A visit from the Golden Domers in Raleigh. A rivalry with more than 100 years of history in Greensboro. A rematch of one of 2022’s most exciting games in Chapel Hill. Former conference mates reuniting in Greenville. An HBCU classic in Rocky Mount.
You don’t have to leave North Carolina this weekend to find plenty of quality college football. Here are our top 10 games being played within the borders of the Old North State in week two:
1. Notre Dame (1-0) at NC State (1-0): Who can forget the last time the Irish visited Raleigh? Hurricane Matthew joined the party in 2016, and the Wolfpack won the floodfest 10-3. No hurricanes on the radar for this one. Sam Hartman, Notre Dame’s QB is 1-2 all-time against NC State, with both losses coming in Raleigh. Notre Dame is 1-2 all-time against the Wolfpack.
2. NC Central (1-0) at NC A&T (0-1): The Eagles snapped a four-game losing streak in last year’s meeting in Charlotte. A&T owns the overall series lead 53-36-5. Though the Aggies have switched conferences twice in recent years, the rivalry lives on (take a lesson from that FBS teams, please).
The first game came in 1922. The two schools have played every year since except for 1929, 1943 and 1944 (World War II) and 2020 (COVID pandemic).
“Everyone’s spoken about this game since I’ve got here, the importance of it, and I understand it’s a very important game for the Aggie faithful. We will be ready. We will do everything in our power to make sure our kids are prepared for this game, with the mindset of going out and beating last year’s HBCU national champs, North Carolina Central.” New NC A&T coach Vincent Brown during his weekly news conference Monday. “
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3. Appalachian State (1-0) at North Carolina (1-0): If this contest produces half the fireworks of last year’s game in Boone, it will still be an instant classic. The Tar Heels won 63-61 despite giving up 40 points (!) in the fourth quarter. UNC flexed a much-improved defense in its opener against South Carolina. Take the under this week?
4. Vanderbilt (1-0) at Wake Forest (1-0): The Demon Deacons look to continue the ACC’s early season dominance of the SEC (did we really just write that?). The ACC is 2-0 against the SEC after UNC and Florida State flattened South Carolina and LSU, respectively.
5. Elon (0-1) at Gardner-Webb (0-1): An intriguing non-conference game between two high-level FCS squads. Gardner-Webb began the year No. 24/25 in the FCS national rankings. Elon received votes after a 2022 playoff run. A few names to remember: Ty French (Gardner-Webb) tied the Big South sack record on Saturday with his 25th career QB wrangling; Jalen Hampton (Elon) scored on a 49-yard run against Wake Forest.
6. Marshall (1-0) at East Carolina (0-1): Former Conference USA rivals reunite. Marshall, now in the Sun Belt, struggled last week in a narrow win over Albany. East Carolina played one of the top FBS teams in the nation, Michigan, falling 30-3. ECU leads the series 11-5, with the last match-up going the Pirates way, 42-38 in September 2021.
7. Wingate (1-0) at Mars Hill (0-0): Mars Hill was the rare team (and the only one from North Carolina) not to have a game scheduled in week one. The Lions’ home and season opener comes Thursday night against a South Atlantic Conference rival.
The two teams play in opposite divisions, but this meeting could set the tone for both in this year’s SAC race. This could be the first of two match-ups this season if both live up to preseason billing.
8. Lenoir-Rhyne (1-0) at Fayetteville State (0-1): Lenoir-Rhyne may have something to say about who plays in the SAC championship game come November. This week, though, the Bears must contend with the reigning champions of the CIAA. Fayetteville State is coming off a tough loss in week one to UNC Pembroke on a late field goal. LR beat St. Aug’s.
9. Samford (1-0) at Western Carolina (0-1): The “White Out Whitmire” game kicks off the SoCon season and gives the Catamounts an early shot to assert itself as a conference contender. Samford (11-2 in 2022) won the Southern Conference a year ago and beat the Catamounts 35-12.
WCU plans to honor the 40-year anniversary of its team that reached the NCAA I-AA championship game during the weekend.
10. Elizabeth City State (0-1) vs. St. Augustine’s (0-1): The annual Down East Viking Classic in Rocky Mount will start the CIAA calendar for each team. Elizabeth City State has won five of the last six meetings, including a 24-13 triumph the last time this match-up was played as the Down East Viking Classic in 2008.
Here is the complete schedule of games involving teams from North Carolina:
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College Football In NC: Week Two
| Thursday, September 7 | ||
| UNC Pembroke at West Virginia State | 6 p.m. | |
| Wingate at Mars Hill | 7 p.m. | |
| Saturday, September 9 | ||
| Vanderbilt at Wake Forest | 11 a.m. | ACCN |
| Notre Dame at NC State | Noon | ABC |
| Delta State at Chowan | 1 p.m. | |
| Elizabeth City State vs. St. Augustine’s# | 1 p.m. | |
| Walsh (Ohio) at Johnson C. Smith | 1 p.m. | |
| Virginia Union at Shaw | 1 p.m. | |
| Brevard at Hampden-Sydney | 1 p.m. | |
| St. Andrews at Bethel | 1 p.m. | |
| Samford at Western Carolina | 2:30 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| Winston-Salem State at Ohio Dominican | 3 p.m. | |
| Campbell at The Citadel | 3 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| Marshall at East Carolina | 4 p.m. | ESPNU |
| Louisburg at Lackawanna | 5 p.m. | |
| Appalachian State at North Carolina | 5:15 p.m. | ACCN |
| Lafayette at Duke | 6 p.m. | ACCNX |
| Elon at Gardner-Webb | 6 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| Livingstone at Catawba | 6 p.m. | |
| Lenoir-Rhyne at Fayetteville State | 6 p.m. | |
| Greensboro at Averett | 6 p.m. | |
| Guilford at Methodist | 6 p.m. | |
| NC Wesleyan at Ferrum | 6 p.m. | |
| Barton College at Davidson | 7 p.m. | |
| NC Central at NC A&T | 7 p.m. | FloFootball |
| Charlotte at Maryland | 7:30 p.m. | NBC |
| # Annual Down East Viking Classic, Rocky Mount |
