N.C. State, East Carolina resume testy instate rivalry with season-opening matchup

By Canadian Press on August 27, 2025.

East Carolina at N.C. State, Thursday, 7 p.m. EDT.

BetMGM College Football Odds: N.C. State by 11 1/2.

How to watch: ACC Network.

Key stats

ECU (2024):

Overall offense: 436.4 yards per game (24th in FBS)

Passing: 264.0 yards per game (27th)

Rushing: 172.4 yards per game (50th)

Scoring: 32.0 points per game (34th)

Overall defense: 405.2 yards allowed per game (100th in FBS)

Passing: 235.3 yards allowed per game (96th)

Rushing: 169.8 yards allowed per game (94th)

Scoring: 27.3 points allowed per game (83rd)

N.C. State (2024):

Overall offense: 377.8 yards per game (76th in FBS)

Passing: 232.6 yards per game (58th)

Rushing: 145.2 yards per game (83rd)

Scoring: 28.5 points per game (62nd)

Overall defense: 390.8 yards allowed per game (88th in FBS)

Passing: 233.8 yards allowed per game (93rd)

Rushing: 157.0 yards allowed per game (79th)

Scoring: 30.2 points allowed per game (104th)

Team leaders

ECU (2024)

Passing: Katin Houser, 2,006 yards, 18 TDs, 11 INTs, 60.8 completion percentage

Rushing: London Montgomery, 359 yards, two TDs

Receiving: Anthony Smith, 799 yards, 41 catches, six TDs

N.C. State (2024)

Passing: CJ Bailey, 2,413 yards, 17 TDs, 10 INTs, 64.9 completion percentage

Rushing: Hollywood Smothers, 571 yards, six TDs

Receiving: Justin Joly, 661 yards, four TDs

Last game

East Carolina beat N.C. State 26-21 in the Military Bowl to end last season in a game that included a late on-field brawl. N.C. State finished 6-7, while ECU went 8-5.

Next game

East Carolina has its home opener Sept. 6 against Campbell.

N.C. State will host Virginia on Sept. 6 in an unusual scenario: a meeting of Atlantic Coast Conference teams that won’t count in the league standings. The schools added that game to fill a nonconference spot in the schedule rather than being paired through the league’s scheduling model.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

The Associated Press