Week three of the 2023 college football season is on deck. Here are three things to know about every game involving a North Carolina college or university team, sorted by start time:
Noon Games
Charleston WVA (2-0) at UNC Pembroke (1-1) | Noon
UNCP spoiled Charleston’s homecoming in 2021, but the Golden Eagles avenged that defeat in a big way a year ago, 70-21 … Charleston quarterback Javonte Howard earned Mountain East offensive player of the week honors after a 261-yard, five-touchdown performance against Concord (54-14 win) … UNCP’s Ty Woods leads all kickers in the MEC thus far, making all four field goal attempts and all six PATs.
Chowan (0-2) at Shorter (1-1) | Noon
The Hawks will face the Gulf South freshman of the week in Shorter QB Joshua Brown, who completed 15-of-18 passes for 197 yards and a touchdown in a 28-7 win over Erskine … Chowan had six players suspended following a melee on the sidelines late in the Delta State game last week … Chowan is last in the GSC in total offense (222.5 ypg) and total defense (457 ypg).
Hampden-Sydney (1-1) at Greensboro (0-2) | Noon
Hampden-Sydney put up 70 points on the Pride a year ago in a 70-28 win. Saturday will be the second-ever meeting between the schools … Greensboro is averaging just 14 points per game thus far, while giving up 35 ppg … Junior linebacker Tyler Alston has 17 tackles, three tackles-for-loss and an interception to lead the Greensboro defense.
Wake Forest (2-0) at Old Dominion (1-1) | Noon
Over the last five seasons, the Demon Deacons boast the best record in the league vs. non-ACC teams at 15-2. The next closest team is 11-4 over that same span … Wake Forest is 22-6 in September since the start of the 2016 season … The Deacs won the only other meeting with ODU by a 42-10 score in 2021.
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1-2 p.m. Games
Campbell at Monmouth | 1 p.m.
The Camels had two CAA players of the week coming out of their 56-7 win over The Citadel: Quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams threw for 348 yards and accounted for five touchdowns (three passing, two rushing). VJ Wilkins was named CAA freshman of the week after catching seven passes for 73 yards and a score … Campbell and Monmouth reunite as conference partners after being in the Big South together. The Camels are 0-3 all-time against the Hawks … Kevin Callahan is in his 31st year as Monmouth’s coach, compiling a record of 179-136.
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Davidson (0-2) at Marist (0-1) | 1 p.m.
Marist has dominated the series, winning the last nine meetings and 11 out of 12 overall. The Wildcats’ lone win came in 2010 in Poughkeepsie … The teams have not met since the 2019 season. Marist would seem ripe for the picking this season, though. Davidson was voted second in the Pioneer League and the Red Foxes seventh … The ‘Cats put up more Davidson-esque rushing numbers last week against Barton, finishing with 331 yards on the ground (led by Mari Adams with 115).
Methodist (0-2) at Washington and Lee (0-1) | 1 p.m.
Monarchs quarterback Brandon Bullins leads the USA South Conference with 283.0 passing yards per game. He has four touchdowns but six interceptions … Washington and Lee outgained its first opponent, Salisbury, 338-304, had more first downs (21-10) and ran nearly twice as many plays (80-48). But the Generals lost 28-7, fumbling four times and losing all four … Washington and Lee has won the last three meetings, including 37-14 a year ago.
Shaw (0-2) at Bowie State (1-1) | 1 p.m.
The Bears have had a tough early season, facing Benedict and Virginia Union, ranked 15th and 18th, respectively, this week in the D2Football.com poll. Now they must face Bowie State, which is 35-9 at home since opening Bulldog Stadium in 2013. Bowie State had a 23-game home win streak snapped last October … Bowie State QB Amir Jenkins likes to sling it, completing 39-of-59 passes for 350 yards last week in a loss to Davenport … Shaw’s Donte Lee Jr. has shown flash in his return from a 2022 injury. He returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown against Virginia Union last Saturday and caught an 85-yard TD pass.
Virginia State (2-0) at St. Augustine’s (0-2) | 1 p.m.
The game will be played at Southeast Raleigh High School while the Falcons complete a turf replacement project … St. Augustine’s is looking to snap a five-game losing streak to Virginia State. The last victory came in 2009 … The Falcons have struggled to score and move the football in the early going, averaging just 3.5 ppg and 17.5 rushing ypg.
