RALEIGH, N.C. — The college football season might have officially kicked off last weekend, but Thursday night marks the first games for several schools in North Carolina.
Two matchups Thursday will see two N.C. schools battle it out against each other, while the UNC football team is set for a battle in the Midwest.
Here's a closer look at every game involving state schools Thursday night.
North Carolina A&T at Wake Forest (7 p.m.)
One of the marquee matchups Thursday feature two teams who haven't faced each other in nearly two decades.
The last time the Aggies played the Demon Deacons was way back in 2004. Wake won the game, 42-3, in what was A&T's first-ever game against an ACC team, and its first ever against a Power 5 school.
Wake Forest went 4-8 last season under head coach Dave Clawson, losing five games in a row to end the year after a 4-3 start. The Aggies, meanwhile, went 1-10 — their lone win coming against Norfolk State, 28-26.
The Demon Deacons have won 18 straight games against FCS opponents. Thursday's game will be televised on ACC Network Extra.
Western Carolina at N.C. State (7 p.m.)
Ranked in the preseason top-25 for the second time in three years, the N.C. State football team begins its 2024 campaign at Carter-Finley Stadium on Thursday night against Western Carolina.
These two teams met last in 2019, when the Wolfpack dismantled the Catamounts, 41-8. N.C. State is 7-0 all-time against Western Carolina since meeting for the first time back in 1986.
Leading the charge for State's offense this season is graduate senior Grayson McCall, who spent the previous five seasons with the Coastal Carolina football team. A native of Indian Trail, N.C., McCall was a three-time Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year with the Chanticleers and comes to Raleigh with over 10,000 career passing yards and 88 passing touchdowns under his belt.
Western had one of its best seasons in recent memory in 2023, going 7-4 under head coach Kerwin Bell. The Catamounts will start junior Cole Gonzales at quarterback.
The game will be broadcasted live on the ACC Network.
UNC at Minnesota (9 p.m.)
The North Carolina football team is on the road for its first game of the 2024 season. The Tar Heels will play Big Ten school Minnesota on Thursday night in the second meeting between the two teams in as many seasons.
Head coach Mack Brown's team won last year's matchup, 31-13, thanks to a pair of passing touchdowns from quarterback Drake Maye. With Maye now in the NFL, UNC will turn to a pair of quarterbacks — Max Johnson and Conner Harrell — to lead the way offensively.
Don't be surprised if UNC relies heavily on its run game in its season-opening game against the Golden Gophers. The Tar Heels have one of the top running backs in the country in junior Omarion Hampton, who ran for 1,504 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2023.
Minnesota will be led by transfer quarterback Max Brosmer, who joined the Gophers this offseason after leading the FCS in passing yards per game last year with New Hampshire.
The game will be broadcasted live on FOX.
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