The NC State football team will play its final game of the regular season Friday in a road contest against rival UNC-Chapel Hill.
The Wolfpack (5-6, 2-5 ACC) is coming off a 27-13 loss to Miami (FL) last weekend that added to the frustration of this disappointing season. NC State has one final chance to become bowl eligible, and will look to end the season on a high note by earning the necessary sixth win against its bitter rival. Meanwhile the Tar Heels (8-3, 5-2 ACC) hope to keep their chances of playing in the ACC Championship game alive.
Some Pack fans may consider this game irrelevant at this point in the season. But for many others, a road win against Carolina that could send State to a bowl game and possibly keep the Heels out of the conference championship would provide some consolation. And while an upset is unlikely, NC State is hungry for a win.
“My resolve and my excitement, and our players’ resolve and their excitement, has only grown,” head coach Dave Doeren said in a press conference held by NC State Athletics Monday. “We’re scarred, for sure, you know [we’re] angry, motivated, I think [we’re] more together than ever. I just want our fans to know that we know you want better results and so do we.”
However, while confidence and motivation are important, NC State will have to prove itself by executing on the field. Carolina has had a few setbacks this year, but the Heels are still a strong team. In fact, if anything the Heels’ most recent setback, a 28-27 loss to Duke on Nov. 10, may have strengthened them further as they demolished Citadel 41-7 the following week. So, the Heels will likely be plenty motivated as well and NC State will really need to step up its game on both sides of the ball.
First, the Pack will need to keep the Heels’ potent offense in check in order to keep things from getting out of hand early. Carolina’s offense is led by junior quarterback Mitch Trubisky, who ranks among the top players in the nation with 3,188 passing yards and 25 passing touchdowns this season. His exceptional play combined with his prototypical frame has even attracted the attention of many NFL scouts.
“He’s a very good passer, understands their offense and distributes the ball well,” Doeren said. “[And he] gets them out of trouble, he’s not a guy that you would say is a great runner, but he is really good at evading [the] rush and buying himself time.”
NC State graduate cornerback Jack Tocho also alluded to his escapability by saying that he was impressed with Trubisky’s poise in the pocket under pressure. Although it’s important to note that Carolina’s receiving corps also plays a role in Trubisky’s success.
For quarterbacks, being able to have confidence in their receiver is vital. The Heels’ signal caller is lucky to have three upperclassmen starting at wideout and without them, the Heels’ offense couldn’t operate the way that it has.
“They throw a lot of timing routes,” Tocho said. “A lot of the passes thrown, the ball’s out of the quarterback’s hand before [the receivers] even get out of their break, so they have a lot of chemistry [with the quarterback].”
The Wolfpack secondary, which has been spotty this year, will need to play at a higher level than it has in many of NC State’s losses this year. Additionally, State’s rushing defense, which ranks seventh in the nation, will need to continue to play at a high level in order to keep the Heels one-dimensional and therefore more predictable.
The Heels’ backfield tandem features junior Elijah Hood, who is more of a power back, and senior T.J. Logan, who is more of a speed back. Their respective playing styles complement one another and provide a unique challenge to opponents’ defenses.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Wolfpack needs to stick to what’s been successful so far this year. Focus on the run game first in order to open up other facets of the offense. Also, the Pack needs continue to put the ball in the hands of its best players. The Heels’ defense has been subpar in terms of stopping the run, so NC State should get as many of its talented skill players involved as possible.
Lastly, redshirt sophomore quarterback Ryan Finley will need to continue to limit his mistakes and prove that his knowledge of the offense makes him deserving of the starting role. He has a lot of talent around him, and NC State has shown that when it can execute as a unit it can have a lot of success.
“We’re playing a very talented football team that’s had a good season, [and] that has a lot of experience and skilled players,” Doeren said. “But from our perspective, it’s more about us than it is them; you know we really just want focus on playing our best football.”
Although this matchup may seem rather lopsided, in rivalries like this, the outcomes can sometimes be less predictable. Both teams are going to come in fired up, and ultimately the winner could simply be the team that wants it more and executes accordingly.
The past two meetings between these teams have had very different results, neither of which was expected. This year both teams have a lot of different faces on both sides of the ball, and the only thing that should be expected is the unexpected.
