The Wolfpack and Hurricanes will have all eyes on them Friday night in a nationally televised showdown inside Carter-Finley Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. on ESPN. NC State (4-2, 4-2 ACC) will be looking to return to the win column after a bye week – most recently falling to rival UNC on the road 48-21 on October 24.
Miami (5-1, 4-1 ACC) heads to Raleigh for the first time in four years with Heisman candidate quarterback D’Eriq King leading the way. The Hurricanes are currently ranked #10/11 in the national polls. Also coming off a bye week, the Hurricanes have won two straight after dropping their lone contest to top ranked Clemson on October 10.
Game Notes:
· A familiar face returns to Carter-Finley Stadium in Miami head coach Manny Diaz. Diaz spent six years on the Wolfpack staff under head coach Chuck Amato (2000-05). Coach Diaz held the title of defensive coordinator the last time the Wolkpack and Hurricanes squared off in 2016.
· Since Miami became a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2004, NC State has faced the Hurricanes just five times.
· Friday’s contest is the 16th matchup in the history of the series; UM leads the series 9-5-1, including a 3-1 lead in games in Raleigh, N.C.
· QB D’Eriq King, who has picked up ACC Quarterback of the Week honors two times this year, has thrown for 1,401 yards and 11 touchdowns while adding 301 rushing yards and two rushing scores.
· Wolfpack linebacker Payton Wilson ranks second in the ACC in tackles per game (10.6) and ranks 13th in the FBS.
· NC State’s starting linebacker corps of Wilson, Drake Thomas and Isaiah Moore rank 2nd, 11th and 16th respectively in the ACC in tackles per game.
· NC State has scored 20 times in its 23 trips inside the red zone – scoring at an 86.9% clip to rank 42nd nationally. Seventeen of those 20 scores have been touchdowns – the No. 22 mark nationally.
· Miami defensive lineman Quincy Roche is tied for fifth in all of FBS in tackles for loss (9.5) and is first in active career sacks in FBS with 28.5.
How to Watch:
Television: ESPN
Internet: WatchESPN
Radio: WRAL 101.5 FM