By R.L. Bynum
After an impressive defensive performance in an opening-game victory in Charlotte over South Carolina, North Carolina jumped four spots to No. 17 in the latest AP Top 25 football poll to continue the Tar Heels’ best early-season ranking stretch in 40 years.
Duke and Carolina are both ranked in the same poll for the first time in nearly 29 years.
The Tar Heels, who were No. 21 in the preseason poll and won their opener 31–17, could only advance so far since only three teams ahead of them in the preseason poll lost: LSU (which fell from nine spots to No. 14 after losing 45–24 in Orlando, Fla., to Florida State), Clemson (which fell 16 spots to No. 25 after Monday’s 28–7 loss at Duke) and TCU (which fell from No. 17 to out of the poll after a 45–42 home loss to Colorado).
Carolina moved up four spots to No. 16 in the Coaches Poll.
UNC, which faces Appalachian State (1–0) in its home opener at 5:15 Saturday (ACC Network), is ranked in the first two AP polls for the third time in four seasons. That’s the best stretch since Carolina did that for four consecutive seasons from 1980 to 1983 under Coach Dick Crum, who Coach Mack Brown succeeded in 1988.
Other ACC teams in the poll are Florida State (up four spots to No. 4 after the win over LSU) and Duke, which debuted at No. 21 after upsetting the Tigers.
It’s the first time Duke and Carolina have been ranked the same week since the Tar Heels were No. 19 and Duke No. 25 on Dec. 6, 1994. UNC beat the Blue Devils 41–40 that season in Durham on Nov. 17 when they were No. 24 and the Tar Heels were unranked. Duke was ranked as high as No. 16 that season after wins over Clemson and Wake Forest. UNC was ranked as high as No. 14 after an early October win at SMU.
Ranking UNC the highest at No. 12 is Tom Murphy of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Kirk Kenney of the San Diego Union-Tribune and Stefan Krajiskic the Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss., have the Tar Heels No. 13.
Steve Wiseman of The News & Observer has UNC the highest among the three North Carolina voters at No. 16, with Kate Rogerson of WTVD voting the Heels No. 17 and Jordan Crammer of WNCN with Carolina No. 18.
Seven AP voters left UNC off their ballots: Michael Lev of the Arizona Daily Star, Don Williams of the Lubbock Avalance-Journal, David Jablonski of the Dayton Daily News, Mike Vorel of The Seattle Times, Stephen Hargis of the Chattanooga Times-Free Press, James Williams of the Southern California News Group and Jared MacDonald of the Charleston Gazette-Mail in West Virginia.
Jablonski is one of two AP voters who had Duke in the top 10. He ranked the Blue Devils No. 10 and Audrey Dahlgren of WLNS-TV in Lansing, Mich., has them No. 9.
AP Top 25
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Iowa 73, UCLA 55, Arkansas 28, TCU 27, Kentucky 15, Pittsburgh 8, Mississippi St. 5, Miami 4, NC State 4, Auburn 3, Troy 3, Fresno St. 3, Minnesota 3, Wyoming 3, Iowa St. 2, Texas St. 2, Texas Tech 1, Louisville 1, Washington St. 1, Illinois 1, Houston 1, UCF 1, James Madison 1. Point values in parentheses indicate the number of first-place votes.
| Date | Time | Month/ location | Opponent (2022 record) | Record/ TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September | ||||
| 2 | 7:44 | Charlotte | South Carolina (8–5) | ABC |
| 9 | 5:15 | Home | Appalachian State (6–6) | ACCN |
| 16 | 3:30 | Home | Minnesota (9–4) | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 23 | TBA | Road | Pittsburgh (9–5, 5–4 ACC) | TBA |
| October | ||||
| 7 | TBA | Home | Syracuse (7–6, 4–3) | TBA |
| 14 | TBA | Home | Miami (5–7, 3–5) | TBA |
| 21 | TBA | Home | Virginia (3–7, 1–6) | TBA |
| 28 | TBA | Road | Georgia Tech (5–7, 4–4) | TBA |
| November | ||||
| 4 | TBA | Home | Campbell (5–6) | TBA |
| 11 | TBA | Home | Duke (9–4, 5–3) | TBA |
| 18 | TBA | Road | No. 9 Clemson (11–3, 8–0) | TBA |
| 25 | TBA | Road | N.C. State (8–4, 4–4) | TBA |
| December | ||||
| 2 | 8 p.m. | Charlotte | ACC championship game | ABC |
Photo via @UNCFootball
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