Keeping It Heel
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UNC Football: Early opponent preview NC State

By Brandon Griffin

Dec 30, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; The North Carolina State Wolfpack mascot stands on the field after a score in the second half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the 2015 Belk Bowl at Bank of America Stadium. The Bulldogs defeated the Wolfpack 51-28. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; The North Carolina State Wolfpack mascot stands on the field after a score in the second half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the 2015 Belk Bowl at Bank of America Stadium. The Bulldogs defeated the Wolfpack 51-28. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /
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I was reading an article where there was an interview with new Georgia coach Kirby Smart.

He was talking about how nice it is to have a big game to start the season. He mentioned how in training at Alabama they wouldn’t start with a video of the first team they played but with the last, which was always Auburn.

They would then work in reverse so the last video they studied was the team they would be playing that very week. Smart said it really got the team pumped, especially when they were playing a big school and not some small school like Chattanooga St.

So I figured if it is good enough for Alabama and Nick Saban then why not try it here on Keeping it Heel. So for the next 12 weeks (the season is really only 12 weeks away) I will be previewing a Carolina opponent starting with the team’s last game and ending with their first game right before the season starts.

Up first….

North Carolina State

Last season North Carolina was on a roll having survived Virginia Tech in OT, while NC State was coming off an easy win against Syracuse. Unlike the previous season, the Heels came out and put the score out of reach by the end of the first quarter. Though NC State made a game out of it late, the Heels won their 11th in a row. For the third year in a row the Heels face the Wolfpack in the last game of the season, will North Carolina dominate on their way to a second Coastal Championship?

Head Coach: Dave Doeren. Career Record 41-24 (18-20 at State). This will be his fourth season at NC State which is his second head coaching stop. Doeren once led Northern Illinois to a 12-1 record and an Orange Bowl bid before leaving for NC State.

Best Graduate: WR Torry Holt, Seven-Time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl Champion, career 920 receptions for 13,382 yards and 74 touchdowns, 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 41,447 yards and 281 touchdowns, has 92 career wins (25th all-time) and holds four NFL records and 28 San Diego Chargers records. If you are wondering where Russell Wilson is on this list, check the Wisconsin team preview.

Last Season: Went 7-6 (3-5 in ACC play). Finished fourth in the Atlantic Division. Season highlights include winning their first four games of the season by an average of 34 points per game. Finished season by losing three of their last four including an 11 point home loss to perceived rival UNC. Their three ACC wins came against teams that went a combined 10-26 on the season.

This Season: Seven of their opponents finished last season with a winning record and six made a bowl game.

Under Doeren, NC State is 0-18 in games against power five teams with a winning record. With six such opponents this season, a 6-6 record seems most likely, in part due to another easy non-conference schedule.

Best Current Player: RB Matthew Dayes. Last season, he rushed for 865 yards and was well on his way to over 1000 before suffering a foot injury against Clemson, costing him the last four games of the season. He also ran for 12 touchdowns which at the time was tops in the NCAA. The injury caused him to miss the game this past season.

However, with Carolina allowing an average of 381 rushing yards against NC State the last two seasons, it is easy to see why Matthew Days is a dangerous match-up for the Heels.

Oct 18, 2014; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels wide receiver Ryan Switzer (3) scores a touchdown in the second quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 18, 2014; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels wide receiver Ryan Switzer (3) scores a touchdown in the second quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

Match-up: Friday, November 25th in Chapel Hill.

Prediction: Last season I predicted a very close game, but a Tar Heels win. Part of that was assuming the defense would still be bad.

The other part was assuming NC State would play closer with the game in Raleigh. What happened instead was a quick start by the Heels that the Wolfpack never truly recovered from.

Final score: UNC 42, NC State 21.

Heels finish off a great season with a more dominant win over the team from Raleigh. Ryan Switzer returns a punt for a Touchdown setting the NCAA record and Elijah Hood runs for 125 yards and three TDs. The win clinches the Coastal for the Heels and a return trip to the ACC Championship game to face surprise Atlantic winner Louisville for the ACC Championship

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