Guilford (2-0) at Huntingdon (1-1) | 2 p,m,
Guilford junior defensive back Jaylen Moore earned D3Football.com Team of the Week honors for his play in the win over Methodist last weekend. Moore had six tackles and returned an interception for a touchdown … Guilford has already equaled its win total (2) from all of last season. The Quakers are 2-0 for the first time since 2017 … Guilford scored a first-quarter touchdown on a big pass play last season but Huntingdon scored the next 47 points to win going away.
NC Wesleyan (0-2) at Bridgewater (1-1) | 2 p.m.
The Battling Bishops managed just 117 yards of offense in a shutout loss to Ferrum last week … NC Wesleyan is one of six USA South teams (along with Methodist and Greensboro) without a win after the first two weeks of the season … Sophomore linebacker Eric Cooper leads NCWU in tackles with 14, including two tackles for loss.
VMI (1-1) at NC State (1-1) | 2 p.m.
The Wolfpack has a losing record all-time against the Keydets, dropping 11 of 18 meetings. But the most recent contest came in 1946 (a 49-7 Wolfpack win). The first meeting came on Oct. 25, 1895 in Atlanta, Ga. VMI won 42-6 … The game can be found on The CW, a new network broadcasting ACC games starting this year … VMI is only giving up 14 points per game after two weeks. But the Keydets offense has only managed 25 points total – 12 against Davidson (a win) and 13 against Bucknell (a loss).
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3-5 p.m. Games
Louisburg (0-1) at Hocking (1-2) | 3 p.m.
Louisburg’s lone touchdown last week in a 44-6 loss to Lackawanna came on a 70-yard run from Christian Franklin … Hocking hails from Nelsonville, Ohio — an seven-plus hour bus ride from Louisburg. The teams will meet roughly halfway, playing at Independence High School in Coal City, WVA … Hocking has already played three times, while Louisburg had its opener canceled over Labor Day weekend.
East Carolina (0-2) at Appalachian State (1-1) | 3:30 p.m.
The Pirates visit Kidd Brewer Stadium for the first time since 1979. The last meeting between the schools came in 2021 at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium. More than 36,000 watched the Mountaineers win 33-19 … App State held the lead five different times against UNC last week before falling in double overtime 40-34. The Mountaineers are 6-1 in games following a contest against an AP Top 25 foe … Joey Aguilar has thrown six touchdown passes since coming on for the injured Ryan Burger in App State’s opener.
Minnesota (2-0) at North Carolina (2-0) | 3:30 p.m.
The Tar Heels generated 527 total yards of offense in the win over Appalachian State. The Heels have won eight straight games when piling up 500-plus yards and 11-straight when gaining 400-plus … UNC has never played Minnesota in football. Saturday will be the first game against a Big Ten opponent since 2016 when the Heels faced Illinois. Carolina is 16-13 all-time against the Big Ten (not including Maryland) … After only carrying the ball once against Nebraska in the opener, Minnesota’s Darius Taylor earned Big Ten freshman of the week honors following the Gophers 25-6 win over Eastern Michigan. Taylor earned 193 yards and a touchdown on 33 carries.
Northwestern (1-1) at Duke (2-0) | 3:30 p.m.
The Wildcats lost their opener 24-7 to Rutgers but bounced back with a 38-7 home win over UTEP last Saturday. Five different players scored touchdowns to give interim coach David Braun his first victory … Duke will play at home for the third week in a row and will look to start 3-0 for the second straight season … Duke’s Jaylen Stinson forced a fumble at the 1-yard line (recovered by the Blue Devils in the end zone) to help preserve a 31-23 win at Northwestern in 2022. Duke has won four in a row over the Wildcats.
UVA Wise (1-1) at Barton (2-0) | 4 p.m.
This is the fourth season for Barton since restarting its program after a 70-year hiatus. The Bulldogs have yet to start 3-0 (or 2-0) since the 2020 refresh … Barton played UVA Wise in its first-ever game as an associate member of the South Atlantic Conference last season, winning 40-20. Quarterback Jaquan Lynch rushed for 146 yards and two touchdowns to lead the way … Running back Jordan Terrell leads the SAC so far in rushing yards (163 ypg). Lynch, however, leads the conference in rushing touchdowns with four (Terrell has two).
