We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again: Winning is hard. And for a majority of North Carolina’s college football contingent, winning has been a chore thus far as the 2024 season kicks off.
After just two weeks of action, more than two-thirds of our teams (24 out of 34) have a blemish in the loss column. Five teams have two.
Hats off to UNC, Duke, East Carolina, Johnson C. Smith and Shaw, who each survived the Big L for the second time and improved to 2-0 with Saturday victories. Say what you want about the quality of opponents the Tar Heels, Blue Devils and Pirates have faced thus far (and the fact each school easily could have lost at least once). A win is a win is a win, and coaches and players will take it when so many teams around them aren’t winning.
Fayetteville State, Guilford, Lenoir-Rhyne and Wingate also remain among the ranks of the undefeated. Each from this group is 1-0. Brevard hasn’t played yet, opening its season this Saturday, Sept. 14.
That’s it for North Carolina’s undefeated college football club in 2024. Yikes. Wish it were better.
Some more notes and observations on this week’s Statewide Standings (the complete list of W-L records for our state’s teams can be found below):
* Wingate, which did not play this week, currently owns the longest active win streak in the state. The Bulldogs have won the last five, dating back to a four-game streak to end the 2023 campaign. The ‘Dogs will be tested this week when nationally ranked Delta State comes to visit.
* Duke has now won four straight, two this season and two at the end of last year (Pitt and Troy). The Blue Devils host UConn on Saturday evening.
* Dating back to last season, the Shaw Bears are riding a three-game win streak. Shaw ended the 2023 campaign with a hard-fought victory over St. Aug’s and then has been impressive in 2024 triumphs over Elizabeth City State and Albany State.
* Both Guilford College and North Carolina A&T said goodbye to eight-game losing streaks this weekend.
The Quakers blanked Greensboro College 14-0 — the first shutout of the season in our state. The Aggies rallied to beat Winston-Salem State 27-20 in overtime. Welcome back to the winning side of the ledger Greensboro teams! You’ve been missed!
* It’s time to start sending positive mojo to these two teams in our state: St. Andrews (17 straight losses) and Chowan (12 losses in a row). These are the longest losing skids in North Carolina. St. Andrews, which competes in the NAIA, is 0-2 this season after openers against Division II programs. Chowan, which plays D2, had a chance to go ahead late at Elizabeth City State on Saturday, but the Vikings made a goal-line stand to keep the Hawks at bay.
Statewide Standings: After Week Two
