The North Carolina Tar Heels’ football program opened up the 2024 season in a big way on Thursday night. Facing a tough road test at Minnesota, North Carolina rallied in the second half and was able to hold on to a slim 19-17 win.
Despite it being just a two-point win, it was a gritty one on the road with Noah Burnette making all four of his field goal attempts and the defense having a big second half. The win moved UNC to 1-0 to start the year and they accomplished something they haven’t done in over 30 years.
With that win, North Carolina earned their first true road win to open a season since the 1992 campaign. That broke a streak of 30-plus years:
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The last win was that 1992 opener which was at Wake Forest, with UNC winning the game 35-17. The Tar Heels went 9-3 that season and earned a Peach Bowl win over Mississippi State.
Over the years, we have seen UNC struggle in true road games to open the year including most recently in 2021 against Virginia Tech. UNC opened that season in Blacksburg as the No. 10 team in the nation but lost 17-10 to the Hokies.
Let’s see if UNC can carry this momentum into the rest of the season and pick up some more wins.
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