Long-time ACC rivals North Carolina State and North Carolina will do battle on Saturday at Kenan Memorial Stadium on the campus of North Carolina. The Wolfpack come into this game with a record of 5-6 and an ACC mark of 2-5. They need a win over the Tar Heels to become bowl-eligible. The Tar Heels are already bowl-eligible at 6-5 and have a 3-4 record in the ACC. The opening kick is scheduled for 3:30 pm EST.
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Read on for the prediction of the NC State/ UNC game.
NC State needs a win to get in
The North Carolina State Wolfpack arrive in Chapel Hill on Saturday hoping to pick up a win to become bowl-eligible in 2024. The Wolfpack have been one win away for each of the past two weeks but lost at home to Duke and followed that up with a heartbreaking 30-29 loss to Georgia Tech on the road last week. The Wolfpack took the lead, 29-23, with a minute and a half left in the game but watched as the Yellow Jackets drove right down the field and scored the game-winner with just 23 seconds left. The Wolfpack are now 5-6 as they get set to take on the Tar Heels.
"Our defense played their butts off. It's really unfortunate that the -- I don't know what play of the game it was -- we ran a really basic shovel pass that if it's not caught it ends up being incomplete. That's the way you do that instead of handing it off. We probably run that play in practice a thousand times. I've never seen a ball ricochet-intercepted. Some of the breaks we had that way were tough. The three turnovers that we had were costly. You lose the turnover margin -3. The kids keep playing. They've got so much heart. I'm proud of them for that." head coach Dave Doern said after the tough loss.
The Wolfpack were led by quarterback CJ Bailey who ran the ball eight times for 83 yards and three touchdowns. He became the first Wolfpack QB since Russell Wilson to rush for three touchdowns in a game. In all, the Wolfpack ran for 253 yards in the game. They had 400 yards of total offense in the game but Bailey threw three intercption that led to 14 points for the Yellow Jackets. Defensively, the Wolfpack were led by Sean Brown and his ten tackles. They allowed 391 yards of total offense including 272 through the air.
The Wolfpack will now have to take down their arch rivals, the North Carolina Tar Heels, to earn bowl eligibility this season. They come into this matchup at just 2-5 in conference play. The Wolfpack are 57th in the nation in scoring offense and 93rd in total offense. They are 74th on the ground and 66th through the air. The Wolfpack rank 62nd in red zone offense. They are 71st in sacks allowed this season. Defensively, they are 102nd in scoring defense and 68th in total defense. The Wolfpack are 65th against the run and 85th against the pass. The Wolfpack are 33rd in red zone defense this season. They are 68th in sacks per game. The Wolfpack are 103rd in turnover margin and 23rd in penalties per game.
Key Injuries: LB Blake Raphael is questionable. LB Caden Fordham is out.
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Tar Heels can play spoiler
The North Carolina Tar Heels return home licking their wounds after being thumped by Boston College 41-21 on the road last Saturday. The Heels were dominated in time of possession and finished just 3-of-13 on third-down conversions to end their three-game winning streak. They are now 6-5 overall and 3-4 in the ACC heading into the finale against NC State. It will be the final game for 73-year-old Mack Brown, who will coach this game and then step down.
The Tar Heels were led by quarterback Jacolby Criswell with 176 yards passing while completing just 16-of-30 passes. He was sacked seven times in the game and threw three interceptions. Running back Omarion Hampton had 53 yards on 11 carries but the Heels finished with just 212 yards of total offense including a season-low 36 on the ground. Defensively, the Heels allowed 42o yards of total offense to Boston College including 228 on the ground. The Eagles dominated time of possession, holding the ball for over 38 minutes while the Heels had the ball for such under 22 minutes.
The Tar Heels now have a chance to end the season for NC State on Saturday at home. They will also look to avoid finishing under .500 in the ACC and .500 overall for the regular season. The Heels are 34th in the nation in scoring offense and 42nd in total offense. They are 63rd in rushing offense and 53rd in passing offense. The Heels are 58th in red zone offense. They are 105th in sacks allowed this season. On the defensive side of the ball, the Heels are 87th in scoring defense and 76th in total defense. They are 46th against the run and 97th against the pass. They are 107th in red zone defense. The Heels are fifth in the nation in sacks per game. They are 79th in turnover margin and 87th in penalties per game.
Key Injuries: WR JJ Jones, WR Nate McCollum, RB Darwin Barlow, and TE Julien Randolph are questionable. TE Bryson Nesbit, PK Liam Boyd, and QB Max Johnson are out.
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Best Bets for NC State vs. North Carolina (UNC)
Full-Game Side Bet
Insiders Status:
Emotions will be high on the campus of North Carolina on Saturday. This will likely be the last game at home in the storied career of Mack Brown at UNC, serving two different tenures as the team's head coach. The Tar Heels have plenty to play for in this game, with the chance to end their rivals' season as well as the chance to pick up their 7th win to possibly improve their bowl options. The Heels' ability to get to the quarterback should play a major factor on Saturday. They are fifth in the country in sacks per game, and the Wolfpack are just 70th in protecting their quarterback. UNC has spent the week lamenting its inability to run the ball against Boston College and protect its own quarterback. They will almost certainly try to establish the run early and often on Saturday to set up their pass game. They'll get plenty of scoring opportunities against NC State's 102nd-ranked scoring defense. UNC has lost three straight in this rival and seven of ten. They will be highly motivated to take care of business in Brown's final game against the Wolfpack.
Take UNC -3.5
Full-Game Total Pick
Insiders Status:
This rivalry is rich with tradition and, in recent years, rich in scoring. The two teams have gone over the total in eight of the last ten meetings heading into Saturday's showdown. The Heels are 34th in the country and coming off a horrible performance at Boston College. They will be highly motivated and ready to go on Saturday against the Wolfpack. NC State is a respectable 57th in the country in scoring offense and is coming off a strong running game, which could bode well after the Heels were dominated on the ground against BC. I expect a back-and-forth game and one that sails over this total.
Take the over.
