The North Carolina State Wolfpack head over to Chapel Hill to get down with their in-state rivals the North Carolina Tarheels on Friday, November 25th. The ACC Conference game will begin at High noon and will be broadcast on the ESPN Network. As of today, the Tar Heels are a -11.5 point favorite and the contest’s total is now at 58.5.
In last year’s contest between these schools in Raleigh, North Carolina put up a 35-point first quarter and held on for a 45-34 win. The victory was their 11th straight win and the Tar Heels have continued their success into the 2016 season.
North Carolina State (5-6):
The Wolfpack are still trying to become eligible for a bowl after losing 27-13 to the Miami Hurricanes last weekend. Mistakes ruined North Carolina State’s chances against Miami. A crucial end-zone interception by quarterback Ryan Finley, and a penalty that brought back a fourth-quarter scoring run by Matt Dayes, cost them dearly.
The 2016 campaign has been a tale of two seasons for quarterback Ryan Finley. The Boise State transfer played nearly mistake-free football on their way to a 4-1 start. Since then, he has been careless with the football since and now they sit at 5-6 and are fighting for their bowl lives. Altogether, Finley has completed 213 passes for over 2,600 yards with 15 touchdowns and eight picks.
Running back Matt Dayes has been North Carolina State’s best offensive player through the first 11 games of the season. The durable back has rumbled for over 1,000 yards on 214 carries and has seen the back of the end zone eight times.
Ryan Finley spreads the ball around to five capable wide outs when he looks to move the ball via the air attack. As a unit, they have collected almost 165 catches for over 2,200 yards and 13 touchdowns.
The stout run defense that North Carolina State possesses let them down in last weeks game against Miami. That being said, they still rank 8th in the country, allowing only 102.9 yards a game. To their coach’s dismay, the secondary struggles allowing 248.7 yards a contest which is good for 89th in the country.
North Carolina (8-3):
The Tar Heels are riding high after an easy 41-7 home win over The Citadel. Quarterback Mitch Trubisky passed for 184 yards and three touchdowns, and T.J. Logan had a 100-yard kickoff return for a score. North Carolina forced a season-high four takeaways against an FCS Citadel squad that came into Chapel Hill undefeated.
The senior man-under-center Mitch Trubisky has been amazing throughout the 2016 campaign for the Tar Heels. Trubisky has amassed 3,188 yards on 258 completions for 25 touchdowns and only four interceptions. His 69.7 completion percentage is among the best at the FBS level.
Elijah Hood and T.J. Logan are a great one-two punch out of the back field for the Tar Heels. The two talented runners, have tallied well over 1,300 yards rushing on 229 carries and 15 scores. Mitch Trubisky has pitched in another five touchdowns via the ground.
Mitch Trubisky gets plenty of players involved in the Tar Heel passing game. Five out of six of their leading wide outs have 20 plus catches and all have found multiple trips to pay-dirt. Ryan Switzer leads this group with 78 catches for 856 yards. He also might be the best special teams return guy in the ACC.
Corner back Dominique Green intercepted a pass and returned it 58 yards for a touchdown. Amazingly, that was the first interception of the year for North Carolina. Up till then, they had been the only FBS team to not intercept a pass this season. in 2016, the secondary ranks 11th in the nation, giving way to only 182 yards a contest.
Trends and Notes:
The Wolfpack are 3-7 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
The Tar Heels are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
The Under is 4-0 in the the Wolfpack last 4 games overall.
The Under is 6-1 in the Tar Heels last 7 games overall.
The Underdog is 13-5 ATS in their last 18 meetings.
Game Predictions:
The Wolfpack’s 2016 season has been labeled as what might have been. close loses to a lot of strong teams have North Carolina State at 5-6 and still needing a win to be bowl eligible. The Wolfpack will bring their best to Chapel Hill for this rivalry.
North Carolina started out hot then cooled down a little. Fortunately, their offense is once again starting to roll at the right time of the year. quarterback Mitch Trubisky has been great and now he has a healthy running game to compliment his arm.
The North Carolina State’s eighth ranked run defense wants some redemption for their performance against Elijah Hood in last year’s contest. Quarterback Ryan Finley will need to return to early season form and not turn the ball over in crucial red zone appearances. Both will happen on Friday, as the Wolfpack keep North Carolina one dimensional and cover the +11.5
