It is rivalry week on Tobacco Road as #8 NC State travels Friday to #16 North Carolina for a battle for first place in the ACC wrestling standings.

The two schools are just a short drive from each other — 34 miles down I-40 to be exact.

“This is what college sports is about,” NC State coach Pat Popolizio said. “Anytime you have universities this close there will also draw a ton of interest in the fan bases for both schools. 

“As an athlete, you have to be excited for these kinds of opportunities. There are always a lot of bragging rights every year we meet.”

The Wolfpack and Tar Heels are the last two undefeated squads in conference action. NC State is off to a 3-0 start, having outscored Duke, Virginia and Pitt by a combined 101-17. UNC is 2-0, after taking out Virginia Tech at home (20-17) and Duke on the road (40-3).

“Our guys get excited for this level of competition, and I know they have to bring their A game,” Popolizio said. “In these kinds of duals, against your rival, you will have new guys that step up and get a win that fans weren’t expecting. You tend to get some really good performances from somebody that might not be a leader on your team when they face an opponent like UNC. 

“It’s going to be an exciting one, a lot of hard-fought bouts.”

NC State has won 11 straight in the series against the Tar Heels. The last UNC win in the series came in 2013, Popolizio’s first season at NC State.

“Both programs take personal pride in this dual every year,” Popolizio said. “Fans take this one personally, bragging rights on the line. 

“I know our guys are very prideful, so I feel like they know what they need to do. The type of people we have in this program are ultracompetitive, I like the mindset that this team has.”

The dual will feature six ranked battles on the night, highlighted by action at the lower weights where the two teams have nine of their 10 starters all ranked between 125 and 157 pounds.

“It is time to go, strap it up, and see who the best team is,” Popolizio said. “We are going to show up, compete at our best, and put it all on the line.”

Orine Comfortable After Move Back to 133 Pounds

It has been just over a month since NC State made a change to its starting lineup.

For his final season, two-time All-American Kai Orine decided to bump up a weight class to 141 pounds. He wrestled at the weight for the first month with mixed results, so he and the coaches decided a move back down to 133 pounds was best as Orine closes out his Wolfpack career.

“It was a well-needed change for Kai,” Popolizio said. “If you watched his style of wrestling, and what he was doing at 141, I think the change fits better with what he is capable of doing.”

Orine debuted at 133 pounds in the Cornell dual right before the Christmas break. Overall, he is 3-1 at the new weight, all bonus point wins.

“He has had a month of competition adjusting to the new weight and there haven’t been any issues, and it has been a positive change for him,” Popolizio said. “As we get zoned in towards the end of the year, you see him zoning in and focusing more as the season progresses. 

“He sees the light at the end of the tunnel, and he is putting himself in position to have another really good finish.”

One of the top matchups of the NC State-UNC dual Friday night will feature #14 Orine against #18 Ethan Oakley, an Appalachian State transfer who stands at 15-4 on the season.

“This is another really good opportunity for him to showcase where he is at right now,” Popolizio said. “This is a match we need him to step up and compete, and we need him to be at his best.”

Buesgens Starting to Put it Together

Redshirt freshman Koy Buesgens won the starting spot at 149 pounds for the Pack in the preseason. The #20 overall recruit out of New Prague, Minnesota, redshirted last season and is making an impact with March right around the corner.

He has started ACC action a perfect 3-0, with consecutive ranked wins. In back-to-back weeks, he has downed #28 Jack Gioffre of Virginia (4-2) and #21 Finn Solomon of Pitt (4-1). His win over Solomon nabbed him ACC co-Wrestler of the Week honors, and he has risen to #19 in the national rankings.

“You have to give these freshmen time to adjust, improve and build their confidence,” Popolizio said. “That is exactly what we are seeing out of Koy at this point of the season. He was a winner coming out of high school, and you never know what that jump to college is going to be like. I think we are seeing some really good development week to week.”

Buesgens has faced eight ranked opponents this season. Of his seven losses on the season, only one has been by more than three points (a five-point decision).

“His schedule has not been easy,” Popolizio said. “He keeps improving on the technical things, but mentally, he is where he needs to be. He has been just a takedown away in every match he has wrestled, so now, we just need to clean the little things up and the sky is the limit.” 

His biggest test of the season will come Friday night against North Carolina when he toes the line against two-time All-American #5 Lachlan McNeil.