‘I hated UNC growing up’: NC State players excited to face off with rival Tar Heels

NC State redshirt freshman nickel Tamarcus Cooley grew up surrounded by North Carolina’s light blue in nearby Knightdale, N.C. He, for one, was a fan of the Tar Heels as he grew up in a UNC-loving family. 

But this weekend, the Cooley family will likely trade that Carolina blue for Wolfpack red as NC State and UNC clash to close the regular season on Saturday afternoon at Kenan Stadium. 

At least Cooley hopes so. 

The former Maryland transfer had an opportunity to play at his dream school out of high school. He was a longtime NC State commit, but UNC tried to bid for his services. In the end, it was Maryland where Cooley began his collegiate career, but he returned to Raleigh in the offseason after one year with the Terrapins. 

Why didn’t Cooley ever pick the school he grew up watching? NC State’s blue-collar culture stuck out the most. 

“UNC’s a little cocky, I’m not no cocky person,” Cooley said Tuesday. “I just fell in love with NC State.”

For most NC State players, beating North Carolina is one of the pinnacle moments of their Wolfpack career. This weekend, the Pack has an opportunity to win its fourth straight over the Tar Heels, which would mark the third occasion that’s happened in the last 35 years. 

The two teams tend to not like each other during the heat of battle in most sports, but especially in football. 

Graduate offensive lineman Timothy McKay, who grew up surrounded by the rivalry as his brother, Matthew, played quarterback at NC State, this is a contest he looks forward to every year. And unlike Cooley, he didn’t like the Tar Heels as a child.

“I’m an in-state guy from Raleigh, so I hated UNC growing up,” McKay said. “Just going out there, my sixth year, dominating them is going to be really fun. I’m excited to get out there.”

McKay could become one of just a handful of players on the roster that logged four straight wins over the Tar Heels should the Wolfpack edge UNC once again this weekend. The Pack knocked off its rival 39-20 at Carter-Finley Stadium, while it beat the Tar Heels 30-27 in the 2022 double-overtime thriller in Chapel hill and 34-30 during the 2021 campaign in Raleigh. 

But becoming the first team under Dave Doeren to win four in a row over the Tar Heels seemed to invoke a special sense of appreciation from McKay. 

“Getting four in a row is a legacy thing we talked about,” McKay said. “Seventy years from now, just thinking about, wow, we beat them four times in a row. It’s big for us. That’s the plan for this weekend. We just gotta do our jobs.”

NC State was able to roll past UNC a year ago behind a stout defensive performance as it intercepted star quarterback Drake Maye twice, while it limited standout running back Omarion Hampton to just 28 rushing yards on nine attempts. 

Current sophomore wideout Kevin “KC” Concepcion, meanwhile, logged seven receptions for 131 yards and two touchdowns to pace the Wolfpack in that victory. 

McKay believes that the Pack has what it takes to cruise past the Tar Heels again this season.  

“I felt like last year, we really dominated them,” McKay said. “So it’s just going out there and doing the same thing again, it means a lot for us.”

While McKay seemed confident, executing through the emotions of the game will likely be key for NC State in the rivalry game. He was aware of that.

“You gotta breathe and harness the energy,” McKay said. “You have to take it out on the guy in front of you. You can’t think about things too much or have high emotions. It’s going to be emotional for sure, but it’s getting the emotions out on the guy in front of you in Carolina blue.”

Not only would a win over UNC be NC State’s fourth consecutive over the Tar Heels, but it would clinch bowl eligibility for the fifth straight season under Doeren. The Wolfpack, which is riding a two-game losing streak going into the regular season finale, is inspired to send its veterans off on a high note. 

“We’re locked in. Our seniors, I know they want to go out with a bang, especially against Carolina,” Cooley said. “We’ve been locked in, ready to play.”