By R.L. Bynum
Carolina’s best start in 26 years has the Tar Heels again moving up again in the AP Top 25 poll.
UNC (4–0, 1–0 ACC) moved up two spots to No. 15 in the latest poll after Saturday’s 41–24 win at Pittsburgh in the ACC opener for both teams.
Carolina, which also moved up two spots to No. 15 in the Coaches Poll, is off next weekend before facing Syracuse at Kenan Stadium on Oct. 7.
None of the four teams UNC has beaten has a winning record, with South Carolina, App State and Minnesota each 2–2 and Pitt 1–3.
Ranked teams that lost last week included Notre Dame (which fell from two spots to No. 11 after a 17–14 home loss to Ohio State), Oregon State (which dropped five spots to No. 19 after a 38–35 loss to Washington State) and Mississippi (which fell five spots to No. 20 after a 24–10 loss to Alabama). Colorado fell out of the poll after losing 42–6 to Oregon.
Florida State (4–0) fell one spot to No. 5 after a 31–24 overtime win at Clemson. Miami (4–0) moved up two spots to No. 18 after a 41–7 win over Temple. Duke (4–0) moved up one spot to No. 17 after rolling to a 41–7 victory at Connecticut.
Voting UNC the highest at No. 11 was Mike Niziolek of the Bloomington Herald-Times in Indiana. Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman has the Heels the lowest at No. 23.
Jordan Crammer of WNCN has UNC the highest of the North Carolina-based voters at No.13. Steve Wiseman of The News & Observer voted the Heels No. 14 and Kate Rogerson of WTVD has them No. 15.
AP Top 25
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Kansas St. 57, Kentucky 41, Colorado 32, Louisville 32, UCLA 28, Maryland 20, TCU 17, Tulane 11, Syracuse 8, Wisconsin 6, Air Force 6, Clemson 5, Texas A&M 5.Point values in parentheses indicate the number of first-place votes.
UNC schedule
Month/ date | Opponent/event | 2023 record | UNC record in series |
---|---|---|---|
April | |||
20 | Spring game, 3 p.m. | — | — |
August | |||
29 (Thurs.) | at Minnesota | 6–7 | 1–0 |
September | |||
7 | Charlotte | 3–9 | 0–0 |
14 | N.C. Central | 9–3 | 0–0 |
21 | James Madison | 11–2 | 3–0 |
28 | at Duke | 8–5 | 65–40–4 |
October | |||
5 | Pittsburgh | 3–9 | 12–5 |
12 | Georgia Tech | 7–6 | 22–33–3 |
26 | at Virginia | 3–9 | 66–58–4 |
November | |||
2 | at Florida State | 13–1 | 3–17–1 |
16 | Wake Forest | 4–8 | 72–36–2 |
23 | at Boston College | 7–6 | 6–2 |
30 | N.C. State | 9–4 | 68–39–6 |
Photo via @UNCFootball