schools since a Sept. 24, 2005 matchup that went in favor of the Tar Heels, 31-24, in Raleigh.
- The road team has captured six of the last seven meetings.
Wolfpack Notes:
- Although the Tar Heels hold a 67-36-6 overall lead in the history of the series, the Wolfpack holds the advantage since the turn of the century. Since the year 2000, NC State has won nine of the 13 games (including nine of the last 12 and three of the last four).
- Under Dave Doeren, the Wolfpack is 4-3 against the Heels.
- Dave Doeren has not lost a game at Kenan Stadium (3-0).
- The last time NC State played a ranked UNC team in Chapel Hill, the Wolfpack won 41-0 (2008).
- NC State made a quick trip home for the first time in over a month last week for the win over Duke and now plays on the road for the fourth time in five games.
- The Wolfpack is playing every team in the traditional ACC Coastal Division this season: Virginia Tech (L), Pitt (W), Virginia (W), Duke (W), UNC (10/24), MIami (11/6) and Georgia Tech (12/5).
Tar Heel Notes:
- North Carolina snapped a three-game losing streak against NC State with a convincing 41-10 victory in Raleigh last November. The win marked the largest margin of victory ever for the Tar Heels in Raleigh,
and the largest against the Pack since a 52-20 victory in Chapel Hill in 1996. - Mack Brown improved to 6-7 all-ti me (6-5 at UNC) against the Wolfpack with the 41-10 win in Raleigh in 2019.
- Brown lost his first five meeti ngs against NCSU between 1987-92, but won five in a row from 1993-97 before leaving for Texas.
- As head coach at App State in 1983, he lost 33-7 to the Pack, and Brown’s 1999 Texas squad lost the season opener to NC State, 23-20, in Austin.
How To Watch:
- Television: ESPN
- Online: WatchESPN
- Radio: A live broadcast of the Tar Heel SportsNetwork is available on UNC’s official athletic website, GoHeels.com, as well as through the TuneIn app.
- Satellite: Sirius (81), XM (81), Internet (81)