Tag: 2023 North Carolina Football Schedule

UNC vs. Pitt: Game preview, info, prediction and more

The UNC and Pitt football teams open up ACC play against each other on Saturday night. What does each team need to do for its first ACC win?

UNC is one of six ACC football teams to start its season 3-0 – and the Tar Heels are being rewarded with a primetime game.

The Tar Heels open up conference play against Pitt on Saturday night, traveling up to Pennsylvania for an 8 p.m. start. Each team’s respective season is trending in opposite directions – UNC sits at 3-0 after holding Minnesota to 13 points in last weekend’s victory, while Pitt dropped to 1-2 by losing the 106th annual Backyard Brawl to West Virginia.

Both teams have different playing styles.

Carolina is an offensive juggernaut that can either torture you with Drake Maye’s arm or Omarion Hampton’s legs. The Heels have reached 31 points in two of their first three games, including a season-high 40 in the back-and-forth triumph over App State.

Pitt is a team built on its defensive identity. The Panthers sport the nation’s third-best passing defense, allowing just 114 yards per game to opponents. Cincinnati beat Pitt 27-21 in Week 2, but that’s the highest point totaled Pitt’s given up through three weeks.

A strong passing defense didn’t stop Maye last week, as he torched Minnesota for 414 yards and two touchdowns. Maye should certainly win the quarterback battle against Boston College transfer Phil Jurkovec, who carries a 474-yard, 4-touchdown, 3-interception statline into Saturday’s battle.

Hampton is the best running back on either team – he is joined by another 100-yard rusher in British Brooks. Carter Daniel leads the Pitt rushing room with 103 yards, but three separate players have scores.

Let’s take a deeper dive into Saturday night’s ACC opener for both teams:

UNC Football: How to watch home opener vs. App State

The UNC football program will host App State on Saturday, Sept. 9 in a rematch of last year’s thriller. We’ll help you tune into this game.

The UNC football program and its fans are riding an emotional high, with the Tar Heels dominating South Carolina defensively in a 31-17, Week 1 victory under the bright lights of Bank of America Stadium.

UNC controlled the ground game with 168 rushing yards – 103 of those came from British Brooks in his first game since 2021. Drake Maye threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns. Most importantly, the defense – which shocked the entire college football world – generated nine sacks against Spencer Rattler.

The Tar Heels only faced one deficit, for two minutes in the second quarter, then took the lead for good on Kobe Paysour’s touchdown grab.

UNC returns to Chapel Hill this week for its home opener, as it clashes with App State in a rematch of last year’s thriller. The Mountaineers are coming off an exciting win over Labor Day Weekend, generating a comeback of their own over Gardner-Webb for a 45-24 victory.

If you can’t make it to Chapel Hill to join the Tar Heel faithful, we’ll tell you how you can tune in and cheer on the boys in baby blue:

UNC-App State TV, RADIO, AND STREAMING INFORMATION

WHAT: North Carolina (1-0, 0-0 ACC) vs. Appalachian State (1-0, 0-0 Sun Belt)

WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 9 at 5:15 p.m. ET

LOCATION: Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, NC

TV: ACC Network (Watch and stream the game live on CW Sports)

ANNOUNCERS: Wes Durham (play-by-play), Tim Hasslebeck (color commentator), Taylor Tannebaum (reporter)

RADIO: Tar Heel Sports Network. Jones Angell, play-by-play;
Brian Simmons, analyst; Lee Pace, sideline

SATELLITE RADIO: SiriusXM (Channel 193

WEBSITE: fuboTV (try it free)

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Tar Heels hold Gamecocks to three second-half points in season-opening victory

UNC rode a strong ground game, significantly improved defense and two Drake Maye touchdown passes to a 31-17 win over South Carolina.

UNC football fans waited seemingly forever for a performance like tonight’s.

The Tar Heels showed tremendous effort on both sides of the football, limited the big plays they gave up and created some of their own.

That all led to a 31-17 victory over the University of South Carolina, on Saturday night, under the bright lights of Bank of America Stadium in uptown Charlotte.

This was UNC’s first win in the series since 2019, its fourth win in 11 tries against the Gamecocks, plus its second consecutive season starting with a victory.

