This week, we reached out to several for NC State Wolfpack football players to get their favorite memories of playing archival UNC.

Here are some of the responses.

"My favorite memory about the rivalry was beating their ass so bad that they gave up calling it a rivalry game. They literally said it wasn’t a rivalry game.

"Anybody that knows anything about the two schools will tell you what’s what. We literally beat the fight out of them"

"The 1988 and 1989 games are both great memories. To be able to beat your rival by big margins two years in a row is something you will always remember.

"The 1988 game stands out because I didn’t find out until our ride over to Chapel Hill that I would be starting the game. I had been used throughout the 1988 season in different roles, playing a lot as regular QB and as a passing/two-minute QB. The coaches told me I was going to start, and that we were going to go no-huddle which would enable me to call a lot of plays on my own.

"I enjoyed executing the no-huddle offense, and we had success running it in the previous weeks. We scored on the first drive, made some big defensive plays, [Geoff] Hartman nailed a long FG before the half and we took a big lead going to the locker room.

"We built on that lead early in the second half and cruised. As a former player and now coaching for past 30 years, you always remember fondly the big games you win on the road.

"Wolfpack Nation has always traveled well, and I remember a lot of red and white on that day in Chapel Hill in 1988. Those rivalry games are important to the players, but you know that it means a lot to the university and alumni also."

"In 1988, we dominated the game, winning 48-3 at UNC. Of course, when we played, the game was during the State Fair so the school that won had bragging rights at the fair.

"That one was special because it was my and Naz [Worthen's] senior season, and we went out with a bang in that game AND were able to go to the state fair and bask in the victory even longer."

"My favorite memory against UNC was scoring the last touchdown to seal the game [in overtime in 2018]. Scoring that last touchdown was the most valuable TD of my career because it sealed my 3-1 record against UNC. I can say I only lost to UNC once in my 4 years at State.

"Best thing also, seeing my boys have my back when UNC wanted to fight it out. It will always be GTHC!"

"Two things stand out to me.

"First, beating them at home my true freshman year. We had a pretty tough year and didn’t win many games. I didn’t really understand the rivalry before that but winning the last game of the year against them to head into the offseason completely changed the energy of the building, the tone around town and the trajectory of the group coming back heading into the next season.

"Second, say what you want about TOB [former coach Tom O'Brien]. but he always brought the energy that week and the team really fed off of it. That week of practice was on a different level than the rest of the year, and he drove home the importance of the game and what it meant for the program, state, fan base etc.

"It was the most fun week of practice every year."

"My favorite memory against UNC was going in as an underdog in 2014 with all of the media scrutiny creating a hostile environment at UNC. We took control of the game early and never looked back.

"The craziest thing about it all was that the crowd looked very blue at the beginning but after halftime, it seemed like most of the fans were in red!"

"I’d say my favorite memory was 2014 when we beat them 35-7. It was at their stadium, and we might have needed it for bowl contention.

"The offense was hot and we were letting loose on defense. I believe we had on my favorite away uniform combo red helmet, white jersey, red pants."

"I actually have two."

"In 2010 when we were in Carolina, I got a big-time sack on third down. I got up and my energy was amazing. I like to feed off people, feed off the crowd, my teammates of course. After the sack, they punted the ball and T.J. Graham took it back for six. Just knowing that you helped make that happen, it's the best feeling in the world.

"That was the second sack of my career. I actually had two sacks that year. That sack to me was big time because we got into it every year with Carolina in some type of way. We didn't like each other. When we went out, we hated each other. I feel like us and Duke, it's a love/hate relationship. But Carolina, it's really 'go to hell.' When we said those words, we meant those words. Of course, in competition.

"The second memory was when we played them in Raleigh in 2011. We beat them 13-0 I'm pretty sure. I had a pretty good game, I had a big hit on Giovanni Bernard. The energy there was just so... I tell people all the time, if I could go back and change it, I would still go back to NC State 100 times out of 100.

"The energy in that stadium was just so amazing to me, I was so proud. I truly know that the energy from the fans helped me thrive and made me the best that I can be."

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