This UNC - NC State rivalry game can go one of two ways: UNC wins and earns a trip to a bowl game for the first time since 2016, or NC State can play spoiler.

"Roy [Williams] calls them 'State College' because he's beaten them so much," said UNC football head coach Mack Brown. "But we haven't beaten them. It's hard for me to do any of that but have respect for them because we haven't beaten them."

Dave Doeren said, "It doesn't matter what your record is, it doesn't matter what your injuries are, none of that matters. Last year, they were a team that hadn't won a lot of games and they took us to overtime. We had nine wins."

The Pack has won four of the last five match-ups in the series. They have no shot at a bowl game at this point, but it will be 12 seniors' last time playing under the lights at Carter-Finley.

Doeren choked up a bit when talking about how important senior day was to him back in his playing days as a tight end at Drake University.

"It's a day that I remember very well as a player," said Doeren. "It's probably the only game that I remember almost every snap of."

While this is the fourth-most played series in the ACC, it's a new battle between Mack Brown and Dave Doeren.

Brown inherited a program that combined for a 5-18 record between 2017-18. The Heels also haven't made it to a bowl in three years.

But Brown has flipped a former Florida State quarterback commit who broke the freshman FBS record for touchdowns scored in a single season (32). UNC has lost on last-second plays to two teams that will likely play in the ACC Championship: Clemson (21-20 Loss) and Virginia Tech (43-41 6 OT Loss). All 6 of UNC's losses are by 7 points or fewer.

"They needed to believe again," said Brown. "The fan base didn't believe. The players didn't believe that they can win ... We've won enough that the players have bought in. They understand what it takes to win."

Meantime, it's a rebuilding year for 4-7 NC State.

After pro-style quarterback Ryan Finley moved onto the Cincinnati Bengals, "Quarterback U" struggled to find their guy. After testing the waters with Matthew McKay and Bailey Hockman, their quarterback carousel ended with redshirt freshman Devin Leary.

Despite bringing in a top 30 recruiting class, the Wolfpack has suffered a ton of injuries, and not to just anyone, to some of their top-tier talent like James Smith-Williams, CJ Riley, Rickey Person and Nick McCloud.

Still, we haven't gotten to the fun piece of any rivalry game: Do the coaches even like each other?

Doeren made something clear about his past with former UNC head coach, Larry Fedora, and his new rival, Mack Brown.

Doeren said, "I don't think I had a bad relationship with Larry [Fedora]. I mean, I just think when you're rival coaches there's certain things you don't do together. I thought we were very cordial with each other. I'm going to compete hard against whoever that guy is. I'll do the same with coach Brown. I have great respect for him, always have and always will."

Whoever comes out on top Saturday gets bragging rights that last longer than any other win on the schedule.

"When you lose to a rival, you lose for the year," said Brown. "Some of the other games, you go to the next game. [Losses to] rivals last a whole year."