How did the Heels do it tonight?

They went into halftime with a slight, 17-14 advantage, then came out looking like a whole new team.

UNC was up in South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler’s grill all night, sacking him nine times and forcing him to make a plethora of bad throws. The ground game, led by British Brooks gaining 103 yards in his first game action since 2021, found the end zone twice and racked up 168 yards. Despite his two interceptions, Drake Maye enjoyed a solid showing, completing 24/32 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns.

The Tar Heels’ first score of the game came on the first of Omarion Hampton’s two, goal-line touchdown runs just over five minutes into the game, then the last score came on John Copenhaver’s SportsCenter Top 10-worthy TD reception with six minutes remaining in the third quarter.

If there was one glaring takeaway from tonight’s win, it was undoubtedly the defense – for several reasons.

The Heels’ nine sacks was more than half their 2022 total – 17. Kaimon Rucker and Amari Gainer, the Florida State transfer, led the way with two apiece.

UNC’s defense held the Gamecocks to three – yes, you read that correctly – three second-half points. This was even with Spencer Rattler, the 2021 Preseason Heisman Trophy favorite at Oklahoma, under center.

In comparison – the 2022 Tar Heel defense allowed the sixth-most yards in the entire FBS.

Next up for UNC is its Kenan Stadium opener, as it hosts App State on Saturday, Sept. 9 at 5:15 p.m. This is a rematch of last year’s historic Labor Day weekend matchup, when the Heels and Mountaineers combined for 62 fourth-quarter points.

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WATCH: Drake Maye tosses first touchdown of 2023

UNC quarterback Drake Maye tossed his first touchdown of 2023 to wide receiver Kobe Paysour, who scored on a 34-yard strike.

Ever since UNC’s first drive, the South Carolina defense has done a stellar job of holding Drake Maye in check.

The Tar Heels tried gaining momentum on the ground, only for South Carolina defenders to drive ballcarriers further into the backfield or stop them after short gains.

Not anymore.

After allowing Juju McDowell to give South Carolina a brief, 14-10 second-quarter lead, UNC immediately responded with a passing-heavy drive.

Drake Maye, a Heisman Trophy candidate, projected top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and one of the best quarterback in the country, tossed his first touchdown pass of 2023 to wide receiver Kobe Paysour.

With Devontez Walker and Nate McCollum out for the Heels’ opener, Paysour is taking advantage of his increase in playing time. In his first score of the year, he gets behind the Gamecock defense and runs Maye’s throw into the end zone for six.

We’re almost into halftime and this game is just what we all expected – two teams trading blows, eager to prove to the college football world they’re legit. UNC has the upper hand early, leading 17-14, but this game is far from over.

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WATCH: Omarion Hampton scores Heels’ first touchdown of 2023

Sophomore running back Omarion Hampton punched the ball into the end zone on third and goal, scoring UNC’s first touchdown of 2023.

Just one drive into UNC’s 2023 football season, the offense is already looking reminiscent of what so many fans became used to last year.

After a beautiful defensive stand against South Carolina, the Heels marched right down the field at Bank of America Stadium to take a 7-0 lead.

The Gamecocks immediately responded to UNC’s drive, garnering a rushing touchdown of their own from Dakareon Joyner.

UNC’s first touchdown came from its crowded running back room, as sophomore running back Omarion Hampton punched the ball in on third-and-goal. His touchdown capped off a 9-play, 70-yard drive that took all of 3:55.

It’s just one drive, but it’s encouraging for the Tar Heels to see immediate offensive production. With Carolina’s top two receivers in Devontez Walker and Nate McCollum already out, it’ll be extra-helpful if the ground game can generate offense.

Drake Maye is already generating some chemistry with his tight ends, as John Copenhaver caught an 18-yard pass to set up the Hampton touchdown. With approximately six minutes left in the opening quarter, Maye is already 3-3 with 34 yards through the air.

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UNC Football: How to watch Week 1 vs. South Carolina

This articles tell you all you need to know about how to watch the UNC football team’s 2023 season opener against South Carolina.

After a disappointing end to its once-promising 2022 campaign, the University of North Carolina football team is ready to get back on the gridiron.

