2023 North Carolina Tar Heels football team

American college football season

2023 North Carolina Tar Heels football
ConferenceAtlantic Coast Conference
Record8–5 (4–4 ACC)
Head coach
  • Mack Brown (15th season)
Offensive coordinatorChip Lindsey (1st season)
Defensive coordinatorGene Chizik (4th season)
Home stadiumKenan Memorial Stadium
Seasons
← 2022
2024 →
2023 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings
  • v
  • t
  • e
 Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 6 Florida State y$   8 – 0     13 – 1  
No. 19 Louisville y   7 – 1     10 – 4  
No. 21 NC State   6 – 2     9 – 4  
Georgia Tech   5 – 3     7 – 6  
Virginia Tech   5 – 3     7 – 6  
North Carolina   4 – 4     8 – 5  
No. 20 Clemson   4 – 4     9 – 4  
Duke   4 – 4     8 – 5  
Miami (FL)   3 – 5     7 – 6  
Boston College   3 – 5     7 – 6  
Syracuse   2 – 6     6 – 7  
Virginia   2 – 6     3 – 9  
Pittsburgh   2 – 6     3 – 9  
Wake Forest   1 – 7     4 – 8  
Championship: Florida State 16, Louisville 6
  • $ – Conference champion
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2023 North Carolina Tar Heels football team represented the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Tar Heels were led by head coach Mack Brown, who was in the fifth season of his second stint at North Carolina and 15th overall season at the university. The team played their home games at Kenan Memorial Stadium.

Off-season

Coaching changes

After the ACC Championship Game, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Phil Longo accepted the same position at Wisconsin. Offensive line coach Jack Bicknell Jr. followed Longo to Madison after one year in Chapel Hill.[1]

On December 14, 2022, the Tar Heels hired Randy Clements as the new offensive line coach,[2] and would also hire Chip Lindsey to fill the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach vacancy.[3] Along with the new hires, AHC/WR coach Lonnie Galloway added the title of pass game coordinator, and then-TE coach John Lilly added the title of run game coordinator.

Cornerbacks coach and Tar Heel football legend Dré Bly would leave the program in January,[4] and would be replaced in the position by Indiana safeties coach Jason Jones.[5]

In February, John Lilly left to take the TE coach position on Frank Reich's Carolina Panthers staff.[6] He was replaced four days later by former Cleveland Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens.[7] Kitchens was introduced officially on March 1, in the team's pre-spring practice press conference. Kitchens retains Lilly's former title of run game coordinator as well.

Former Tar Heel letterman and longtime NFL assistant Clyde Christensen joined the staff as a volunteer offensive analyst as well, after several seasons as the quarterbacks coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[8]

The defensive staff was fortified also, as former NFL assistant coach Ted Monachino was hired as a defensive analyst.[9]

Departures

NFL Draft

The following Tar Heels were selected in the 2023 NFL draft.

Round Pick Player Position NFL Team
3 79 Josh Downs WR Indianapolis Colts
5 169 Asim Richards OL Dallas Cowboys
7 219 Antoine Green WR Detroit Lions
7 227 Raymond Vohasek DL Jacksonville Jaguars

Transfers

Per NCAA guidance, players can enter the transfer portal in one of two windows. The first, a 45-day period following the conclusion of the sport's regular season, opened for football in December 2022 and closed in January 2023. A second, shorter transfer period opened on April 15, following the conclusion of spring practice.

Source: [10]

