NC/ACC Week Four College Football Preview:

UNC-UCF, NC State-Duke, BYU-ECU, NCCU-A&T
Among Intriguing Challenges For In-State Teams
(DG’s “This Week In CFB” YouTube Show = Below)

By David Glenn
North Carolina Sports Network
(last updated Sept. 16, 2025)

The 2025 college football season continues Thursday through Saturday via a compelling Week Four schedule, with Charlotte serving as host for ESPN’s exclusive Thursday night television window, Duke and NC State revisiting their traditional rivalry, ECU hosting undefeated BYU, and UNC visiting UCF in yet another network TV game.

The most prominent Saturday games nationally this time include a battle of undefeated and highly ranked Big Ten squads (#9 Illinois at #19 Indiana, 7:30 p.m., NBC), a Sunshine State showdown between two long-time rivals who haven’t played each other as often in recent decades (Florida at #4 Miami, 7:30 p.m., ABC) and an ACC matchup that includes two quarterbacks drawing big headlines for very different reasons (Syracuse at Clemson, noon, ESPN).

From the wide-ranging schedule (see below) in the Old North State, here are more details from this week’s “Three To See” selections:

In-State “Three To See,” Game One

North Carolina (2-1) at UCF (2-0), Sat., 3:30 p.m. (FOX)

If your goal was to create a true mid-September litmus test for this North Carolina team — an opponent not nearly as good as TCU, which destroyed UNC on Labor Day night, but an opponent that’s much more talented than Charlotte or Richmond, the Tar Heels’ two dominated victims over the past two weeks — you might have created this UCF squad.

The Golden Knights are a Power Four opponent, from the Big 12, but their 2-0 start came against a couple of cupcakes, and they have just as many serious questions, uncertainties and concerns right now as the Tar Heels do.

UNC has 70 new players? Well, UCF has 63 new players. UNC has only three returning starters in key roles right now, an incredibly low number, even in the transfer portal era? Well, UCF has only three returning starters in key roles right now, too.

UNC has a well-known first-year head coach, Bill Belichick, who’s trying to relive some of his glory days? Well, UCF has a well-known, first-year head coach in Scott Frost, whose glory days as a coach were actually at UCF, but that came all the way back in 2017, before his unsuccessful tenure at Nebraska and before these last two years, when he was out of college football entirely.

The similarities continue, in many ways, with these teams’ depth charts.

Carolina fans have seen their new quarterback, South Alabama transfer Gio Lopez, make some helpful plays with his legs, but he’s been extremely inconsistent and often inaccurate or off-timing in the passing game. Both of UCF’s quarterbacks, Florida Atlantic transfer Cam Fancher and Indiana transfer Tayven Jackson, fit the same mold — functional runners who can be very hit-or-miss in the passing game.

Neither UNC (a six-point underdog) nor UCF has shown a dominant line on either side of the ball against quality competition so far this season, so this game likely will be decided by the usual things — big plays, turnovers, poise under pressure, minimization of mistakes, and old-fashioned execution.

The winner of this one will be halfway to bowl-eligibility, with three victories on the season. The loser could up missing the postseason entirely.

In-State “Three To See,” Game Two

NC State (3-0) at Duke (1-2), Sat., 4 p.m. (ESPN2)
(An “Old North State Tailgate & Traveling Sports Circus” Game)

This is a classic example of a fun neighborhood rivalry that has fallen by the wayside because of conference expansion.

Duke and NC State, which are located only 24 miles apart, played each other every year from 1924 all the way through 2003 with only one exception, and that (in 1944) was because of World War Two! Now the Wolfpack and the Blue Devils are playing for just the fifth time in State coach Dave Doeren’s 13-year tenure in Raleigh.

Although the Pack has won 15 of the last 20 matchups in this rivalry overall, dating back to 1990, Doeren is only 1-3 in his four previous matchups against the Devils.

Duke is a three-point favorite (at last look) this year, even though the Pack is 3-0 and the Blue Devils are only 1-2, with losses to quality Illinois and Tulane teams.

Among the most exciting aspects of this matchup is that NC State sophomore CJ Bailey and Duke redshirt sophomore Darian Mensah (the multi-million-dollar Tulane transfer) have looked like two of the best quarterbacks in the ACC this season. Both are capable runners, although Mensah hasn’t done that much yet this season, and both are very effective throwers.

There also are a bunch of quality pass-catchers in this game — Harvard transfer Cooper Barkate, Oklahoma transfer Andrel Anthony and East Forsyth High School product Que’Sean Brown for the Blue Devils, plus Wesley Grimes, Noah Rodgers and freshman Teddy Hoffman for the Wolfpack.

The Pack has been more productive at running back and tight end this year, with Hollywood Smothers and Justin Joly, respectively, although second-year Duke coach Manny Diaz may have discovered someone special at Tulane last week in true freshman tailback Nate Sheppard.

With all due respect to the Duke fans and students who do show up, the Blue Devils don’t have much of a home-field advantage at Wallace Wade Stadium, and Wolfpack fans likely will be out in huge numbers in Durham, as they were in Winston-Salem last Thursday, when they got loud at all the right times in the Pack’s comeback victory at Wake Forest.

Neither State nor Duke has been able to dominate in the trenches so far this season, so this one is likely to come down to the skill players, which puts the quarterbacks Bailey and Mensah — along with these two coaching staffs — right back in the spotlight. Whichever team’s defensive personnel, or defensive play-calling, can upset the other QB the most is likely to win.