Typically, we’ll see a lot of Power 5 teams play FCS schools, Group of 5 opponents, or those in other FBS conferences. As Week 1 kicks off with games on Thursday, Aug. 31, then carries into Friday and Saturday, there’s a couple instances of this. ACC school Wake Forest is hosting Elon on Thursday at 7 p.m., another ACC school in Miami (Fla.) is hosting Miami (OH) on Friday at 7 p.m., while Oklahoma is hosting Arkansas state at 12 p.m. on Saturday.

In the Tar Heels’ case, they’re jumping right into the fire with an SEC opponent – South Carolina. This matchup hasn’t been too kind to the boys from Chapel Hill, with them dropping seven of the last 10 matchups.

This time is different, though – UNC sports a Heisman Trophy frontrunner and projected top 2024 NFL Draft pick in Drake Maye, the country’s best tight end trio in Bryson Nesbit, John Copenhaver and Kamari Morales, plus a deep linebacking corps led by NFL draft prospect Cedric Gray.

With all the hype surrounding the Tar Heels in 2023, there’s no doubt fans will want to tune in. We’re here to tell you how to watch:

UNC-South Carolina TV, RADIO, AND STREAMING INFORMATION

WHAT: North Carolina (0-0, 0-0 ACC) vs. South Carolina (0-0, 0-0 SEC)

WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 2 at 7:30 p.m. ET

LOCATION: Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC

TV: ABC (Watch and stream the game live on fuboTV)

ANNOUNCERS: Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (color analyst) and Molly McGrath (reporter).

RADIO: Tar Heel Sports Network. Jones Angell, play-by-play;
Brian Simmons, analyst; Lee Pace, sideline

SATELLITE RADIO: SiriusXM (82 or 84),

WEBSITE: fuboTV (try it free)

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Tomari Fox returning to UNC defensive line from year-long suspension

Tomari Fox was suspended last season for taking a banned pre-workout substance. He rejoins a UNC defensive line in need of production.

Tomari Fox was a name UNC football fans got quite used to.

The gradutae student from Lawrenceville, Ga. started all 12 games on the defensive line in 2020, registering 46 tackles (six for loss) and four sacks. He started just 2/12 games in 2021, but still would up with 25 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a team-high six quarterback hurries.

He was expected to be a key part of the Heels’ rotation last year, but tragedy struck. Fox was suspended for all of 2022 for taking a banned, pre-workout substance.

Silly, right? If he wasn’t taking steroids, what was the issue?

It’s safe to wonder if Fox played last year, how much better the UNC defense would have been. The Heels allowed the sixth-highest yardage total (5.697) among FBS schools last year and rarely looked like they could preserve a lead.

When the real Carolina plays its southern neighbor in the Saturday, Sept. 2 season opener, it will be Fox’s first game in 21 months. It’s right to expect rust, but there’s no doubt Fox will be excited to get back on the field.

“We got the news and it was very surprising, very confusing,” Fox told InsideCarolina’s Adam Smith. “A lot of people thought it’d be difficult from the aspect of like, ‘You’re going to miss being on the field,’ like that would be the hardest part. But I think for me, it was essentially having everything taken. And from the aspect of how players look at you, how coaches look at you, how fans look at you, and everything like that. The playing part excluded, I mean, once we got the verdict, a lot of people have thought that I did it.”

Fox is currently listed as a backup to defensive tackle Kevin Hester, Jr. Fox is part of a talented defensive line that includes former 5-star recruits Travis Shaw and Desmond Evans, Myles Murphy, Jahvaree Ritzie and Ohio State transfer Jacolbe Cowan (played at UNC last year).

Sacks were not easy to come by in Chapel Hill last season (17 total), as no single player recorded more that 3.5 (Kaimon Rucker, Noah Taylor).

If Fox had a productive two years before his suspension, including the 4-sack campaign in 2020, it’d be hard for head coach Mack Brown not to play him.

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Tar Heels 10 days out from football opener

College football fans can smell the start of the season. For UNC, that start is on Saturday, Sept. 2 against South Carolina in Charlotte.

You can practically smell it – college football is almost here.

