By R.L. Bynum

Stanford (3–6, 2–4 ACC) at North Carolina (3–5, 1–3)
Parking lots open: 12:30 p.m.
Old Well Walk: 2 p.m., starts at the Old Well, runs through Polk Place and around the Bell Tower to the Kenan Football Center.
Chapel Thrill Concert Series: Fitz & The Tantrums, a soul/pop group, will perform a free show at Polk Place in front of Wilson Library at 2:30.
Gates open: 3 p.m.
Marching band performance at The Pit: 3:30 p.m.
Team entrance: 4:25 p.m.
Game time: 4:30 p.m.
TV: The CW; Thom Brennaman (play-by-play), Will Blackmon (analyst) and Wes Bryant (sideline reporter)
Radio: Tar Heel Sports Network (affiliates list; streams on the Varsity Network app);
Jones Angell play-by-play, Bryn Renner analyst and Lee Pace sideline reporter
Common opponent: Virginia (UNC lost at home 38–10; Stanford lost 38–20 on the road)
Line (according to FanDuel Sportsbook): North Carolina -7½ (the first time this season that the Tar Heels have been favorites against a power conference team)
UNC vs. the spread: 5–3 — covered vs. Charlotte -17½ (20–3 win), Richmond -28½ (41–6 win), California +3½ (21–18 loss ) and Virginia +6½ (17–16 loss) and at Syracuse +2½ (27–10 win); failed to cover against TCU +10½ (48–14 loss), UCF +13½ (34–9 loss) and Clemson -14½ (38–10 loss)
Stanford vs. the spread: 2–7 — covered vs. Boston College +14 (30–20 win) and Florida State +17½ (20–13 win); failed to cover at Hawai’i +2½ (23–20 loss), BYU +20½ (27–3 loss), Virginia +16 (48–20 loss), SMU +19½ (34–10 loss) and Miami +28½ (42–7 loss), and vs. San Jose State -3 (30–29 win) and Pittsburgh +13½ (35–20 loss)
Moneylines: UNC -295 | Stanford +235
Over/under: 41½

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— Stanford coach Frank Reich and UNC coach Bill Belichick meet as head coaches for the first time since 2022. Reich is 1–2 against Belichick as a head coach, but was the offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles when they beat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII.
— The coaches last met on Nov. 6, 2022, when Belichick’s New England Patriots earned a 26–3 victory against Reich’s Indianapolis Colts in Foxborough, Mass.
— Stanford leads the series 2–1, with this being the first ACC meeting.
— The Cardinal were No. 16 when they won the most recent meeting 25–23 at the 2016 Sun Bowl. UNC couldn’t make a two-point conversion with 25 seconds left.
— Carolina won the only previous meeting in Chapel Hill, which was in 1997, when the No. 7 Tar Heels beat the No. 17 Cardinal 28–17 after trailing 17–14.
— This is the final road game of the season for Stanford, which finishes at home against California on Nov. 22 and No. 10 Notre Dame on Nov. 29.
— The Tar Heels’ defense ranks third in the ACC in conference games, allowing just 85.3 yards per
game on the ground.
— In Carolina’s first three ACC games, the Tar Heels have held opponents under 100 yards in three consecutive conference games for the first time since 2009.
— UNC opponents have averaged just 2.66 yards per rush, the best in the ACC.
— North Carolina ranks 23rd nationally and second in the ACC in fewest penalties, with 41 on the season.
— The Tar Heels are averaging 5.1 per game, which is second in the ACC.
— Elijah Brown will start at quarterback for Stanford after Reich benched Ben Gulranson.
— Stanford has lost 10 consecutive road games and will go winless on the road for the first time since 2002 with a loss. The Cardinal’s last road win was 28–24 at Syracuse on Sept. 20, 2024.
— Stanford’s defense has allowed the most trips to the red zone of any team in the country (48), but is 14th in opponents’ red-zone touchdown percentage (47.9%), which is third in the ACC. UNC leads the league at 37.0%.

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Statistical comparisons

Offense

• UNC:
  • Total yards: 298.6/game (128th FBS)
  • Scoring: 19.4 PPG (120th)
  • Third-down conversions: 32.4% (126th)
• Stanford:
  • Total yards: 306/game (125th FBS)
  • Scoring: 17.8 PPG (127th)
  • Third-down conversions: 33.8% (120th)

Defense

• UNC:
  • Yards allowed: 320.8/game (30th FBS)
  • Scoring defense: 22.1 PPG (49th)
• Stanford:
  • Yards allowed: 424.9/game (119th FBS)
  • Scoring defense: 30.1 PPG (107th)

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Players to watch

UNC

• QB Gio Lopez: 1,021 yards, 6 TDs, 5 INTs, 63.1% completion
  • Last game: 216 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs vs. Syracuse
• RB Demon June: 416 yards, 2 TDs
  • Last game: 101 rushing yards, 81 receiving yards, 2 total TDs
• WR Jordan Shipp: 384 yards, 3 TDs on 35 catches
• DL Melkart Abou Jaoude: 25 tackles (16 solo, 9 assists), 7.5 tackles for losses, 7 sacks
  • Last game: 6 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loses, two sacks, 1 forced fumble

Stanford

• QB Elijah Brown: 19 of 31, 218 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
  • Last game: 10 of 14, 108 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
• RB Micah Ford: 425 yards, 3 TDs

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Note: Stanford did not release a depth chart.

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Team	ACC	All
No. 16 Virginia	7–1	10–2
No. 12 Miami	6–2	10–2
No. 25 SMU	6–2	8–4
No. 24 Georgia Tech	6–2	9–3
Pittsburgh	6–2	8–4
Duke	6–2	7–5
Louisville	4–4	8–4
Wake Forest	4–4	8–4
California	4–4	7–5
Clemson	4–4	7–5
N.C. State	4–4	7–5
Stanford	3–5	4–8
Florida State	2–6	5–7
North Carolina	2–6	4–8
Virginia Tech	2–6	3–9
Syracuse	1–7	3–9
Boston College	1–7	2–10

Friday’s result
No. 4 Georgia 16, No. 24 Georgia Tech 9
Saturday’s results
N.C. State 42, North Carolina 19
No. 12 Miami 38, Pittsburgh 7
Louisville 41, Kentucky 0
Clemson 28, South Carolina 14
Boston College 34, Syracuse 12
Duke 49, Wake Forest 32
Florida 40, Florida State 21
No. 16 Virginia 27, Virginia Tech 7
California 38, No. 25 SMU 35
No. 9 Notre Dame 49, Stanford 20
Saturday’s ACC championship game
No. 16 Virginia vs. Duke in Charlotte, 8 p.m., ABC

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Month/ date	Score/ time	Opponent	Record/ TV
September
1	L, 48–14	vs. TCU	0–1
6	W, 20–3	at Charlotte	1–1
13	W, 41–6	vs. Richmond	2–1
20	L, 34–9	at UCF	2–2
October
4	L, 38–10	vs. Clemson	2–3, 0–1 ACC
17 (Fri.)	L, 21–18	at California	2–4, 0–2
25	L, 17–16, OT	vs. No. 16 Virginia	2–5, 0–3
31 (Fri.)	W, 27–10	at Syracuse	3–5, 1–3
November
8	W, 20–15	vs. Stanford	4–5, 2–3
15	L, 28–12	at Wake Forest	4–6, 2–4
22	L, 32–25	vs. Duke	4–7, 2–5
29	L, 42–19	at N.C. State	4–8, 2–6

Photo by Joshua Lawton