Name No. Pos. Height Weight Hometown Year New school
Dontae Balfour 14 DB 6'1" 180 Starke, FL Redshirt Freshman Charlotte
Tymir Brown 28 DB 6'0" 180 Jacksonville, NC Redshirt Freshman ECU
Chris Collins 17 DL 6'4" 245 Richmond, VA Graduate Minnesota
Ja'Qurious Conley‡ 0 DB 6'1" 215 Jacksonville, NC Junior «»
Jacolby Criswell 6 QB 6'1" 225 Morrilton, AR Sophomore Arkansas
Raneiria "RaRa" Dillworth 11 LB 6'1" 200 Winston-Salem, NC Sophomore ECU
Storm Duck 3 DB 6'0" 200 Boiling Springs, SC Senior Louisville
Tony Grimes 1 DB 6'0" 195 Virginia Beach, VA Junior Texas A&M
Ladaeson Deandre Hollins‡ 15 DB 6'1" 200 Tampa, FL Graduate Charlotte
Bryson Jennings‡ 19 DL 6'4" 245 Richmond, VA Redshirt Freshman Liberty
Kendall Karr 82 TE 6'3" 250 Belmont, NC Sophomore Coastal Carolina
Cam'Ron Kelly 9 DB 6'1" 210 Chesapeake, VA Senior Louisville
Jonathan Kim 95 PK 6'0" 210 Fredericksburg, VA Senior Michigan State
Dontavius Nash 21 DB 6'2" 180 Gastonia, NC Redshirt Freshman ECU
Justin Olson 83 WR 6'2" 200 Huntersville, NC Junior MTSU
Keeshawn Silver 55 DL 6'5" 315 Rocky Mount, NC Redshirt Freshman Kentucky
Gabe Stephens‡ 34 DL 6'3" 220 Mount Holly, NC Redshirt Sophomore Eastern Kentucky
Jahlil Taylor 52 DL 6'0" 295 Vienna, GA Senior ODU

‡ Entered transfer portal following the conclusion of spring practices.

«» Indicates player did not enroll at a new school.

Additions

Incoming transfers

Source:[10]

Name No. Pos. Height Weight Hometown Year Previous school
Derrik Allen 7 DB 6'2" 211 Marietta, GA Graduate Georgia Tech
Armani Chatman 9 DB 6'0" 180 Virginia Beach, VA Graduate Virginia Tech
Ryan Coe 40 K 6'3" 225 McDonald, PA Graduate Cincinnati
Amari Gainer 3 Jack 6'3" 237 Tallahassee, FL Graduate Florida State
Alijah Huzzie 28 DB 5'11" 190 Franklin, GA Junior ETSU
Willie Lampkin 53 OL 6'0" 275 Lakeland, FL Senior Coastal Carolina
Antavious "Stick" Lane 1 DB 5'9" 180 West Palm Beach, FL Graduate Georgia State
Tom Maginness 96 P 6'0" 220 Melbourne, Australia Sophomore ProKick Australia
Nate McCollum 6 WR 5'11" 185 Hampton, GA Senior Georgia Tech
Devontez Walker 9 WR 6'3" 190 Charlotte, NC Junior Kent State

Recruiting class

Source:[11]

North Carolina signed 20 players in the class of 2023. The Tar Heels' class finished 30th in the 247Sports composite rankings, 28th in the Rivals rankings, and 29th in the ESPN.com rankings. Four signees were ranked in the ESPN 300 prospect list.

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Tad Hudson
QB 		Cornelius, NC Hough 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Aug 1, 2021 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 83
Jaybron Harvey
EDGE 		Durham, NC Southern Durham 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Jul 1, 2022 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 82
Joel Starlings
DL 		Richmond, VA Benedictine 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 310 lb (140 kg) May 23, 2022 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 82
Chris Culliver
WR 		Maiden, NC Maiden 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Jul 4, 2022 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 81
Christian Hamilton
WR 		Harrisburg, NC Hickory Ridge 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Jul 1, 2022 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 80
Nolan McConnell
OL 		Stafford, VA Colonial Forge 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 260 lb (120 kg) May 3, 2022 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 79
Tyler Thompson
EDGE 		Cary, NC Panther Creek 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Jun 29, 2022 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 79
Caleb LaVallee
LB 		Mableton, GA Whitefield Academy 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Jun 6, 2022 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 78
Tre Miller
DB 		Edmond, OK Deer Creek 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Jun 26, 2022 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 78
Rodney Lora
DL 		Woodberry Forest, VA Woodberry Forest 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 275 lb (125 kg) Dec 20, 2022 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 78
D.J. Geth
OL 		Roebuck, SC Dorman 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 300 lb (140 kg) Jun 25, 2021 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 77
Paul Billups
WR 		Chesapeake, VA Western Branch 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Aug 24, 2022 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 77
Jordan Louie
RB 		Norcross, GA Meadowcreek 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Dec 21, 2022 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 77
Amare Campbell
LB 		Manassas, VA Unity Reed 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 230 lb (100 kg) Aug 24, 2022 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 76
Julien Randolph
TE 		Ashburn, VA Independence 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Jun 14, 2022 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 76
Kaleb Cost
DB 		Tyrone, GA Sandy Creek 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Jun 11, 2022 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 76
Ayden Duncanson
DB 		Mableton, GA Whitefield Academy 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Oct 16, 2022 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 76
R.J. Grigsby
OL 		Kennesaw, GA North Cobb 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 295 lb (134 kg) Jul 1, 2022 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 76
Ty Adams
DB 		Swainsboro, GA Swainsboro 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Sep 25, 2022 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 76
Michael Short
LB 		Charlotte, NC Mallard Creek 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Dec 15, 2022 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 74
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: #28  247Sports: #30  ESPN: #29
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Rivals commits". Rivals.com. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  • "ESPN commits". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  • "2023 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  • "247Sports commits". 247sports.com. Retrieved August 28, 2023.

