Walker ignites second-half surge as No. 12 UNC blows by Canes

CHAPEL HILL — As tempting as it might be to call it the Tez Walker Game, the spectacular effort by the recently “freed” wide receiver might just be a prelude to the explosiveness to come. In his second game since the NCAA ruled the junior Kent State transfer eligible, he caught a career-high three touchdown passes, with 132 reception yards. His two third-quarter scores ignited No. 12 North Carolina as the Tar Heels rallied from their first halftime deficit of the season to beat No. 25 Miami 41–31 on Saturday night before a raucous Kenan Stadium crowd.

Watch: Press conference with UNC wide receiver McCollum and wide receiver coach Galloway

Hear what UNC wide receiver Nate McCollum and wide receivers coach Lonnie Galloway ahead of Saturday’s Miami game.

After decisive win, UNC surges again in both Top 25 polls

After a dominant 40–7 home victory over Syracuse on Saturday, North Carolina moved up in the AP Top 25 for the fifth consecutive week. The Tar Heels (5–0, 2–0 ACC) jumped two spots to No. 12, their highest rank since they were No. 10 in the 2021 preseason poll and their best ranking this late in the season since they were No. 5 on Oct. 11, 2020.

Easy Louisville schedule could help UNC in an ACC tiebreaker

Should North Carolina need to win a tiebreaker with Louisville to make the league championship game, the Cardinals’ easy ACC schedule could be helpful for the Tar Heels. In the first ACC football season without divisions since 2004, the teams finishing first and second in the ACC standings will play in the ACC championship game.

Video: UNC’s Maye, Fox, Walker and Gray talk about the Syracuse game

Hear what UNC’s Drake Make, Tomari Fox, Tez Walker and Cedric Gray had to say about the Tar Heels’ game with Syracuse.

Video: Watch Mack Brown’s postgame press conference after convincing win over Syracuse

Hear what UNC coach Mack Brown had to say after the Tar Heels’ win over Syracuse.

Good, Bad and Ugly Report: Syracuse

Sometimes things happen in college football that are simply unexpected. UNC’s dominating 40-7 win over Syracuse in Chapel Hill certainly falls in that category. It’s not that Carolina won the game; the Heels were an eight-point favorite and had a 61% chance to win, according to the ESPN FPI index. But I don’t think anyone anticipated such a dominating performance on both sides of the ball, leading to UNC’s biggest margin of victory since beating Georgia State 59–17 in 2021.

Heels play most complete game of season in rout of Syracuse

CHAPEL HILL — No. 14 North Carolina destroyed any doubts about its potential with an offensive explosion and an unyielding defensive show. In the undefeated Tar Heels’ most complete game of the season, they dominated a good Syracuse team Saturday 40-7 at Kenan Stadium in an effort that should command plenty of national attention.

NCAA rules Walker immediately eligible, citing new information

he NCAA has ruled UNC wide receiver Tez Walker eligible immediately because of what it called new information, and he’ll debut as a Tar Heel on Saturday against Syracuse.

The NCAA said that the new information had not previously been provided to it by Carolina. “While we must be careful not to compromise a student-athlete’s right to privacy when it com

Carolina moves up in both Top 25 football polls

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.