North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State Faces North Carolina on Rivalry Weekend
11/28/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 28, 2014
TV: ACCN/ESPN3 | Radio: Wolfpack Sports Network | Live Stats
Game Notes | @PackFootball Twitter | Ask the Analyst
RALEIGH, N.C. - This year, college football's rivalry weekend includes the 104th meeting between NC State and North Carolina. The Wolfpack and Tar Heels square off Saturday afternoon at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill.
Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m., and will be broadcast by the ACC Network.
The final weekend of the regular season typically features traditional rivalries like Michigan-Ohio State, Alabama-Auburn and Florida-Florida State, among others. Thanks to a scheduling model released by the ACC earlier this year, the annual battle between the Wolfpack and Tar Heels falls on rivalry weekend for the first time since 2009.
"I'm really excited that the ACC has moved this game to the end of the year," said NC State head coach Dave Doeren. "I think it's great for the rivalry and it is a great rivalry. The distance between the two schools makes it special. I've been in a lot of these kinds of games and it's always heated. Regardless of the team's records, these are always going to be big games for both schools."
The records this year suggest that this will be an important game apart from just bragging rights. Both teams are bowl eligible with identical 6-5 records, but the winner on Saturday would likely improve its position in the ACC's bowl pecking order.
"This year, we've focused on having a better season than we did last season," Wolfpack safety Hakim Jones said. "But this being a rivalry game, it means that much more because it's the biggest rival we're going to play regardless of what sport you play here. Being able to beat them and go on to have a seven-win season or an eight-win season would be one of the best things we could do."
Jones and the Pack have already reached one of their goals this season. The quest to improve upon last year's 3-9 record has not only produced twice as many wins, but also dramatic upgrades in several areas.
A year ago, NC State kept placekicker Niklas Sade quite busy with numerous trips to the red zone that led to more field goals than touchdowns. But after converting only 44 percent of its red zone trips into touchdowns in 2013, the Wolfpack has put touchdowns on the board 72 percent of the time this season.
And the sluggish starts that often put last year's team into early holes have also become a thing of the past. This season, the Wolfpack has scored 101 points in the first quarter in 11 games, compared to just 48 in 12 games last year.
Now on a pace to average more rushing yards per game than any NC State team since 1994, the Wolfpack's physical rushing attack is producing 5.2 yards per carry, up from last year's average of 3.8 yards per rush.
A bruising, time-consuming ground game may very well be the best recipe for success again on Saturday. Carolina's explosive, high-tempo offense, led by quarterback Marquise Williams, is one of the ACC's best units. The Tar Heels have accumulated 500 or more yards in four of the last six games, including a season-high 591 yards in last Thursday's 45-20 win at Duke. Williams, a junior from Charlotte, is second in the league in total offense, second in passing, second in scoring touchdowns and sixth in rushing.
"I think Marquise is a really good football player," Doeren said. "He's one of the best quarterbacks that we have faced. He's doing a lot of things well and he's got a lot of weapons around him."
One of those weapons is tailback T.J. Logan, who became the first UNC tailback to rush for 100 yards this season when he tallied 116 in the Duke game. North Carolina's leading rusher has been Williams, who has surpassed 100 yards twice and just missed a third 100-yard rushing game with 98 at Duke. Williams is just one of seven players in the country leading his team in passing yards (2,773) and rushing yards (726).
The Tar Heels average 36.7 points per game and have needed just about every one of those points to stay afloat because of what's happened on the other side of the ball. UNC currently ranks last in the ACC in scoring defense (39.3), rushing defense (218 yards per game), pass defense (281) and total defense (499.5). Last Thursday, however, the North Carolina defense put together its most inspired performance of the year by holding Duke to 378 yards, the second fewest by an opponent in seven ACC games.
"I feel like they're much better than they were at the beginning of the year because they're playing smarter and harder," said NC State quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who ranks third in the league in total offense. "You can tell they've been playing to get into a bowl game. You can see on film that they've been playing offense and defense very well."
After winning five in a row in the series, the Wolfpack has dropped the last two to the Tar Heels. A Florida native who sat out last year following his transfer to NC State from the University of Florida, Brissett is eager to jump headfirst into this rivalry for the first time.
"It's going to be a great atmosphere," he said. "They've been playing really well the last two weeks, so we've got to come out and play really physical and start fast. It's going to be a fight; it's a rivalry game against a school that's 30 minutes away. You come to college to play in games like this."
Wolfpack Sports Network coverage of the 104th meeting between NC State and North Carolina starts with the Matthews Motors Countdown to Kickoff at 10:30 a.m. In hour two of the pregame show beginning at 11:30 a.m., veteran color analyst Johnny Evans takes your questions on Farm Bureau's `Ask the Analyst.' Tweet Johnny a question @packradio or forward him a question here.
The Dave Doeren TV Show airs on Sunday nights at 11:30 p.m. on WRAL TV-5 in Raleigh and WILM (CBS) in Wilmington. A stream of the show is also available each Monday on Gopack.com. For a full list of times and stations, go here.
Coach Doeren will take questions from fans on Twitter. Submit your questions using the hashtag #CoachDTV.
ACC Network Affiliates | Thursday Football Notebook
Game 12: NC State Wolfpack (6-5, 2-5) vs. North Carolina Tar Heels (6-5, 4-3)
November 29, 2014 • 12:30 p.m.