NC Central (2-0) at UCLA (2-0) | 5 p.m.
This will be UCLA’s first-ever game against a MEAC opponent. The game is being billed as the Black Excellence Game, and the Bruins will honor former halfback Kenny Washington (1937-39) … UCLA has not played a North Carolina team in football since facing Duke and NC State in 1960. The Bruins faced Coastal Carolina from Conway, S.C., in week one this year, winning 27-13 … NC Central moved up to No. 17 in the Stats Perform FCS poll this week. UCLA entered the Associated Press’ FBS top 25 poll with Saturday’s 35-10 win over San Diego State.
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6 p.m. Games
Averett (2-0) at Brevard (0-2) | 6 p.m.
Averett snapped a three-game losing streak to the Tornados last season, 23-6. The teams have split the past six meetings … Brevard WR Zackary Orr leads the USA South Conference in receptions (17), receiving yards (186) and average yards per game (93). Teammates Cooper Hogan and Adam Douglas are third and fourth, respectively in yards and yards-per-game … Averett has only surrendered three touchdowns in two games while averaging 34 points per game.
Bluefield State (1-1) at Johnson C. Smith (1-1) | 6 p.m.
Through two games Johnson C. Smith is second in Division II for total defense. The Golden Bulls are only allowing 134.0 ypg … Bluefield State returns to the CIAA after nearly 70 years. The West Virginia-based school played in the CIAA from 1932-55. The Big Blue beat Livingstone in its conference and season opener but fell to Emory and Henry 37-14 last week … Johnson C. Smith lost a 35-34 heartbreaker in overtime to Bluefield State a year ago. The Big Blue completed a 52-yard touchdown pass with 1:06 left to tie the game. Johnson C. Smith scored first in overtime, but Bluefield State matched the touchdown and then ran a successful two-point play to win.
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Elizabeth City State at Winston-Salem State | 6 p.m.
Viking senior Zechariah Adams-Duckson earned CIAA offensive back of the week honors after a 168-yard rushing tally in a 13-0 shutout of St. Augustine’s … Winston-Salem State is 6-2 over the last eight games, but the last four have been back-and-forth with each school winning twice … The Vikings held on for a 20-17 victory a year ago in Elizabeth City. Four of the eight games in the series have been decided by a touchdown or less …
Erskine (0-2) at Lenoir-Rhyne (2-0) | 6 p.m.
Lenoir-Rhyne has been inconsistent scoring at times but the defense has been solid. The Bears are ranked fifth in Division II in total defense after two weeks (155.5 ypg allowed) … Erskine is 6-24 since restarting its football program in 2020. The Flying Fleet will visit Hickory to face the Bears for the first time since 1950 … Lenoir-Rhyne is looking to start 3-0 for third time since 2019. The Bears moved up six spots in the latest D2Football.com rankings to No. 17 with its second win last week.
Gardner-Webb (1-1) at Tennessee State (1-1) | 6 p.m.
The Bulldogs will play at an NFL Stadium (Nisan Stadium, home of the Tennessee Titans) for the second time. The first came in 2012 when GWU visited Pitt and played at the Steelers’ Heinz Field … Tennessee State is coached by former Tennessee Titan running back Eddie George, who won a Heisman Trophy at Ohio State … Gardner-Webb coach Tre Lamb is the second-youngest coach in Division I. He’ll turn 34 on game day Saturday.
—> READ MORE about Gardner-Webb vs. Tennessee State
Georgia State (2-0) at Charlotte (1-1) | 6 p.m.
Chris Reynolds threw for five touchdowns, and the 49ers edged Georgia State 42-41 a year ago. The series between the schools is tied 2-2 all-time … Freshman safety Kameron Howard has picked off passes in each of the first two games for Charlotte. Demetrius Knight recorded a pick-six interception against Maryland last week … Georgia State running back Marcus Carroll leads the FBS with six touchdowns and is second with 145.5 rushing yards per game.
Lincoln Pa. (1-1) at Fayetteville State (0-2) | 6 p.m.
