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
— 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%.
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)
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
Note: Stanford did not release a depth chart.
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| Team | ACC | All |
|---|---|---|
| No. 4 Miami | 3–0 | 5–0 |
| No. 25 Pittsburgh | 2–0 | 5–0 |
| Duke | 1–0 | 4–0 |
| No. 24 SMU | 2–1 | 4–1 |
| Wake Forest | 2–1 | 4–1 |
| Clemson | 2–1 | 3–2 |
| Virginia Tech | 1–1 | 4–1 |
| Florida State | 1–1 | 3–2 |
| N.C. State | 1–1 | 3–2 |
| Virginia | 1–2 | 3–2 |
| California | 1–1 | 2–3 |
| Louisville | 1–2 | 2–3 |
| Stanford | 1–3 | 2–3 |
| North Carolina | 0–1 | 2–2 |
| Georgia Tech | 0–1 | 1–3 |
| Syracuse | 0–2 | 2–2 |
| Boston College | 0–2 | 2–3 |
Friday’s result
No. 25 Pittsburgh 35, Virginia Tech 33
Saturday’s results
No. 3 Notre Dame 37, North Carolina 26
Wake Forest 57, Stanford 3
No. 24 SMU 25, Boston College 16
Syracuse 42, UConn 41, OT
Florida State 38, Virginia 7
N.C. State 31, Louisville 28
UNLV 39, California 31
No. 4 Miami 41, Clemson 13
Friday’s game
Florida State at Louisville, 7 p.m., ESPN
Saturday’s games
North Carolina at No. 25 Pittsburgh, noon, ESPN or ESPN2
Wake Forest at N.C. State, noon, The CW
Virginia Tech at California, 3:30, ESPN or ACCN
Duke at Georgia Tech, 3:30, ESPN2 or ACCN
Stanford at No. 3 Notre Dame, 3:30, NBC/Peacock
Syracuse at Virginia, 7:30, ACCN
| Month/ date | Score/ time | Opponent (current ranking) | Record/TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| August | |||
| 29 | W, 15–10 | vs.TCU in Dublin | 1–0 |
| September | |||
| 12 | W, 35–3 | vs. ETSU | 2–0 |
| 19 | L, 28–20 | at Clemson | 2–1, 0–1 ACC |
| October | |||
| 3 | L, 37–26 | vs. No. 3 Notre Dame | 2–2 |
| 10 | Noon | at No. 25 Pittsburgh | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 17 | TBA | at Duke | TBA |
| 24 | TBA | vs. Syracuse | TBA |
| 31 | TBA | vs. No. 4 Miami | TBA |
| November | |||
| 7 | Noon | at UConn | CBSSN |
| 14 | TBA | vs. Louisville | TBA |
| 21 | TBA | at Virginia | TBA |
| 28 | TBA | vs. N.C. State | TBA |
| December | |||
| 5 | noon, ABC | ACC championship game in Charlotte | ESPN |
Photo by Joshua Lawton