Chapel Hill, N.C. • Kenan Stadium (63,000)
TV: ACCN/ESPN3 | Radio: Wolfpack Sports Network | Live Stats
Game Notes | @PackFootball Twitter | Ask the Analyst
RALEIGH, N.C. - This year, college football's rivalry weekend includes the 104th meeting between NC State and North Carolina. The Wolfpack and Tar Heels square off Saturday afternoon at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill.
Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m., and will be broadcast by the ACC Network.
The final weekend of the regular season typically features traditional rivalries like Michigan-Ohio State, Alabama-Auburn and Florida-Florida State, among others. Thanks to a scheduling model released by the ACC earlier this year, the annual battle between the Wolfpack and Tar Heels falls on rivalry weekend for the first time since 2009.
"I'm really excited that the ACC has moved this game to the end of the year," said NC State head coach Dave Doeren. "I think it's great for the rivalry and it is a great rivalry. The distance between the two schools makes it special. I've been in a lot of these kinds of games and it's always heated. Regardless of the team's records, these are always going to be big games for both schools."
The records this year suggest that this will be an important game apart from just bragging rights. Both teams are bowl eligible with identical 6-5 records, but the winner on Saturday would likely improve its position in the ACC's bowl pecking order.
"This year, we've focused on having a better season than we did last season," Wolfpack safety Hakim Jones said. "But this being a rivalry game, it means that much more because it's the biggest rival we're going to play regardless of what sport you play here. Being able to beat them and go on to have a seven-win season or an eight-win season would be one of the best things we could do."
Jones and the Pack have already reached one of their goals this season. The quest to improve upon last year's 3-9 record has not only produced twice as many wins, but also dramatic upgrades in several areas.
A year ago, NC State kept placekicker Niklas Sade quite busy with numerous trips to the red zone that led to more field goals than touchdowns. But after converting only 44 percent of its red zone trips into touchdowns in 2013, the Wolfpack has put touchdowns on the board 72 percent of the time this season.
And the sluggish starts that often put last year's team into early holes have also become a thing of the past. This season, the Wolfpack has scored 101 points in the first quarter in 11 games, compared to just 48 in 12 games last year.
Now on a pace to average more rushing yards per game than any NC State team since 1994, the Wolfpack's physical rushing attack is producing 5.2 yards per carry, up from last year's average of 3.8 yards per rush.
A bruising, time-consuming ground game may very well be the best recipe for success again on Saturday. Carolina's explosive, high-tempo offense, led by quarterback Marquise Williams, is one of the ACC's best units. The Tar Heels have accumulated 500 or more yards in four of the last six games, including a season-high 591 yards in last Thursday's 45-20 win at Duke. Williams, a junior from Charlotte, is second in the league in total offense, second in passing, second in scoring touchdowns and sixth in rushing.
"I think Marquise is a really good football player," Doeren said. "He's one of the best quarterbacks that we have faced. He's doing a lot of things well and he's got a lot of weapons around him."
One of those weapons is tailback T.J. Logan, who became the first UNC tailback to rush for 100 yards this season when he tallied 116 in the Duke game. North Carolina's leading rusher has been Williams, who has surpassed 100 yards twice and just missed a third 100-yard rushing game with 98 at Duke. Williams is just one of seven players in the country leading his team in passing yards (2,773) and rushing yards (726).
The Tar Heels average 36.7 points per game and have needed just about every one of those points to stay afloat because of what's happened on the other side of the ball. UNC currently ranks last in the ACC in scoring defense (39.3), rushing defense (218 yards per game), pass defense (281) and total defense (499.5). Last Thursday, however, the North Carolina defense put together its most inspired performance of the year by holding Duke to 378 yards, the second fewest by an opponent in seven ACC games.
"I feel like they're much better than they were at the beginning of the year because they're playing smarter and harder," said NC State quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who ranks third in the league in total offense. "You can tell they've been playing to get into a bowl game. You can see on film that they've been playing offense and defense very well."
After winning five in a row in the series, the Wolfpack has dropped the last two to the Tar Heels. A Florida native who sat out last year following his transfer to NC State from the University of Florida, Brissett is eager to jump headfirst into this rivalry for the first time.
"It's going to be a great atmosphere," he said. "They've been playing really well the last two weeks, so we've got to come out and play really physical and start fast. It's going to be a fight; it's a rivalry game against a school that's 30 minutes away. You come to college to play in games like this."
Wolfpack Sports Network coverage of the 104th meeting between NC State and North Carolina starts with the Matthews Motors Countdown to Kickoff at 10:30 a.m. In hour two of the pregame show beginning at 11:30 a.m., veteran color analyst Johnny Evans takes your questions on Farm Bureau's `Ask the Analyst.' Tweet Johnny a question @packradio or forward him a question here.
The Dave Doeren TV Show airs on Sunday nights at 11:30 p.m. on WRAL TV-5 in Raleigh and WILM (CBS) in Wilmington. A stream of the show is also available each Monday on Gopack.com. For a full list of times and stations, go here.
Coach Doeren will take questions from fans on Twitter. Submit your questions using the hashtag #CoachDTV.
Coach Doeren Signing Day Presser (Dec. 3rd)
Wednesday, December 03
FB Players Postgame Presser vs UNC
Sunday, November 30
Coach Doeren Postgame Presser vs UNC
Sunday, November 30
Coach Doeren Weekly Press Conference (Nov. 24)
Monday, November 24