NC State football hosts UNC at Carter-Finley Stadium for senior day. Here’s what to know

It’s rivalry week in college football, and two teams in the Triangle are looking to earn their ninth win of the season Saturday.

North Carolina (8-3, 4-3 ACC) travels 22 miles southeast to face N.C. State (8-3, 5-2 ACC) for the Wolfpack’s senior day. The Tar Heels lead the all-time series, 68-38-6, with State winning two straight. Last season, the Pack defeated the Heels in Chapel Hill, 30-27, in overtime.

The Pack is on a tear, winning four straight. It defeated Clemson and Miami at home, and it beat Virginia Tech on the road — for the first time in 19 years — on Saturday. N.C. State, which was in rough shape earlier this season, turned things around after its loss to Duke and found a rhythm.

“We’re peaking at the right time, all the guys are pitching in, and the coaches are doing a good job,” Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren said after beating the Hokies. “It’s gonna be a fun rivalry week. You’ve got two good football teams with the same record, so it’ll be a lot of fun.”

The Tar Heels, meanwhile, lost three of their past four FBS games. Their most recent loss came Saturday at Clemson, falling to the Tigers, 30-21. Carolina beat Duke, but, truthfully, it barely scraped by.

They’re two teams with opposite seasons. Carolina started hot but stumbled in the latter half. N.C. State struggled to get going and find a rhythm. It’s clicking now.

Heels quarterback Drake Maye wants to end the regular season on a high note. The Wolfpack wants that for itself. Can it get that on senior day, or will Carolina spoil those hopes, just like N.C. State did to its past two opponents?

After loss at Clemson, UNC seeks to end regular season on a ‘high note’ at rival NC State

“I ain’t trying to really think about that right now, but it really just hit me to think next week is my last game in the Carter — and also a lot of these other seniors,” said N.C. State tight end Trent Pennix. “We’re just trying to make a memory, make the best of it, and make people not forget that specific game that’s coming up next week. It’s gonna be a good one.”

Key players to watch: Omarion Hampton and Payton Wilson

The Tar Heels emphasized their run game this season, and running back Omarion Hampton led the charge. He’s up to 953 yards in ACC games alone.

His complete efforts — 1,414 yards and 15 touchdowns — put Carolina’s offense at the top of the league. In conference-only games, the Tar Heels average 36.9 points per game to lead the ACC. UNC dropped to No. 2 overall with 38.1 ppg after Saturday’s games.

By the numbers alone, Hampton did well against Clemson. He ran for 178 yards and two touchdowns. However, he fumbled the ball once and a would-be touchdown run ended as a touchback after the ball was poked away by a Tigers defender. In a nine-point loss, another touchdown could’ve changed the momentum.

Payton Wilson, however, will be one of multiple Wolfpack players trying to extend the team’s winning streak.

Wilson is a finalist for the Nagurski Trophy and a semifinalist for the Bednarik and Butkus awards. He’s also a former Carolina commit.

The sixth-year player committed to the Tar Heels in 2017 as a four-star recruit, but decommitted on Nov. 22. He attended the Wolfpack’s 33-21 win over the Heels at Carter-Finley Stadium three days later.

Now, things will come full circle for the Hillsborough local. Wilson leads the ACC in total tackles (123, 11.2 TPG), while ranking among the best in tackles for loss, solo tackles and opponent yardage lost. Plus, he scored his first career pick six against Clemson.

NC State football stuns ACC rival Clemson on homecoming. How the Pack upended the Tigers

N.C. State’s defense got a little stale in the second half against Virginia Tech on Saturday, but it still made major strides since the bye week. Wilson and his teammates have an opportunity to bring the North Carolina kid’s career full circle.

Vegas betting odds

North Carolina opened as a 2- to 2.5-point favorite. As of Sunday, the over/under was set at 56.5 points.

North Carolina at NC State game and TV info

Teams: N.C. State Wolfpack (8-3, 5-2 ACC) vs North Carolina Tar Heels (8-3, 4-3 ACC)

Where: Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh, NC

Date: Saturday, Nov. 25

Time: 8 p.m.

TV: ACC Network

Stream: DIRECTV Stream, fuboTV, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, SlingTV