UNC Football Opponent Preview: NC State
Keeping It Heel will preview all 12 opponents the North Carolina Tar Heels will face in the upcoming football season. Today, we continue with a preview of the Virginia Tech Hokies.
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Last season North Carolina was coming off a high from crushing rival Duke in Durham, while NC State was coming off an easy win against Wake. However, what looked to be another win for the Heels turned into a stepping stone for State as they cruised to an easy 35-7 victory.
For the second year in a row the Heels face the Wolfpack in the last game of the season, will North Carolina come ready to play this time?
Head Coach: Dave Doeren: Career Record 34-18 (11-14 at State). NC State is his second head coaching stop. Fun Fact: Lead his Northern Illinois team to a 12-1 record and an Orange Bowl bid before leaving for State.
Best Graduate: WR Torry Holt, Seven Time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl Champion, Career 920 receptions for 13,382 yds and 74 TDs, holds 8 NFL records and is top ten all time in career receiving yards.
Second Best Graduate: Philip Rivers, Five Time Pro Bowler, has thrown for 36,665 yds and 252 TDs, has 88 career wins (28th all time) and holds 4 NFL records.
Best Wisconsin Graduate: Russell Wilson, Sorry State Fans, but it’s true…
Last Season: Went 8-5 (3-5 in ACC play). Finished fifth in the Atlantic Division. Season highlights include winning four of their last five, beating UCF in the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl, and crushing perceived rival UNC by 28 in Chapel Hill.
This Season: Six of their opponents finished last season with a winning record, including 8 teams that played in bowl games. Despite early preseason hype, a 6-6 record seems most likely.
Best Player: QB Jacoby Brissett. Last season, he threw for 2606 yds with 23 TDs against 5 INTs. He also ran for 529 yds and 3 TDS. Despite and up and down season for the former Florida Gator, he put everything together and had his best game of the season against the cross town Heels rushing for 167 yds and accounting for 4 TDs
Matchup: Saturday November 28th in Raleigh TBD
Prediction: Last year I thought no way Carolina loses this game, especially after the performance they had just put up at Duke. Boy was I wrong. If Carolina lets Brissett runs as he pleases again, it will be another long day for Heels fans. However, if the Duke game taught us anything, it’s that the Heels don’t forget. So unless Coach Fedora’s VCR is broken, this should be a much tighter game.
Nov 15, 2014; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels wide receiver Ryan Switzer (3) with the ball in the first half at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Final score: UNC 28, NC State 27. Heels finish off a great season with a close victory over the Wolfpack, putting to rest any questions who the best team in the state is. Ryan Switzer returns a punt for a TD with four minutes left as Jalen Dalton sacks Brisset ending a last minute comeback attempt.
This is the last game of the season and this should be the icing on a very good year by the Heels. If everything goes right, I could see this as win number 9 or 10 on the season, with a good bowl appearance and a potential Coastal Championship on the Horizon. So here’s hoping for good things, because with NCAA penalties looming, this could also be the last good season for quite some time.