Three of North Carolina’s four ACC schools will be bowling this season. Two of them square off Saturday afternoon, when the North Carolina Tar Heels host the North Carolina State Wolfpack.
How to watch NC State vs. North Carolina: Game guide, TV schedule, streaming, odds
Will the Tar Heels finish with a winning conference record after their poor start?
The Tar Heels opened the season ranked, but a disappointing performance against San Diego State dropped them out of the polls despite a 2-0 start. North Carolina then lost their next four games in a row, looking like a near certainty to stay home during bowl season. They’ve now won four of their last five, including victories over Georgia Tech and Duke, and have a chance to salvage something out of their season with a win on Saturday.
NC State will make a bowl game in Year Two under Dave Doeren, aided in large part by a 4-0 record in a weak non-conference slate. The Wolfpack were able to pick up their two required ACC victories over Syracuse and Wake Forest, and a bowl berth has to be seen as a positive for a program that went winless in conference play last season.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: 12:30 p.m. ET
TV: ACC Network
Online streaming: ESPN3
The numbers
Rankings and records: Neither team is ranked. The Wolfpack are 6-5, with a 2-5 record in ACC play. The Tar Heels are 6-5 with a 4-3 conference record.
Vegas: North Carolina opened as 6-point favorites. The line has since moved to 6.5. The over/under is set at 69 points, per Odds Shark.
Weather forecast: High of 54, partly cloudy
Two things at stake
A win for NC State would be its first against a power 5 bowl team under Doeren.
A win for North Carolina would give it victories against both power 5 bowl teams in the state.
One big matchup
NC State rushing offense vs. North Carolina rushing defense. The Wolfpack are averaging 5.2 yards per carry this season, as Doeren has brought the power-running system that made his Northern Illinois teams so successful with him to NC State. Shadrach Thornton, Matt Dayes and Tony Creecy are all averaging at least 5.5 yards per carry, while Jacoby Brissett is a dangerous weapon at quarterback. North Carolina is giving up 4.8 yards per rush this season, allowing over 300 yards to each of East Carolina, Georgia Tech and Pitt.
Further reading
For more on NC State, check out Backing the Pack. For North Carolina coverage, head over to Tar Heel Blog.
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