NC State Meets Oldest Football Rival in Winston-Salem

Game Day Central | Thursday Football Notebook

	NC State (4-3, 1-2) at Wake Forest (6-1, 2-1)
Date	Saturday, Nov. 2
Time	12:00 p.m.
Location	Winston-Salem, N.C.
Stadium	BB&T Field (31,500)
TV	ABC
Streaming	WatchESPN
Radio in NC	Wolfpack Sports Network
National Radio	Tunein, Sirius 119, XM 203
Live Stats	GoDeacs.com
Social Media	Twitter: @PackFootball \| Instagram: PackFootball

RALEIGH, N.C. - The month of November is recognized for cooler temperatures and the beginning of the holiday shopping season. But for college football teams, the arrival of November signals the beginning of a stretch run that can make or break ambitions for a successful season.

As they did last year, NC State (4-3, 1-2 ACC) and 23^rd-ranked Wake Forest (6-1, 2-1) will clash in another November game of significance when they face off Saturday in Winston-Salem.

Kickoff time from BB&T Field is set for 12 p.m., and the game will be televised on ABC.

"We're getting ready for five games in one month and it's a great opportunity for us to get better," said Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren. "We've got a great opportunity against a really good football team this week. Really excited about playing against Wake Forest in an in-state game and a rivalry game."

Wake Forest is, in fact, NC State's longest football rival. The 113th all-time meeting in the series will feature a bit of role reversal given Wake's status as the ranked team this year.

Twelve months ago, the Pack was ranked #19 and fighting for a 10-win season before the underdog Deacons posted a stunning 27-23 upset at Carter-Finley Stadium. On Saturday, NC State will be the team trying to derail hopes for a special season for the other side.

"I think with our football team-and even with UNC week-we've got to be the best us," Doeren said. "It's about how we play in this game that matters. From being here, the build-up of certain games hasn't been good for us as opposed to the focus on what we can do to play well. We respect them a lot. Obviously, we want to be undefeated in the state; it's something that we still control right now. This is the next step to doing that."

NC State seems to bring out the best in Wake Forest. The Deacs have prevailed in the last two games and have won seven of the last eight games played in Winston-Salem.

One player who completely understands both sides of this rivalry is NC State wide receiver Tabari Hines, who spent three seasons at Wake Forest. A graduate transfer, Hines did damage in three games against the Wolfpack, making 22 catches for 306 yards and four touchdowns. According to Hines, the Deacons always gets locked in for NC State week.

"They take this game seriously," Hines said. "I know being in that locker room, they consider it a rivalry. I would imagine they'll definitely get up for this game because I'm on the other side. We just need to bring the juice, match their energy and come out with a win."

Getting a handle on Wake's uptempo, high-powered offense will be a chore for the NC State defense on Saturday. The Deacons ranked 2nd in the league in scoring (37.1), 4th in rushing offense (196.1) and first in pass offense (327.7).

The biggest question mark for the Deacons will be the health of starting quarterback Jamie Newman, who left the October 19th game against Florida State with an injury. Newman leads the ACC in total offense, passing yards and pass efficiency. After Newman went down a few weeks ago, Sam Hartman took over and guided the Deacs to victory. Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson has not publicly announced a starter for this week's game.

For NC State, redshirt freshman Devin Leary will be making his first college start after coming off the bench to throw for 259 yards and three touchdowns in State's 45-24 loss at Boston College on October 19.

"Devin's excited and he's earned it," Doeren said. "He's gone through the steps of fixing what he needed to fix. He's looking forward to being our guy. All of our jobs here are to continue to support him and the rest of those guys in that room to get better."

Leary becomes NC State's third different starting quarterback since the beginning of the season. The Wolfpack has used a whopping total of 38 different starters at a variety of positions this season due to injuries.

"It's been unique and it's been challenging," said Doeren. "If we can find a way to finish the season strong, it will probably be one of the best coaching jobs I've done. It's a young team that lacks older leadership, and the continuity on top of that has made it even more of an obstacle at times. They are fun kids and have been awesome to coach. Anything can happen on Saturday."

Wolfpack Sports Network coverage on Saturday begins with the Lowe's Foods Countdown to Kickoff at 10 a.m. Shortly after 11 a.m., veteran color analyst Johnny Evans will take questions from fans on the "Ask the Analyst" segment. Send Johnny a question on Twitter @packradio or by email HERE.

NC State Meets Oldest Football Rival in Winston-Salem

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Tabari Hines

Devin Leary

NC State Meets Oldest Football Rival in Winston-Salem

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Tabari Hines

Devin Leary

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