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North Carolina moved up in the latest AP Top 25 football poll without taking a snap this weekend. The Tar Heels (4–0, 1–0 ACC) are up one spot to No. 14, and are 7½-point favorites for their ACC home opener at 3:30 Saturday (ESPN) against Syracuse (4–1, 0-1), which lost at home 31–14 to Clemson on Saturday.
RALEIGH — After an intense and frustrating draw with Florida State, a letdown against a bad N.C. State women’s soccer team wouldn’t have been a surprise. Top-ranked North Carolina made sure there would be none of that, jumping out to an early lead and rolling to a 4–0 victory Saturday night over the one-win Wolfpack before a record crowd of 3,972 at Dail Soccer Field.
Wide receiver Tez Walker will be able to play this season after all — but not until No. 15 Carolina’s expected bowl game. A school spokesman confirmed Wednesday night that Walker becomes eligible after finishing two semesters at UNC. He transferred to Carolina before the spring 2023 semester and would have met that standard after the fall semester concludes.
How will Coach Hubert Davis’ team mesh with only four returnees after losing nine players from last season and bringing in seven newcomers? His third team will get tough tests of its progress, starting in late November as the Tar Heels play at least seven — and potentially nine — games against teams ranked in ESPN’s way-too-early Top 25 ranking.
With eight newcomers and seven returnees, Coach Courtney Banghart’s fifth Carolina team faces a challenging women’s basketball schedule that includes at least seven — and potentially nine — games against teams in ESPN’s way-too-early Top 25 ranking. Although the Tar Heels will likely only face a challenge on one of their non-conference home game — the Nov. 30 matchup with No. 8 (according to the ESPN ranking) South Carolina, they face a difficult overall schedule.
North Carolina’s big 2–1 victory over Duke on Sunday got the attention of the men’s college soccer world. After not even getting votes in the previous United Soccer Coaches Top 25, the Tar Heels debuted in the poll at No. 18.
Carolina held the No. 1 spot in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 after remaining undefeated in a week with two games against ranked teams and continues to own the ACC’s weekly awards. The Tar Heels won 1–0 at Virginia (which went from No. 22 to unranked) and played Florida State (which moved up a spot to No. 2) to a 3–3 draw. The Tar Heels got all eight first place votes after the Seminoles got one first-place vote a week ago.
CHAPEL HILL — Many of the positives were outlined for the North Carolina women’s soccer team Sunday afternoon. Quite a bit was accomplished when the top-ranked Tar Heels tangled with third-ranked Florida State. So the outcome just didn’t seem right.
Carolina’s best start in 26 years has the Tar Heels again moving up 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.
You can understand if UNC fan was feeling a little angst about Saturday night’s game vs. Pittsburgh at Acrisure Stadium. On the road, where Carolina had lost two straight heartbreaking overtime games. Poor weather. A team struggling to find its offensive groove. Looking to go 4–0 for only the third time in the past 40 years. Stormtrooper uniforms, which never seem to work. All the elements were there for an Admiral Ackbar special — it’s a trap.
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