Personnel

Coaching Staff

North Carolina Tar Heels coaches
Mack Brown Head coach 15th
Chip Lindsey Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach 1st
Freddie Kitchens Run game coordinator/Tight ends coach 1st
Randy Clements Offensive line coach 1st
Lonnie Galloway Assistant head coach/Pass Game coordinator/Wide receivers 5th
Larry Porter Special Teams coordinator/Running backs 3rd
Gene Chizik AHC/Defensive Coordinator 4th
Charlton Warren Co-defensive coordinator/Defensive backs coach 2nd
Tommy Thigpen Co-defensive coordinator/Inside Linebackers coach 6th
Tim Cross Defensive line coach 5th
Jason Jones Cornerbacks coach 1st
Brian Hess Head strength and conditioning coach 5th
Sparky Woods Senior advisor to head coach 5th
Darrell Moody Senior advisor to head coach 5th
Clyde Christensen Volunteer Offensive Analyst 1st
Ted Monachino Senior Defensive Analyst 1st
Reference:[12]

Roster

2023 North Carolina Tar Heels Football Roster

Quarterback

  • 10 Drake Maye – sophomore (6'4, 225)
  • 12 Tad Hudson – freshman (6'2, 220)
  • 14 Jefferson Boaz – junior (6'7, 235)
  • 15 Conner Harrell – Redshirt freshman (6'0, 200)
  • 16 Russell Tabor – sophomore (6'2, 215)

Running back

  • 4 Caleb Hood – junior (5'11, 225)
  • 21 Elijah Green – junior (5'11, 210)
  • 23 George Pettaway – sophomore (5'0, 195)
  • 24 British Brooks – graduate (5'11, 225)
  • 25 Kellan Hood – Redshirt freshman (5'10, 190)
  • 28 Omarion Hampton – sophomore (6'0, 220)
  • 34 Jordan Louie – freshman (5'10, 215)

Wide receiver

  • 0 Tychaun "Doc" Chapman – Redshirt freshman (5'9, 175)
  • 1 Andre Greene Jr. – Redshirt freshman (6'2, 200)
  • 2 Gavin Blackwell – sophomore (5'11, 180)
  • 3 Chris Culliver – freshman (6'1, 185)
  • 5 J.J. Jones – junior (6'2, 210)
  • 6 Nate McCollum – junior (5'8, 185)
  • 7 Christian Hamilton – freshman (5'11, 180)
  • 8 Kobe Paysour – sophomore (6'0, 185)
  • 9 Devontez "Tez" Walker – junior (6'2, 195)
  • 11 Paul Billups II – freshman (6'1, 195)
  • 13 Tylee Craft – senior (6'5, 200)
  • 19 Grady Sherrill – Redshirt freshman (5'8, 180)
  • 20 Brooks Miller – sophomore (5'11, 180)
  • 27 Michael Hall – Redshirt freshman (6'0, 180)
  • 38 Aiden Cloninger – Redshirt freshman (5'11, 190)
  • 83 Josh Espindola – freshman (5'10, 170)
  • 84 Cyrus Rogers – sophomore (5'11, 185)
  • 85 Landon Stevens – junior (6'2, 200)
  • 86 Thomas Flynn – sophomore (6'3, 205)

Placekicker

  • 37 Liam Boyd – Redshirt freshman (6'0, 200)
  • 40 Ryan Coe – graduate (6'2, 220)
  • 90 Todd Pledger – sophomore (6'8, 210)
  • 98 Noah Burnette – junior (5'10, 175)

Punter

  • 91 Ben Kiernan – graduate (6'0, 210)
  • 92 Cole Maynard — sophomore (6'2, 172)
  • 96 Tom Maginness – sophomore (6'0, 205)
  

