NC State to Host UNC On Senior Day With Division Title Hopes Still Alive

It’s Rivalry Week. Enough said. With senior day and a must-win situation for the Wolfpack, Carter-Finely Stadium should be electric on Friday evening when the Tar Heels make the trip to Raleigh.

Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN.

NC State enters the contest at 8-3 overall and 5-2 in the ACC, coming off a big 41-17 win over Syracuse last Saturday in a game the Wolfpack needed to keep their slim hopes at making the ACC title game alive. With Clemson defeating Wake Forest earlier that day, NC State knew they were still alive in the Atlantic Division race.

How can the Wolfpack make it to Charlotte? Simple. Defeat UNC and pray for a Boston College upset Saturday over Wake Forest. If Wake wins, no matter what happens Friday, the Deacs will represent the Atlantic. But…if State and Wake lose, then a familiar foe in Clemson would make it back to Charlotte for what has been recently called the Tiger Invitational.

UNC heads to Raleigh coming off a 34-14 win over Wofford to become bowl eligible at 6-5 overall. In what has been a season of unmet expectations, the Tar Heels will be going bowling for the third straight season, which is something that hasn’t been done in a while.

Mack Brown and the Tar Heels have been on the winning side of the rivalry recently, with the Tar Heels winning both of the matchups since his return to Chapel Hill.

Throw the records out…it’s going to be a WILD one Friday in Raleigh.

Game Notes

• Friday’s game will mark the 111th meeting in the series between the Wolfpack and the Tar Heels. The rivalry, which began in1894, is the Wolfpack’s oldest among ACC teams and the fourth-most played series in the ACC.

• Under Dave Doeren, the Wolfpack is 4-4 against the Heels.

• The Pack has outscored its foes 220-85 (36.7-12.1) at home this
  season.

• The Wolfpack has won its last nine games at Carter-Finley, including all six of 2021. The Wolfpack hasn’t won all of its home games in a season since 1986.

• The Pack has outscored its foes 220-85 (36.7-12.1) at home this season.
  
• Quarterback Devin Leary has thrown 23 touchdown passes against ACC opponents this season – the top mark in the league’s conference-games-only stats.

• NC State leads the ACC and ranks eighth in the FBS with 14 interceptions
  this season.