No. 18 Tar Heels, NC State set for rivalry matchup to close out regular season

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Its rivalry week in college football and that means a matchup between North Carolina’s two flagship universities.

NC State (7-4, 3-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) is set to make the short trip to Chapel Hill on Black Friday for a faceoff with No. 18 North Carolina (9-2, 6-1).

Both teams are already bowl eligible and UNC has secured a trip to the ACC championship game against No. 7 Clemson in Charlotte on Dec. 3, but bragging rights and a chance to get back in the win column are on the line.

The Tar Heels are coming off a tough 21-17 loss at home to four-win Georgia Tech, while the Wolfpack will look to rebound from a pair of losses to Boston College and Louisville.

“We’ve lived with our offense and some plays with our defense,” UNC head coach Mack Brown said. “And to win on Friday, both are going to have to step up and play better.”

>>> WATCH NC State vs. UNC on Channel 9 at 3:30 p.m. on Friday.

All-time, UNC leads the series with a 68-37-6 record, but the Wolfpack have momentum. NC State won last year’s meeting, 34-31, by scoring two touchdowns in 26 seconds to topple the Tar Heels with a rousing comeback.

“I’m looking forward to competing with them,” said NC State head coach Dave Doeren. “It’s a group that doesn’t like each other.”

Friday’s game will air on ABC starting at 3:30 p.m.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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