In-State “Three To See,” Game Three

BYU (2-0) at East Carolina (2-1), Sat., 7:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

On the one hand, this is a big-time, exciting opportunity for the Pirates — an undefeated Power Four opponent, on national TV, in front of what likely will be a packed house of 50,000-plus at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville.

On the other hand, in all likelihood, this also will be a very difficult challenge for ECU at the same time.

Under their 10th-year coach, Kalani Sitake, the Cougars have been a consistently successful program, and in 2024 they made a huge splash as second-year members of the Big 12, with an 11-2 record and a top-15 national finish, although a lot of key players from that team are gone now.

While BYU absolutely annihilated its first two opponents — Portland State and Stanford — by a combined score of 96-3, it’s important to remember that Portland State is an FCS program, and Stanford probably will finish near the bottom of the ACC this season.

In addition, the Cougars start a true freshman at quarterback, January enrollee Bear Bachmeier, a prep star from California who became the first true freshman ever to start a season-opening game in the history of a program that previously produced legendary QBs such as Steve Young, Jim McMahon and Heisman Trophy winner Ty Detmer.

Bachmeier has experienced weapons around him in junior running back LJ Martin and fifth-year senior wide receiver Chase Roberts, but he is playing behind a rebuilt line. Stanford was able to get some pressure on Bachmeier, sack him three times, and limit the Cougars’ offense to just 25 points.

East Carolina’s defense, meanwhile, has played 10 consecutive dominant quarters of football after a slow start in the Pirates’ 24-17 loss at NC State. ECU hammered Campbell 56-3, then went to Coastal Carolina and shut out the Chanticleers, 38-0.

Everyone agrees that BYU is light years better than either Campbell or Coastal, but could this confident, blitzing ECU defense force a freshman quarterback into some mistakes, take advantage of those mistakes, and get the home crowd fired up along the way?

Finally, just as ECU may be facing its biggest challenge of the season in BYU, the Cougars will be facing the most dangerous offense on their schedule so far. Portland State simply couldn’t block BYU, and Stanford didn’t have much of a passing threat, so the Cougars were able to crowd the line of scrimmage and shut down the Cardinal’s dangerous rushing attack, too.

ECU offers a stark contrast in the form of redshirt junior quarterback Katin Houser, the Michigan State transfer who’s now in his second season as the Pirates’ starter. He ranks sixth nationally with 324 passing yards per game.

It remains to be seen if ECU’s offensive line can protect Houser from a BYU defensive front that’s very big — with 300-pound tackles, 270-pound ends and 240-pound linebackers — and also loaded with transfers and other new faces, but if so the Pirates may be able to take advantage of their talented receiving corps, led by Anthony Smith, Yannick Smith and Brock Spalding.

In-State “Three To See,” Bonus Game

NC Central (2-2) at North Carolina A&T (1-2), Sat., 4 p.m. (FloCollege)
(An “Old North State Tailgate & Traveling Sports Circus” Game)

The “Aggie-Eagle Classic” is one of the great historical rivalries in the Bold North State.

NC Central and North Carolina A&T are the two largest HBCUs in North Carolina, and they’ve been playing each other for more than 100 years now, dating all the way back to 1922.

The tailgating experience outside this matchup offers a lot of amazing food, great music and wonderful fans. Both schools also have great bands, cheerleaders and dance teams that add to the pageantry of it all.

Although A&T has had the advantage in this gridiron rivalry historically, NCCU — under head coach Trei Oliver — has managed to swing the pendulum back in the Eagles’ direction. Since the Aggies won seven of 10 head-to-head matchups from 2011 through 2021, the Eagles have captured the last three — one in Durham, one in Greensboro, and one in Charlotte.

Now this big game is back in Greensboro, where the 1-2 Aggies — now led by first-year head coach Shawn Gibbs, who earlier in his career was an A&T assistant coach for 11 seasons — are coming off a 33-30 victory over Hampton.

The Eagles, who won the 2022 HBCU national championship and have had three straight successful seasons under Oliver, are 2-2 so far this season.

NC Central is favored to make it four in a row in the Aggie-Eagle Classic, but this is a classic rivalry game, so nobody will know for sure until Saturday.

NC Football Bowl Subdivision (Seven Teams)
(Games Saturday Unless Otherwise Indicated)

Rice (2-1) at Charlotte (1-2), 7:30 p.m. (ESPN) — Thursday
North Carolina (2-1) at UCF (2-0), 3:30 p.m. (FOX)
NC State (3-0) at Duke (1-2), 4 p.m. (ESPN2)
BYU (2-0) at East Carolina (2-1), 7:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

Open Week: Appalachian State (2-1), Wake Forest (2-1)

Atlantic Coast Conference (17 Teams)

Syracuse (2-1) at Clemson (1-2), noon (ESPN)
Wofford (0-3) at Virginia Tech (0-3), noon (ACCX/ESPN+)
SMU (2-1) at TCU (2-0), noon (ESPN2)
Bowling Green (2-1) at Louisville (2-0), noon (ACCN)
North Carolina (2-1) at UCF (2-0), 3:30 p.m. (FOX)
Kent State (1-2) at #7 Florida State (2-0), 3:30 p.m. (ACCN)
NC State (3-0) at Duke (1-2), 4 p.m. (ESPN2)
Temple (2-1) at #18 Georgia Tech (3-0), 4:30 p.m. (The CW)
Florida (1-2) at #4 Miami (3-0), 7:30 p.m. (ABC)
Stanford (1-2) at Virginia (2-1), 7:30 p.m. (ACCN)
California (3-0) at San Diego State (1-1), 10:30 p.m. (CBSSN)

Open Week: Boston College (1-2), Pitt (2-1), Wake Forest (2-1)