University of North Carolina Athletics
Carolina Visits NC State In Season Finale
November 24, 2017 | Football
UNC won its second straight game in comprehensive fashion last weekend in Chapel Hill, thumping Western Carolina 65-10. Nathan Elliott threw four first-half touchdowns, Michael Carter rushed for 103 yards and a score and the Tar Heels gained a season-high 611 yards en route to their biggest win in nearly four years. Jonathan Smith had a career-high 11 tackles and returned a fumble 28 yards for a touchdown.
NC State enters the regular season finale following a tight 30-24 setback at Wake Forest last Saturday. Ryan Finley threw for 327 yards and a touchdown and the Wolfpack out-gained the Demon Deacons 502-334, but NCSU couldn't overcome three turnovers in the loss. Finley has thrown for nearly 3,000 yards and 16 touchdowns on the year, while Nyheim Hines leads the Wolfpack in rushing with 844 yards and seven scores. Tight end/H-back Jaylen Samuels has a team-high 14 total touchdowns.
Saturday's game will be broadcast on ESPNU.
AT A GLANCERecords:Â North Carolina 3-8 (1-6 ACC), NC State 7-4 (5-2 ACC)
Rankings:Â Neither team is ranked.
TV: ESPNU. Mike Couzens (play-by-play) and John Congemi (analyst) have the call.
Radio: Tar Heel Sports Network (click to listen), a division of Learfield Communications. Jones Angell (play-by-play), Brian Simmons (analyst) and Lee Pace (sideline) have the call.
On The Web: GoHeels.com | UNC Notes | NCSU Notes
Twitter: @TarHeelFootball, @CoachFedora | @PackFootball
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CAROLINA-NCSUÂ SERIES NOTES
• North Carolina leads the series with NC State, 66-34-6.Â
• This has been a back-and-forth rivalry in recent seasons, with the road team capturing each of the last four meetings. Carolina has won three of five games under Larry Fedora - the 2012 contest in Chapel Hill that was decided by Giovani Bernard's late punt return touchdown and a pair of impressive victories in Raleigh.Â
• The last time the two teams met at Carter-Finley, Carolina bolted to a 35-7 first-quarter lead and Elijah Hood rushed for a career-best 220 yards as the Tar Heels earned a 45-34 victory. The 27-19 UNC win in 2013 was Carolina's first road triumph in the series sine 2005.
• The Carolina-NC State series is the fourth-most-played in ACC history. Carolina is part of four of the five most-played series in ACC history.Â
• The team that has held the rushing advantage has won 22 of the last 25 meetings. The lone exceptions came in 2004 when Carolina won 30-24, but was outgained on the ground, 304-164; in 2009 when Carolina had 159 rushing yards to NC State's 76 in a 28-27 Wolfpack victory; and in 2013 when State held a 212-152 advantage in rushing. Last season, the Wolfpack out-rushed the Tar Heels 259-133.
• Saturday will mark the third straight year in which the UNC-NC State game is played on the final weekend of the regular season.
INJURIES FORCING YOUTH TO SHINE FOR UNC
• Carolina has had 19 first-time starters in 2017, including eight freshmen.
• Sixteen different freshmen have seen playing time this season, including seven true freshmen.
• Freshmen lead the team in both rushing touchdowns (Michael Carter, 8) and passing touchdowns (Chazz Surratt, 8), and underclassmen account for all 17 rushing touchdowns and 17 of 18 passing touchdowns in 2017. Sophomore Anthony Ratliff-Williams leads the Tar Heels in receptions (30), receiving yards (499) and receiving touchdowns (5).
• Underclassmen also lead Carolina in total offense (Surratt, 1,552) and all-purpose yards (Ratliff-Williams, 1,360).
• Three different quarterbacks - who had a combined nine career pass attempts at UNC prior to the season - have started for the Tar Heels.Â
