Football players and coaches will always insist that each game is of equal importance, but NC State head coach Dave Doeren didn’t shy away from acknowledging the emotions involved in playing rival North Carolina this week.

He reflected on his first win against the Tar Heels in 2014, a 35-7 victory in Chapel Hill in which quarterback Jacoby Brissett scored four touchdowns, as one of the most memorable of his coaching career. Then there was the 28-21 win in Kenan Memorial Stadium in 2016 which made the Wolfpack bowl eligible and, as Doeren admitted Monday, most likely saved his job.

He understands the gravity of the rivalry to the fan base and takes pride in delivering victories to it. The players understand it too, but they haven’t gotten caught up in the moment.

“You got to be smart,” senior wide receiver Emeka Emezie said. “You don't want to put your team in any negative situations just because it's a big game. Every game is a big game so controlling your emotions is always huge.

“I mean everybody knows it's a big game. Everybody wants to say it's just one game, but it is a big game. You just got to control your emotions, just play the game how you know, play hard like we're supposed to. Do the right things and you'll have a good outcome.”

There will be plenty of spotlight on the upcoming nationally-televised showdown. Saturday will mark just the third time since the first meeting in 1894 in which both schools are ranked in the AP Top 25 poll.

Although NC State is ranked No. 23 and North Carolina is slotted only nine spots higher at No. 14, the Wolfpack enter the contest as a double-digit underdog.

“Personally, I don't care about any of that,” Emezie said. “It would be better if we weren't even ranked. That's just how I feel, it's always better being the underdog. We were seeing what everybody thought about us and that's fine, we kind of carry a chip on our shoulder. Ranking us now is cool but we're just going to keep attacking like we have been.”

Fifth-year senior right guard Joe Sculthrope maintained that the team’s preparation doesn’t change based on the opponent. To him, it’s about taking every game as seriously as the next, something that has worked for the Wolfpack in its three-game ACC win streak.

“We approached Duke, even though they didn't have the best record, we approached them like we were playing the No. 1 team in college football,” Sculthorpe said. “It doesn't matter who we're playing against, it doesn't change who we play against on Saturdays. We focus on ourselves, we focus on our dedication to practice, we lock in for the 22 periods we're on practice throughout the week and we really get after it.

“I know we hype up rivalry week, the game has been going on forever, so I'm not going to belittle that by any means but our preparation is the same regardless of who we're playing.”

Sculthorpe will be the only senior offensive lineman available Saturday and Emezie is the only senior starter in the receiving corps. The two have a combined seven games of experience playing the Tar Heels.

The senior wide receiver still remembers his first game against UNC fondly.

“Nyheim [Hines'] game my freshman year, that was really cool,” Emezie said. “I remember I was in blocking, seeing him spring a long one. He had a really, really good game and it was fun seeing that team win and how [Bradley] Chubb just manhandled those boys. It was fun to watch all those boys, I miss them.”

He was referring to the Pack’s 33-21 win in 2017 over the Heels in Carter-Finley Stadium. Hines had a career-high 196 yards rushing for two touchdowns and Chubb led the team with two tackles for loss.

Now Emezie will try to create his own senior memories Saturday in Kenan Memorial Stadium, a venue in which Doeren is 3-0 as head coach of the Wolfpack.

Despite losing starting redshirt sophomore quarterback Devin Leary to injury against Duke and considering Carolina’s arsenal of explosive playmakers on offense, the wideout says NC State isn’t worried about keeping pace in a potential shootout.

“They have a good offense but we have a good team too,” Emezie said. “Whatever we need to do to win the game, that's what we're going to try to do. I don't know what the situation is going to be, we're just going to try to put more points up than they do.”

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