In just three days, Navy and Notre Dame officially kick off the regular season with a matchup across the pond (2:30 p.m., NBC). Five-and-a-half hours later, 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams and the USC Trojans begin their quest for a College Football Playoff spot against San José State.

Tar Heel fans – get ready. The boys in baby blue begin gameplay in just 10 days. UNC will face off against one of their largest out-of-state rivals, South Carolina, on Saturday, Sept. 2 at Bank of America Stadium (7:30 p.m., ABC).

The Heels rank 21st in the AP Preseason Poll, while South Carolina is just on the outside.

Outside of UNC-South Carolina being a primetime matchup in the Carolina Panthers’ stadium, one of the largest storylines surrounding this clash will be the quarterback battle. Carolina’s quarterback, Heisman Trophy candidate Drake Maye, will face off against the Gamecocks’ Spencer Rattler, a former Heisman candidate who transfered from Oklahoma before last season.

The quarterbacks both have a flair for the dramatic. Drake Maye joked that people who attend N.C. State are those who can’t get into Carolina, while Spencer Rattler is set out to prove everyone why he’s one of the country’s best himself.

Maye is coming off his best season – one in which he was named First-Team All-ACC, led the Heels to a 9-1 start and finished with 4,321 yards (4th-most in FBS behind Williams), 38 touchdowns (tied-first in ACC with Sam Hartman) and a UNC-leading 698 rushing yards.

Rattler had an up-and-down year. He threw for 3,026 yards, just five of his carrer-high set in the 2020-2021 season at Oklahoma, plus 18 touchdowns, but threw double-digit interceptions (12) for the first time in his career.

The Tar Heels have grand expectations with Maye, their entire running back and tight end groups, plus one of the country’s best linebacker trios in NFL Draft prospect Cedric Gray, Power Echols and Kaimon Rucker. They were ranked 12th last year before losing four straight.

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ESPN predicts Tar Heel Football squad to finish third in ACC

The UNC football team, coming off its second ACC Championship Game appearance in program history, was picked to finish third in the ACC.

After the offensive fireworks fans were treated to last season, there are a lot of high expectations for the UNC football program this fall.

Jumping out to a 9-1 record and earning the 13th spot in the AP Poll, the Heels were on the fringe of the College Football Playoff. Drake Maye was in the middle of a Heisman Trophy campaign. UNC clinched a spot in the ACC Championship Game, its first appearance since 2015, with a dominating win over Pitt.

The Heels tumbled and lost their final four games, plus their two best receivers (Josh Downs, Antoine Green) were selected in the NFL Draft.

The good news? Carolina returns Maye, a Heisman candidate once again, who finished fourth in passing yards (4,321) among FBS quarterbacks. The entire running back room (Elijah Green, Omarion Hampton, Caleb Hood, George Pettaway) is coming back, plus the best tight end trio in the country (Bryson Nesbit, Kamari Morales, John Copenhaver) will also suit up.

On the defensive side of the ball, Cedric Gray is one of the country’s best linebackers. The Heels also have 5-stars Travis Shaw and Desmond Evans on the line.

Heading into the 2023 season, UNC is being picked to finish third in the ACC by ESPN.

Ahead of the Heels are a much-improved, Mike Norvell-led Florida State squad with defensive end Jared Verse and quarterback Jordan Travis, plus the 2022 ACC champion Clemson Tigers, who’ve won seven of the last eight titles.

Keep in mind – these are just preseason rankings.

Carolina could surprise us all and win the entire ACC. They’ll be tested significantly this year, particularly early on with an opening matchup against South Carolina and a Week 2 clash with App State, then two road games to end the year against Clemson and N.C. State.

There’s no doubt the Gridiron Heels will be looking to prove they’re more than just a basketball school this year.

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2023 North Carolina Tar Heels Football Schedule: Downloadable Smartphone Wallpaper

Never miss a game this season with our downloadable 2023  North Carolina Tar Heels football schedule for your smartphone.

Never miss a game this season with our College Wire downloadable 2023  North Carolina Tar Heels football schedule. Use it as wallpaper for the lock screen on your smartphone.

Also, please share it with friends so they have the schedule with them at all times too!

You can buy tickets to every North Carolina game at TicketSmarter.

Download the 2023 Tar Heels football schedule here.

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