Tight end

  • 18 Bryson Nesbit – junior (6'5, 235)
  • 80 Julien Randolph – freshman (6'5, 220)
  • 81 John Copenhaver – junior (6'3, 240)
  • 82 Deems May – Redshirt freshman (6'1, 230)
  • 87 Cort Halsey – freshman (6'2, 215)
  • 88 Kamari Morales – graduate (6'2, 245)
  • 89 Cal Tierney – Redshirt freshman (6'5, 235)

Offensive line

  • 51 R.J. Grigsby – freshman (6'3, 315)
  • 52 Jonathan Adorno – senior (6'4, 315)
  • 53 Willie Lampkin – junior (5'11, 290)
  • 54 Chance Carroll – junior (6'2, 295)
  • 55 Zach Rice – Redshirt freshman (6'4, 315)
  • 60 Carter Kulka – sophomore (6'3, 270)
  • 61 Diego Pounds – sophomore (6'5, 330)
  • 63 Ed Montilus – graduate (6'3, 315)
  • 64 Malik McGowan – junior (6'3, 320)
  • 65 Corey Gaynor – graduate (6'3, 305)
  • 68 D.J. Geth – freshman (6'3, 305)
  • 69 Jarvis Hicks – Redshirt freshman (6'6, 295)'
  • 72 Nolan McConnell – freshman (6'6, 320)
  • 73 Eli Sutton – sophomore (6'6, 310)
  • 74 Justin Kanyuk – Redshirt freshman (6'5, 315)
  • 75 Spencer Rolland – graduate (6'6, 315)
  • 76 William Barnes – senior (6'4, 320)
  • 78 Trevyon Green – Redshirt freshman (6'7, 340)
  • 79 Bo Burkes – Redshirt freshman (6'2, 300)

Defensive line

  • 0 Tomari Fox – graduate (6'3, 300)
  • 4 Travis Shaw – sophomore (6'5, 335)
  • 5 Jahvaree Ritzie – junior (6'4, 295)
  • 8 Myles Murphy – senior (6'4, 310)
  • 10 Desmond Evans – senior (6'6, 275)
  • 12 Beau Atkinson – Redshirt freshman (6'5, 270)
  • 41 Kedrick Bingley-Jones – junior (6'4, 305)
  • 92 Rodney Lora – freshman (6'3, 275)
  • 93 Jacolbe Cowan – junior (6'4, 280)
  • 94 Joel Starlings – freshman (6'3, 280)
  • 96 Damon Bremer – freshman (6'2, 255)
  • 98 Kevin Hester Jr. – senior (6'3, 315)
  

Jack

  • 3 Amari Gainer – graduate (6'3, 235)
  • 14 Jaybron Harvey – freshman (6'3, 240)
  • 24 Malaki Hamrick – sophomore (6'2, 220)
  • 25 Kaimon Rucker – senior (6'1, 265)
  • 40 Tyler Thompson – freshman (6'5, 220)
  • 87 Colby Doreen – junior (6'4, 225)

Linebacker

  • 17 Amare Campbell – freshman (6'0, 230)
  • 23 Power Echols – junior (6'0, 225)
  • 30 Michael Short – freshman (6'3, 225)
  • 32 Sebastian Cheeks – Redshirt freshman (6'3, 220)
  • 33 Cedric Gray – senior (6'2, 230)
  • 34 Caleb LaVallee – freshman (6'0, 225)
  • 36 Jalen Brooks – junior (5'10, 240)
  • 44 Randy "Deuce" Caldwell – sophomore (6'0, 230)
  • 45 Jake Harkleroad – graduate (5'10, 215)
  • 47 CJ Murphy – Redshirt freshman (6'1, 220)
  • 48 Milad Aghaiepour – sophomore (5'10, 225)
  • 52 Jonny Fritz – freshman (6'1, 190)
  • 53 Gibson Macrae – sophomore (5'11, 220)
  • 55 Cade Law – Redshirt freshman (6'1, 225)

