Hollywood Smothers does not like North Carolina or Bill Belichick. The North Carolina State running back declared war on the Tar Heels prior to his third season of college football by throwing darts at the head coach’s head.
Figuratively, but also literally…
Smothers, a redshirt sophomore, transferred from Oklahoma to N.C. State prior to last season. He was a three-star recruit in the college football recruiting Class of 2023 who will likely serve as the primary ball-carrier for the Wolfpack this fall. At 5-foot-11, 182 pounds, he ran for 571 yards and six touchdowns in 2024.
83 of those yards and two of those touchdowns were against North Carolina. N.C. State won last year’s in-state rivalry game in Chapel Hill by a final score of 35-30 just days after the ouster of Mack Brown.
The entire landscape of college football looks very different in the Tar Heel State than it did just six months ago — but the passion remains the same. In fact, the addition of an eight-time Super Bowl champion to the mix only heightened tensions between the two rival programs.
Hollywood Smothers made his intentions for next season very clear with a post to his Instagram story. The image features a photo of Bill Belichick with dart holes in and around his body and one dart in his head. The caption reads: “Target practice.”
UNC linebacker Khmori House is a new addition to the program after playing his freshman year at Washington. That does not mean he is not ready to go to war for Belichick. The 213-pound linebacker responded to Smothers’ post with a simple four-word message: “Lol we gone see.”
Indeed we shall…!
North Carolina State will host North Carolina on Nov. 29, 2025. There is no telling whether the game will be important in terms of the Playoff or bowl games, but likely not the former. Perhaps the latter. Either way, there is now even more reason for the two teams to get after each other on the gridiron.
Hollywood Smothers declared war on Bill Belichick!