UNC coach Larry Fedora probably didn't mind recruiting against former N.C. State coach Tom O'Brien. ROBERT WILLETT

CHAPEL HILL — Though no one at North Carolina is likely to come out and say it, Sunday was probably a disappointing day inside the Tar Heels’ football offices. Why? Because after six seasons, N.C. State fired coach Tom O’Brien.

This isn’t to say that O’Brien was a poor coach. He leaves N.C. State with a 40-35 record and a 5-1 record against UNC, with the only loss coming in late October after Giovani Bernard’s 74-yard punt return for a touchdown in the final seconds.

Sylvester Williams and the UNC defense came up with enough late stops to give the Tar Heels a chance on Saturday. ROBERT WILLETT

CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina’s rousing 43-35 victory against N.C. State on Saturday at Kenan Stadium will take its place as one of the great games in the 102-game history of the rivalry. A look back at the Tar Heels’ victory, from the UNC point of view:

For your viewing pleasure -- or displeasure, if you happen to be an N.C. State fan -- here's Giovani Bernard's game-winning 74-yard touchdown return that gave North Carolina a 43-35 victory against N.C. State on Saturday.

UNC and N.C. State game day has finally arrived.

CHAPEL HILL — And welcome to Kenan Stadium. We’re a little more than an hour away from the start of North Carolina’s annual cross-divisional game against N.C. State. Does the Wolfpack’s five-game winning streak in this series come to an end today? We’ll have our answer in about four hours or less – barring overtime.

The game Larry Fedora has been counting down for is finally here. ROBERT WILLETT

CHAPEL HILL — The countdown is over, at last. North Carolina on Saturday hosts N.C. State. This is a game, of course, that Larry Fedora has anticipated since UNC introduced him as the Tar Heels’ head coach. And with good reason. After all, Fedora received no shortage of reminders about the significance of this game. He had been counting down the days until it arrived.

And now it’s here.

And with it will come the answers to several questions: Will UNC break that five-game losing streak against the Wolfpack? Can N.C. State, which has never beaten the Tar Heels in six consecutive games, make history? Can the Tar Heels’ rebound from a disappointing loss at Duke? Will the Wolfpack remain atop the ACC’s Atlantic Division? Even though UNC’s postseason fate was decided before the season began, this still feels like a huge game, with important implications.

With an assist from our N.C. State beat reporter, Joe Giglio, some things to know entering tomorrow …

North Carolina seeks to end a five-game losing streak against N.C. State on Saturday. ROBERT WILLETT

CHAPEL HILL — I have a theory about this North Carolina-N.C. State game on Saturday. My theory is this: I don’t think there’s ever been a football game against N.C. State that the UNC community – coaches, players, administrators, boosters, alumni, fans, etc. – have wanted to win more than this one.

This will be the 102nd meeting between the teams. Has the UNC community ever wanted to win a game more than this? Again, I say no.

Here’s why:

Larry Fedora and his players have been counting down the days until the N.C. State game. CHUCK LIDDY

CHAPEL HILL — Larry Fedora has twice made it clear, publicly, that he has been counting down the days until North Carolina’s game against N.C. State. You might recall a post right here, back in late April, that detailed Fedora’s comments to a group of UNC boosters in Charlotte.

At that booster club appearance, a member of the audience asked Fedora how much emphasis he’d place on the Tar Heels’ games against the Wolfpack. Fedora said, “There’s going to be an emphasis.” But he also said, “I don’t want to talk about [the rivalry] too much because I don’t want to legitimize their program.”

UNC QB Bryn Renner and his teammates found their locker room decorated in red on Sunday. ROBERT WILLETT

CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina suffered a 33-30 defeat against Duke on Saturday. The next day, on Sunday, the Tar Heels showed up to the Kenan Football Center and discovered a whole lot of red in their locker room.

UNC quarterback Bryn Renner shares a past with N.C. State quarterback Mike Glennon. PHOTO: Robert Willett

GREENSBORO — Don’t want to give too much away, because I made them the focal point of the story I just wrote off of Day One of the ACC’s annual preseason football kickoff, but North Carolina quarterback Bryn Renner shares a lot in common with N.C. State quarterback Mike Glennon.

Both are natives of northern Virginia. Both grew up playing basketball and football. Both competed against the other. Both went on to play collegiately at North Carolina schools. And both are part of perhaps deepest returning class of quarterbacks the ACC has ever seen.

UNC coach Larry Fedora said the Tar Heels' rivalry with N.C. State will be a point of emphasis. PHOTO: Robert Willett

CHARLOTTE — Larry Fedora has yet to coach his first game at North Carolina but already he has added some zest to the Tar Heels’ football rivalry with N.C. State. Speaking on Wednesday night in Charlotte at a Rams Club Tar Heel Tour stop, Fedora indicated he understands just fine the significance of the UNC-N.C. State rivalry.