It’s only week three of the college football season and already there is a hint of desperation and whiff of panic in the air for a handful of North Carolina fanbases.
Here are five teams from the Old North State that could really, really use a “W” this weekend.
1. East Carolina (0-2)
Visiting Appalachian State (1-1)
The Pirates weren’t expected to win at Michigan. But they weren’t expected to get blown out at home by Marshall in the second half either. ECU has one of the youngest rosters, experience-wise, in the FBS and growing pains can be expected. The Pirates are listed as a 9.5-point underdog heading up to App State. That’s a lot of points for a rivalry that should be tight.
But there is no need to panic. And no, coach Mike Houston shouldn’t be on any hot seat as some on social media suggested this week. Houston inherited a program in shambles and has righted the ship on his watch. His teams have won big road games the past few years, including at BYU last season, and have played other heavily favored squads (like Cincinnati) right to the wire.
Getting the quarterback situation settled will be key to the offense. Houston didn’t tip his hand either way on whether Mason Garcia or Alex Finn, or some combination, would run the show in front of a sold out Kidd Brewer Stadium.
“There’s always competition and we’re always going to do what’s best for our team and our program to give us the best opportunity to win on game day,” Houston said in his weekly news conference. “I thought Mason (Garcia) did some really good things Saturday and obviously he’s got some things he’s got to get cleaned up. He played better than he did the week before. I thought Alex (Flinn) came in and did some good things. I also think there’s some things Alex has to clean up. So, both of them are pushing each other daily to improve. The biggest thing is our entire offense, and our entire team has to push itself daily to improve.”
2. North Carolina A&T (0-2)
Visiting Elon (0-2)
This proud program is aiming to avoid back-to-back 0-3 starts. Last season, though, the Aggies turned things around, finished 7-4 and stayed in conference title contention until the final week.
Conference play will be much tougher this go-around. Saturday marks another conference debut for A&T, which only spent a few years in the Big South before transitioning into the competitive Coastal Athletic Association. A&T’s first test will be Elon, a playoff team a year ago.
Which brings us to team No. 3 on our list…
3. Elon Phoenix (0-2)
Hosting NC A&T (0-2)
Coach Tony Trisciani’s team played giant killer several times last season, knocking off ranked teams on the way to the FCS post-season. But their first chance to knock off a top-25 team fell just short last week at Gardner-Webb. Elon needs to get this game in the bank to start building its post-season resume.
This could be a new budding rivalry in the state as only a short stretch of I-40 separates the schools. The Aggies have won the last four meetings against Elon, with the last victory coming in 2019 on a last-second field goal.
4. Davidson (0-2)
Visiting Marist (0-1)
The Wildcats have enjoyed back-to-back eight-win seasons and three-straight trips to the FCS playoffs. But they have struggled in the early going this year, falling at VMI (which was picked last in the Southern Conference) by a 12-7 score, then dropping a 33-31 decision to Division II Barton.
Davidson seems to have gotten its rushing attack — which led the FCS last year — back in gear. The Wildcats piled up 300-plus yards against Barton. Breaking a lengthy losing streak against Pioneer League foe Marist will be key this weekend to getting back on schedule toward another playoff run.
5. Fayetteville State (0-2)
Hosting Lincoln (Pa.) (1-1)
The Broncos lost a heartbreaker against UNC Pembroke in week one, then fell to nationally ranked Lenoir-Rhyne last Saturday. But Fayetteville State held the Bears scoreless in the second half and that should provide some momentum now that the CIAA schedule is on the doorstep.
FSU has been dominant in its conference under coach Richard Hayes and is expected to be the South representative in the CIAA title game once again. The Broncos certainly can’t afford a stumble this week with a winnable game against Lincoln on tap. FSU is 7-0 against Lincoln dating back to 2008.
—> READ MORE about every game involving a North Carolina college team this week by clicking HERE.
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Five teams that can’t afford to lose
It is not so much about needing a victory as it is about avoiding an “L” for these five North Carolina squads:
1. Duke: You’ve got it rolling Blue Devils. Don’t overlook Northwestern while thinking about that Notre Dame game looming in a few weeks and whether ESPN College Game Day will come to Durham for the first time.
2. North Carolina: The Tar Heel hype machine came back to earth somewhat after narrowly beating App State in double overtime. The Heels can’t overlook a physical Big Ten team in Minnesota because these are the kind of opponents that have given them fits in the past. It’s not a conference game but certainly has the chance to boost momentum for a program that has been accused of not being physical enough in the past.
3. Gardner-Webb: The Bulldogs have legit conference championship aspirations in the new Big South/OVC Football Association. Getting off to a winning start against one of the OVC members, Tennessee State, will keep their title hopes from getting knocke off course early.
4. Western Carolina: Snubbed by FCS voters in the most recent top 25 rankings, the Catamounts have a chance to prove last week’s 30-7 drubbing of top-10 Samford was no fluke. Eastern Kentucky is 0-2 but hung around against Kentucky last week before losing 28-17. This is a take-care-of-business type of game.
5. Charlotte: The 49ers have generated a lot of positive waves thus far, taking Maryland to task for a half last week. Georgia State comes in 2-0 and we all know how fiesty Sun Belt teams can be this time of year in road non-conference games. These are the games Biff Poggi’s group has to win to assert the 49ers legitimacy as a program on the rise in the American Athletic. The coach has stuck his neck out in telling the world his team is much better than they are getting credit for. This is a great chance to prove it.
