What To Watch For Week 13: WCU still in playoff hunt? Hot & cold at App State, FCS swansong

Week 13 of the college football season in North Carolina will bring a much lighter calendar than we’ve been used to.

The regular season is complete for most D2 and all of our D3, NAIA and JUCO football teams, leaving us with just 14 games on the Saturday slate (NC State lost at Georgia Tech on Thursday night). 

Only five NC teams will play at home on Saturday – Appalachian State, Duke Campbell, North Carolina A&T and Wingate (in the D2 playoffs). The weather will be chilly at all five locations, so bundle up if you head to a stadium in the Old North State.

Be sure to take North Carolina Football News with you wherever you go. Follow us on Twitter/X throughout the day and check out our Statewide Scoreboard for all of the finals after games are completed.

Here are storylines to watch:

Wingate, Lenoir-Rhyne Dancing Into D2 Playoffs

Wingate and Lenoir-Rhyne have been no strangers to playoff trips – and playoff success. The Bulldogs advanced to the quarterfinals in 2022. The Bears went to the Final Four last season. Both teams will be looking to make another run beginning Saturday. Wingate hosts CIAA champion Virginia Union, while Lenoir-Rhyne travels to West Alabama. The winners face off the Saturday after Thanksgiving. 

—> READ MORE: Previewing Wingate, Lenoir-Rhyne playoff openers

Can Western Carolina Back Door Into The FCS Playoffs?

A loss to Campbell early in the season and defeats at Mercer and East Tennessee State in recent weeks seemingly knocked Western Carolina out of the FCS playoff picture. But Sam Herder, who covers FCS football for Hero Sports, still had the Catamounts as a prominent bubble team with “the best chance to make the bracket” in his most recent assessment of the post-season picture. That would seem to imply WCU can find a way in if Saturday action breaks a certain way. Of course, Herder also predicts that Samford will beat the Catamounts 45-42.

Elon Looking To Close On 4-Game Win Streak

Elon dropped to 1-5 after a home loss to New Hampshire in mid-October and then 2-6 following a 41-21 humbling at Hampton two weeks later. Since then, the Phoenix have gotten hot, averaging 40 points per game and winning three straight. Elon will be heavily favored to run its streak to four in a row, playing at 1-10 North Carolina A&T. The Aggies are looking to avoid another one-win campaign, while Elon would feel good finishing at .500.

Cold Weather, Hot Seat In Boone?

It snowed heavily on Thursday night in Boone, and the forecast calls for windy conditions, maybe more light  snow showers and a high around 40 degrees for App State’s home finale against James Madison. The Mountaineers will celebrate Senior Day, homecoming (moved from the canceled Liberty game weekend) and a Black Saturday. Shawn Clark’s name has been mentioned among “hot seat” coaches more and more as a season that started with conference title aspirations progresses in the wrong direction. A loss to JMU guarantees a losing regular season record. A win would warm the heart and cool hot-seat conversations.

Heels Aiming For Fourth Win In A Row

The pall that hung over UNC’s football program after a four-game losing skid has lifted. Winning will do that, and the Tar Heels (6-4) will go for their fourth in a row at Boston College. Mack Brown has guided Carolina to at least seven wins five times since coming back to the program, including in 2022 and 2023. The Heels must fight the urge to look ahead to the rivalry showdown looming next Saturday against NC State. Boston College is one of those teams that seems to muck up the best laid plans of NC teams.

Duke, Virginia Tech Battling Under The Lights

The Blue Devils have been the state’s top FBS team this season, and coach Manny Diaz’s troops have the chance to bag win number eight in the night-cap game on ACC Network. The Blue Devils have been take-away artists in recent games (14 turnovers created), while Virginia Tech has been turnover prone at points this season. 

Charlotte Plays First Game After Biff Poggi Firing

Tim Brewster will stalk the sidelines as Charlotte’s interim head coach less than a week after the school dismissed Biff Poggi. Will the 49ers get the same kind of interim-coach bump that ECU (3-0) has enjoyed since Blake Harrell took over the Pirates? Charlotte plays at Florida Atlantic, yet another team in the American Athletic to have fired its coach mid-season. (ECU meanwhile travels to North Texas looking for its fourth win in a row).

Closing The Books On FCS Season

Unless Western Carolina sneaks into the playoffs, this will be the swansong for our state’s seven FCS football programs. It hasn’t quite been the season we imagined over the summer (we thought 3-4 teams had playoff potential). But the taste of winning the finale certainly can generate momentum heading into the off-season. Other FCS games Saturday include Campbell hosting Towson, Davidson at Valparaiso, Gardner-Webb at Western Illinois and North Carolina Central at Delaware State. 

Can The Deacs Dissipate Hurricane Hopes?

Despite a recent loss to Georgia Tech, the No.8 ranked Miami Hurricanes still have ACC championship and College Football Playoff aspirations. Wake Forest (4-6) has had problems stopping teams, allowing 437 yards and 32.5 points per game. Not a good look when preparing for an opponent that scores more than 45 points per outing.  The Deacs ‘D’ will have to be a lot stiffer to derail the Hurricanes’ pursuit of a 10th win.

More Pre-Game Reading

Who Will Be Charlotte’s Next Head Coach? Early Names To Watch

Wingate, Louisburg, Lenior-Rhyne Lead Final Regular Season Fabulous 15

Wingate Football’s Marquise Fleming, Erwil Anthony Claim Top SAC Awards

Week 12 Stat Champs: UNC Pembroke Goes Out With A Bang

Chowan Trio Earns All-Gulf South Conference Honors