Today’s North Carolina college football schedule is a solo act: NC State hosts Richmond in a non-conference showdown that serves as the appetizer before a full weekend buffet.
Kickoff at Carter-Finley Stadium is set for 7 p.m. on ESPNU. NC State is coming off a 34-8 loss at Virginia two weeks ago, while Richmond has won its first two games and enters Friday ranked No. 21 in the FCS coaches poll.
🏈 More North Carolina College Football From the NC Sports Network
The David Glenn Show on the North Carolina Sports Network breaks down the teams, games and storylines shaping college football across the state and around the ACC. Catch David Glenn and the latest NC Sports Network shows throughout the week.
Watch the NC Sports Network on YouTube →
🏈 North Carolina College Football Game Today | Friday, Sept. 11
No. 21 Richmond at NC State –7 p.m., ESPNU
Records: Richmond (2-0) | NC State (0-1)
Location: Raleigh, NC
Richmond at NC State Game Center: View stats, series history and game information
👀 What to Know
How will NC State respond after opening loss to Virginia?
NC State came into the season hearing a lot of talk that it could make noise in the ACC. An elite quarterback returned, the schedule appeared manageable and there was a legitimate belief that this could be the year for a Dave Doeren team to break through the ceiling.
Then the Virginia game happened.
The Pack didn’t score in the first half and got manhandled 34-8 by last year’s regular season champions. “It’s a reality check,” Doeren said to media earlier this week. “I think maybe sometimes you hear people talk about you all summer and you forget how hard it is to win a football game.”
NC State has had an extra week to reset after that humbling and will get an FCS opponent for its potential get-right game. Richmond is no slouch — the Spiders are ranked No. 21 in the FCS coaches poll — but NC State remains a four-touchdown favorite.
NCSU to don special Wolfpack Warriors uniforms
On the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, NC State will wear special Wolfpack Warriors uniforms. The kit features a black camo design with red trim. The helmet also will be black with a special “Tuffy” logo and bright red facemask.
Doeren also shared a personal connection to Sept. 11 during his press conference this week. His father was scheduled to be on one of the American Airlines flights that crashed into the World Trade Center but missed the flight after his cab failed to show.
“I’ll never forget that day because for four or five hours we thought we had lost my father in a plane crash,” Doeren said.
NC State has dominated home openers under Doeren
Carter-Finley Stadium hasn’t been very kind to visiting teams in NC State’s home openers. The Wolfpack is 12-1 under Doeren in its first home game of the season and 22-4 overall in home openers since 2000.
👉 Looking ahead: The Saturday, Sept. 12 slate is going to be packed – 26 games in all, including in-state showdowns like App State at ECU, NC A&T at North Carolina Central, Johnson C. Smith at Winston-Salem State and Catawba at Mars Hill. Check out the full schedule for Week 2 of the North Carolina college football season.
