UNC vs. Wake Forest
The big intrastate matchup this week pits the UNC Tar Heels (2-3 ACC, 4-5) against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (3-3 ACC, 6-3) on Military Appreciation Night in Winston-Salem.
This will be the 112th time these two Tobacco Road rivals square off, with UNC holding a 73-36-2 record edge. In fact, the Tar Heels have won the last four meetings between the two programs, although every game in that span has been decided by a single possession.
“I got a lot of texts over the last 48 hours and not very many of them were about UVA,” said Wake Forest coach Jake Dickert. “They were about this game. These Big Four games, they do mean something. I don’t know what it means to them, but it’s important to us, our university, our players and our alumni.”
UNC heads into the game having put together back-to-back wins for just the second time this season, after pulling off a 20-15 win over Stanford last weekend.
“We’ve improved significantly over the course of the season,” said UNC coach Bill Belichick. “Individually and collectively. Our team defense, our team offense, our kickoff coverage, I mean everything. It’s not just one guy or one thing. It’s been a collective effort.”
After a tough loss to Florida State the week prior, Wake Forest got back on track too with their first ranked win of the season and first since 2022, defeating No. 14 UVA 16-9 to qualify for bowl eligibility.
“The biggest message to the guys is that we have to respond from success,” Dickert said. “We didn’t do it after the SMU game. These guys see it, know it, they learn from it. Another nameless, faceless opponent that we have to go out and be our best against.”
Consistent offense has been a bit of a struggle for the Demon Deacons, with only 24 touchdowns on the season, but UNC is one of only two teams in the conference worse than them in that regard.
However, both teams boast some of the best defenses in the ACC, with Wake allowing just 20.3 points per game and the Tar Heels allowing just 21.3 points per game, so this could be yet another tight matchup.
“They’re very well coached, they’re very sound in what they do and they make you beat them,” Belichick said. “They make you go out and execute to beat them as they don’t make a lot of mistakes nor give up a lot of easy plays.”
Duke vs. No. 20 UVA
The Duke Blue Devils (4-1 ACC, 5-4) will face their second ranked opponent of the year this weekend as they prepare to take on No. 20 UVA.
The Cavaliers boast a strong offense and defense, and they’ve looked strong this season, so it will be a good challenge for Duke.
The Blue Devils will also be looking to bounce back from a 34-37 upset loss at the hands of the UConn Huskies.
“It was a loss where in all three phases, we just made too many mistakes to come and beat a quality opponent on the road,” said Duke coach Manny Diaz. “In our locker room, we’re going to fully absorb how horrendous this feels to lose this game and own it.
Despite the tough defeat, Duke is still well in the hunt for an ACC championship bid as they only have a single conference loss.
The biggest thing for Duke though will be tightening up defensively.
The defense has not played nearly as well as many expected them to this season, especially with the way last year’s group looked. The 29.1 points per game they’re surrendering have them ranked 13th in the ACC.
NC State vs. No. 16 Miami
The NC State Wolfpack (2-3 ACC, 5-4) aren’t easing back into their schedule after the bye week, with a second straight matchup against a ranked opponent.
NC State pulled off a big win over then No. 8 Georgia Tech at the start of the month and they’ll be hoping for another top-20 win down in Florida as they take on the Miami Hurricanes.
“The bye week gave us an opportunity to not only get healthier, but to also have a little bit of time to get a headstart on preparing for a really good Miami team,” said NC State coach Dave Doeren.
Defensive issues still plague the Pack, as they’re one of the worst teams in the country in yards allowed per game (424.8) but if they can stay hot on the offensive side of the ball, they’ll at least have a chance.
Starting quarterback and Miami native CJ Bailey has probably had this game circled for a while, so he’ll be wanting to show his best, and with potentially two capable running backs now in Hollywood Smothers and emerging freshman Duke Scott, the pieces are there to do some damage.
However, Miami has been the stingiest defense in the ACC this season, allowing just 15 points and 285.1 yards per game, so it’ll be a big test for the Wolfpack.
