The first full weekend of the North Carolina college football season is officially underway, and the first two nights of action didn’t disappoint.
NC State held off East Carolina 24-17 in a Carter-Finley nailbiter, and Duke roared past Elon 45-17 after a tight first half on Thursday. App State turned Bank of America Stadium black and gold in a Friday win over Charlotte, while Wake Forest squeaked out a 10-9 triumph over Kennesaw State in Jake Dickert’s coaching debut.
Saturday brings our first full slate of games across the FCS and D2 landscape. Western Carolina will host Gardner-Webb under the lights in Cullowhee, while Davidson will usher in the Saj Thakkar coaching era against Georgetown. Wingate will entertain Highway 74 rival UNC Pembroke, while Chowan and Elizabeth City State battle for northeastern NC bragging supremacy.
This Game Day Central page will be updated all weekend with scores, quick recaps, notes and links to other week one coverage from across North Carolina.
👉 Check the full Week 1 NC college football scoreboard HERE.
Six In-State Showdowns Fuel The Fires
North Carolina teams are clashing across three levels of football. From a Military Bowl rematch, to Friday primetime at Bank of America Stadium to D2 rivals renewing acquaintances, here’s a quick look at six in-state showdowns to keep an eye on:
NC State 24, East Carolina 17 (Thursday)
What We Wrote: East Carolina felled the Wolfpack in Annapolis last December at the Military Bowl. But it’s the Wolfpack as the heavy favorite for Thursday’s rematch at Carter-Finley (14 points). This will be the 12th time the teams have met in a season opener.
What Happened: The game looked like a blowout early, with the Pack building a 17-0 lead before the half. But ECU hung around and the drove the ball inside the NCSU red zone in the final minute. A fourth-down pass play came up short, and the Wolfpack avenged their bowl defeat.
Duke 45, Elon 17 (Thursday)
What We Wrote: The Blue Devils recorded 16 tackles-for-loss in last year’s meeting (26-3 win) and return many standouts from that defense. But all eyes will be on the debut of Duke’s new golden arm, transfer quarterback Darian Mensah.
What Happened: Things looked dicey for Duke at the half, with the score tied 10-10. Darian Mensah threw three touchdown passes after the break.
Appalachian State vs Charlotte (Friday, 7 p.m., ESPNU)
What We Wrote: Two programs who hit the reset button after last season, made solid coaching hires and have recruited well take aim at each other. Is this the best “new” college football rivalry in our state? The Carolina Panthers’ home stadium, in the heart of Charlotte, will be the backdrop.
What Happened: The AJ Swann show lit up the Charlotte skyline, and the new App State starter finished with 368 passing yards and three TDs in the Mountaineers 34-11 win.
Gardner-Webb at Western Carolina (Saturday, 6 p.m., ESPN+)
Much of the preseason talk has centered on Western Carolina – its flashy offense and improving defense. But don’t underestimate the Runnin’ Bulldogs, who nearly knocked off Charlotte and James Madison early in the season in 2024.
Elizabeth City State at Chowan (Saturday, 6 p.m.)
The battle for northeastern North Carolina bragging rights will be the ECSU coaching debut for Adrian Jones. Chowan, which used to play in the CIAA with the Vikings, begins its first season as a member of Conference Carolinas. Elizabeth City State won last year but Chowan has captured five of the last seven.
UNC Pembroke at Wingate (Saturday, 6 p.m.)
A season opener that will feel like a November playoff contest. UNCP is a co-favorite in Conference Carolinas, while Wingate was picked second in the SAC after winning that league last season. Both teams will unveil new starting quarterbacks amid high expectations.
The Full Schedule | Five Days of NC Football
✅ Thursday Final Scores
- NC State 24, ECU 17 – Wolfpack defense held off a late Pirates push.
- Duke 45, Elon 17 – Blue Devils turned a 10-10 halftime tie into a rout.
- Virginia State 35, Barton 7 – Bulldogs scored in the fourth quarter to avert the shutout.
- Charleston 39, Livingstone 10 – Blue Bears couldn’t match the defending Mountain East champs
✅ Friday Final Scores
- Appalachian State 34, Charlotte 11 — Dowell Loggains logged his first win as the Mountaineers head coach
- Rhode Island 31, Campbell 20 — The Camels pushed the No. 9-ranked Rams to the brink before giving way in the fourth quarter
- West Florida 48, Lenoir-Rhyne 21 — Argos proved too fast, too tough in battle of top-20 D2 foes
- Wake Forest 10, Kennesaw State 9 — A win is a win is a win, and our state’s ACC teams improved to 3-0 collectively.
Officially game week 😤#FightAsONE | #RollHumps 🐪🏈 pic.twitter.com/Rw6ebOs3Zn — Campbell Football (@GoCamelsFB) August 24, 2025
📅 Saturday, Aug. 30
- Georgetown at Davidson — 1 p.m. (ESPN+)
- Albany State at Shaw — 1 p.m. (CIAA-SN)
- Johnson C. Smith vs Morehouse (at Harvard) — 3 p.m.
- NC A&T at Tennessee State — 4:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
- Fayetteville State at Benedict — 5 p.m.
- Central Georgia Tech vs Louisburg (at Cayce, SC) — 5 p.m.
- Gardner-Webb at Western Carolina — 6 p.m. (ESPN+)
- New Hampshire at NC Central — 6 p.m. (ESPN+)
- Elizabeth City State at Chowan — 6 p.m.
- Ferrum at Catawba — 6 p.m.
- UNC Pembroke at Wingate — 6 p.m.
👉 Saturday is loaded: A Durham doubleheader will see Shaw hosting SIAC favorite Albany State in the afternoon and 1-0 NCCU entertaining New Hampshire from the CAA in the evening. Saj Thakkar makes his coaching debut at Davidson, while Shawn Gibbs will play in an NFL stadium in his first game as NC A&T’s head man.
There's a Hurricane Warning for Columbia SC this weekend! Be safe out there. #LOUCOproduct pic.twitter.com/0oaMtUpEXy — Louisburg College Football (@Louisburg_FB) August 29, 2025
📅 Sunday, Aug. 31
- Winston-Salem State vs Tuskegee (at Montgomery, Ala.) — 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
👉 The Rams, never one to shy away from the spotlight, will have a national TV audience in the Red Tails Classic from Alabama.
📅 Monday, Sept. 1
- TCU at North Carolina — 8 p.m. (ESPN, Labor Day Kickoff)
👉 Maybe you’ve heard – the great Bill Belichick is now the coach of the UNC Tar Heels. The eyes of the college football world will be on Chapel Hill as a great weekend of games comes to a close.
📚 NC College Football Resources
🔢 Scoreboard Hub — Track every NC college football game, updated all season.
📅 Team Schedules — See full 2025 schedules for all 33 NC programs.
📊 Standings — Follow win-loss records of every NC team across FBS, FCS, D2 and D3.
🏆 Preseason Player of the Year Watch Lists
• FBS | FCS | Division II
💯 Fabulous 15 Rankings — Our unique preseason ranking of NC’s top teams.
📰 Awards Hub — Tracking weekly and end-of-season honors across the state.
Recapping Week 0: NCCU Wins MEAC/SWAC Challenge
• Game Recap: Chris Mosley explodes onto the scene as NCCU’s new RB1
• Team of the Week: Eagles earned the honor, dominating their SWAC foe on a national stage