Defensive back

  • 1 Antavious "Stick" Lane – graduate (5'9, 190)
  • 2 Don Chapman – senior (6'1, 200)
  • 6 Lejond Cavazos – junior (6'0, 200)
  • 7 Derrik Allen – graduate (6'1, 210)
  • 9 Armani Chatman – graduate (6'0, 205)
  • 11 Ty Adams – freshman (5'11, 175)
  • 13 Ayden Duncanson – freshman (6'0, 185)
  • 15 Tre Miller – freshman (5'10, 175)
  • 16 DeAndre Boykins – junior (5'11, 205)
  • 18 Christopher Holliday – junior (6'4, 220)
  • 20 Tayon Holloway – Redshirt freshman (6'0, 185)
  • 21 Kaleb Cost – freshman (5'10, 190)
  • 26 D.J. Jones – graduate (5'10, 200)
  • 27 Giovanni Biggers – graduate (6'1, 200)
  • 28 Alijah Huzzie – junior (5'10, 200)
  • 29 Marcus Allen – sophomore (6'1, 200)
  • 31 Will Hardy – sophomore (6'2, 215)
  • 35 Jaden Selby – Redshirt freshman (6'0, 190)'
  • 37 Jack Blythe – freshman (6'2, 190)
  • 38 Naari Short – junior (5'8, 185)
  • 39 Major Byrd – freshman (5'9, 200)

Long snappers

  • 43 Garrett Jordan – Redshirt freshman (6'0, 225)
  • 61 Drew Little – graduate (5'11, 245)
  • 62 Spencer Triplett – junior (6'2, 235)
* North Carolina Tar Heels Football Roster as of 9/5/2023[13]

Schedule

The 2023 ACC conference football schedule was released on January 30, 2023.[14][15] The 2023 season will be the conference's first season under a new single-division format. The 3-5-5 model gives each team three set conference opponents to play every season, while playing the remaining ten teams twice (once at home and once on the road) in a four–year cycle. The Tar Heels' non-rotating opponents are all traditional rivalries: Duke, NC State, and Virginia.[16][17]

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 27:30 p.m.vs. South Carolina*No. 21ABCW 31–1768,723
September 95:15 p.m.Appalachian State*No. 17ACCNW 40–34 2OT50,500
September 163:30 p.m.Minnesota*No. 20
  • Kenan Memorial Stadium
  • Chapel Hill, NC
ESPNW 31–1350,500
September 238:00 p.m.at PittsburghNo. 17ACCNW 41–2448,544
October 73:30 p.m.SyracuseNo. 14
  • Kenan Memorial Stadium
  • Chapel Hill, NC
ESPNW 40–750,500
October 147:30 p.m.No. 25 Miami (FL)No. 12
  • Kenan Memorial Stadium
  • Chapel Hill, NC
ABCW 41–3150,500
October 216:30 p.m.VirginiaNo. 10
The CWL 27–3150,500
October 288:00 p.m.at Georgia TechNo. 17ACCNL 42–4635,945
November 412:00 p.m.Campbell*
  • Kenan Memorial Stadium
  • Chapel Hill, NC
ACCNW 59–747,667
November 118:00 p.m.DukedaggerNo. 24
  • Kenan Memorial Stadium
  • Chapel Hill, NC (Victory Bell)
ACCNW 47–45 2OT50,500
November 183:30 p.m.at ClemsonNo. 20
ESPNL 20–3181,305
November 258:00 p.m.at No. 22 NC StateACCNL 20–3956,919
December 275:30 p.m.vs. West Virginia*
ESPNL 10–3042,925

[18]

Game summaries

vs. South Carolina (Duke's Mayo Classic, rivalry)

Game One – No. 21 North Carolina Tar Heels (0-0) vs. South Carolina Gamecocks (0-0) – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
No. 21 North Carolina 7 10 14031
South Carolina 7 7 0317