The defending CIAA champion Broncos begin conference play after losing to in-state non-league foes UNC Pembroke and Lenoir-Rhyne. Fayetteville State has won its last seven CIAA games … FSU is a perfect 7-0 against Lincoln since 2008, including last season’s 19-7 win at home … Senior linebacker Gerald Simpson has 21 tackles thus far for the Broncos, including 16 solo hits and a pass breakup. No one else has more than nine tackles.
Mars Hill (1-0) at Catawba (2-0) | 6 p.m.
Catawba has already surpassed its win total from a year ago. New quarterback Preston Brown, a transfer from Charlotte, earned conference, state and national headlines following his six-touchdown performance against Livingstone last week. The Indians have the top-rated offensive in the SAC thus far … Mars Hill outscored Wingate 15-0 in the second half to win its season opener last Thursday. Tristan Rankin scored what would be the winning TD with a fumble return that covered 65 yards … Mars Hill beat Catawba 38-7 last season and 31-14 in 2021.
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NC A&T (0-2) at Elon (0-2) | 6 p.m.
Elon went 5-0 at home a year ago. North Carolina A&T is 4-1 all-time at Rhodes Stadium, home of the Phoenix. The Aggies lead the all-time series 8-4. The last meeting came in 2019, a 24-21 A&T triumph … The Aggies have been stout at taking care of the football thus far (one turnover) and have a special teams touchdown (80-yard kick return by Taymon Cooke). But A&T is last in the FCS in passing yardage and has averaged a mere 185 ypg in total offense thus far … Elon has scored just 3 points in the first half and 41 points in the second half of its first two contests.
Tusculum (0-2) at Wingate (1-1) | 6 p.m.
Tusculum blocked two punts and recovered two fumbles last week against Virginia State. The second block put the Pioneers in position to possibly win the game but Virginia State held on 21-17 … Wingate’s 15-10 loss to Mars Hill, though against a South Atlantic foe, wasn’t designated as a conference contest … Normally known for its stout defense, the Bulldogs have gotten solid offensive play from quarterback Noah Bell thus far. He’s completed 30 passes for 415 yards and two touchdowns without an interception.
Virginia Union (2-0) at Livingstone (0-2) | 6 p.m.
The Blue Bears last beat Virginia Union in 2012, a 23-21 decision. VUU has captured the last four meetings and will carry a top 20 national D2 ranking into this showdown … Ja’micha Well has averaged 8.6 yards per carry in spot action in the rushing attack, scoring a touchdown for Livingstone … Jada Byers is Virginia Union’s featured back, rushing for 185 yards and four touchdowns in two victories.
Western Carolina (1-1) at Eastern Kentucky (0-2) | 6 p.m.
The Catamounts, coming off a 30-7 win over Samford (ranked in the top 10 in the two major FCS polls), somehow failed to crack into the top 25 this week. Samford dropped to 14th in one poll and 18th in the other … WCU averaged 6.5 yards per play against Samford, with running back Desmond Reid picking up 170 rushing yards on 27 carries (6.3 ypc). Quarterback Cole Gonzales completed 82 percent of his passes for two touchdowns and 262 yards … Eastern Kentucky has scored on all five of its red zone trips this season. The Colonels lost to Kentucky 28-17 last week and Cincinnati 66-13 on Sept. 2.
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The latest Best In State headlines from NC Football News
- NC College Football Rushing Leaders: Five players have joined 1,000-yard club
UNC’s Omarion Hampton, NC Wesleyan’s Anthony Byrd lead the way after Week 12 - Week 12 Stat Champs: UNCP goes out with a bang in Mountain East swansong
Conference players of the week Colin Johnson, Malik McKinzie lead the way - Week 12 NC College Football: Wingate claims title, UNC clinches bowl eligibility, WCU & Elon own Senior Day
D2 football playoff bracket will be released Sunday evening - Week 11 Stat Champions: Gardner-Webb, Mars Hill, UNC Pembroke Shine with Standout Performances
GWU defense dominates with 11 sacks, Mars Hill’s JR Martin excels, and UNCP leads in points scored. - What we’re talking about after Week 11: Wingate dominates; JCSU falls; Elon & GWU win at buzzer
A quick run through of the top storylines from our FCS, D2 and D3 divisions
