NC State Wolfpack

Date: Oct. 24, Chapel Hill, NC

N.C. State 2019 Record: 4-8, 1-7 ACC

Postseason: N/A

Returning Starters: Offense 11, Defense 8

Head Coach: Dave Doeren (48) enters his eighth season in Raleigh and has a bit of pressure to get the program headed back in the right direction after last season’s struggles. That, though, followed consecutive nine-win seasons. Doeren is 47-42 at State, including 21-35 in the ACC.

3 Key Players: RB Bam Knight (ran for 745 yards on 136 attempts and finished with five touchdowns as a freshman), LB Payton Wilson (led the team with 69 tackles despite starrting just one game and playing 11), WR Emeka Emezie (led the Wolfpack in receiving yards with 576 and five touchdowns for a 10.3 yards per catch average).

Must Figure Out: The defensive secondary is a problem area for the Pack, and it’s hard finding a lot of solutions. Banged up big time last season, it remains unsettled. Tanner Ingle is a solid player but struggles against the pass, Chris Ingram could be a solid corner if he’s fully healthy. But questions abound.

In Great Shape: Running back. Knight should only improve after a solid debut season while backup Jordan Houston, who was also a true freshman, showed glimpses of how good he can be, too.

Looking Ahead: "The Wolfpack can't help but be better than it was a year ago, when it suffered through a catastrophic rash of injuries and went 4-8 overall, losing six straight games to end the season. If everyone stays healthy, there's talent there, especially at running back and in the linebacking corps -- where former UNC commitment Payton Wilson is poised for a breakout season. While there are still questions in the secondary and on the defensive line other than All-ACC caliber tackle Alim McNeill, the success or failure of the 2020 season will likely come down to quarterback play. Simply put, the position was a mess last year. Devin Leary, the third of three quarterbacks to start a game last year, has been named the starter. But his hold on the job is anything but secure if he doesn't learn to harness his strong arm and figure out ways to kick start an offense that averaged just 16.1 points per game and ranked dead last in the ACC against conference opposition." – Brett Friedlander, SI Wolfpack Maven

History vs. UNC: UNC leads 67-36-6 and won the last meeting.

State’s ACC slate: Home: Duke, FSU, Georgia Tech, Miami and Wake Forest. Away: UNC, Pitt, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech.

Matchup with UNC: The Tar Heels finally got one up on the Wolfpack a year ago clobbering them in Carter-Finley Stadium. On paper, it appears the Heels should have similar success against their biggest rival again this season.

Rivals site: TheWolfpacker.com