at Bank of America Stadium • Charlotte, North Carolina

  • Date: Saturday, September 2, 2023
  • Game time: 7:44 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Clear • 85 °F (29 °C) • Wind: NE 3 MPH
  • Game attendance: 68,723
  • Referee: Jeff Heaser
  • TV announcers (ABC): Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (color), Molly McGrath (sideline)
Game information
First quarter
  • (9:50) UNC – Omarion Hampton 1-yard run (Ryan Coe kick) (Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 3:55; North Carolina 7-0)
  • (6:29) SC – Dakereon Joyner 4-yard run (Mitch Jeter kick) (Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:21; Tied 7-7)
Second quarter
  • (7:05) UNC – Ryan Coe 37-yard field goal (Drive: 13 plays, 42 yards, 6:20; North Carolina 10-7)
  • (5:16) SC – Juju McDowell 1-yard run (Mitch Jeter kick) (Drive: 5 plays, 72 yards, 1:49; South Carolina 14-10)
  • (2:50) UNC – Kobe Paysour 34-yard pass from Drake Maye (Ryan Coe kick) (Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:26; North Carolina 17-14)
Third quarter
  • (11:35) UNC – Omarion Hampton 1-yard run (Ryan Coe kick) (Drive: 6 plays, 53 yards, 2:43; North Carolina 24-14)
  • (6:29) UNC – John Copenhaver 18-yard pass from Drake Maye (Ryan Coe kick) (Drive: 8 plays, 55 yards, 3:25; North Carolina 31-14)
Fourth quarter
  • (12:19) SC – Mitch Jeter 26-yard field goal (Drive: 12 plays, 61 yards, 4:55; North Carolina 31-17)
Statistics UNC SC
First downs 21 20
Total yards 71–437 70–351
Rushing yards 39–168 31– -2
Passing yards 269 353
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 24–32–2 30–39–0
Time of possession 32:37 27:23
Team Category Player Statistics
North Carolina Passing Drake Maye 24/32, 269 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing British Brooks 15 carries, 103 yards
Receiving Kobe Paysour 7 receptions, 66 yards, TD
South Carolina Passing Spencer Rattler 30/39, 353 yards
Rushing Dakereon Joyner 12 carries, 23 yards, TD
Receiving Xavier Legette 9 receptions, 178 yards

Appalachian State

Appalachian State vs. No. 17 North Carolina
1 234OT2OTTotal
Mountaineers 0 1071070 34
• No. 17 Tar Heels 0 1010776 40
        
Scoring summary
211:10ASUMichael Hughes 46 yd. field goal
(19 plays, 66 yards, 8:10)		ASU 3–0
10:43UNCOmarion Hampton 68 yd. rush (Ryan Coe kick)
(2 plays, 75 yards, 0:27)		UNC 7–3
7:14ASUEli Wilson 5 yd. pass from Joey Aguilar (Michael Hughes kick)
(9 plays, 75 yards, 3:29)		ASU 10–7
3:05UNCRyan Coe 47 yd. field goal
(9 plays, 46 yards, 4:09)		10–10
312:43ASUDashaun Davis 33 yd. pass from Joey Aguilar (Michael Hughes kick)
(6 plays, 75 yards, 2:17)		ASU 17–10
8:57UNCCaleb Hood 5 yd. rush (Ryan Coe kick)
(11 plays, 75 yards, 3:46)		17–17
1:25UNCRyan Coe 31 yd. field goal
(11 plays, 51 yards, 5:01)		UNC 20–17
410:44ASUNate Noel 7 yd. rush (Michael Hughes kick)
(12 plays, 75 yards, 5:41)		ASU 24–20
9:19UNCOmarion Hampton 7 yd. rush (Ryan Coe kick)
(4 plays, 75 yards, 1:25)		UNC 27–24
1:22ASUMichael Hughes 33 yd. field goal
(12 plays, 69 yards, 2:48)		27–27
OTASUNate Noel 7 yd. rush (Michael Hughes kick)
(3 plays, 25 yards)		ASU 34–27
UNCOmarion Hampton 17 yd. rush (Ryan Coe kick)
(3 plays, 25 yards)		34–34
2OTUNCDrake Maye 13 yd. rush (Drake Maye rush failed)
(3 plays, 25 yards)		UNC 40–34


Pregame line Over/under
UNC -18 58
Statistics App UNC
First downs 30 27
Plays–yards 87–494 75–527
Rushes–yards 44–219 45–319
Passing yards 275 208
Passing: comp–att–int 22–43–1 21–30
Time of possession 33:29 26:21
Team Category Player Statistics
App Passing Joey Aguilar 22/43, 275 yards, 2 TD, INT
Rushing Nate Noel 26 carries, 127 yards, 2 TD
Receiving Dashaun Davis 7 receptions, 117 yards, TD
UNC Passing Drake Maye 21/30, 208 yards
Rushing Omarion Hampton 26 carries, 234 yards, 3 TD
Receiving J.J. Jones 5 receptions, 91 yards

Minnesota

Minnesota vs. No 20 North Carolina
1 234Total
Golden Gophers 0 1030 13
• No. 20 Tar Heels 7 1437 31
  • Date: September 16, 2023
  • Location: Kenan Memorial Stadium
    Chapel Hill, NC
  • Game start: 3:35 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours 12 minutes
  • Game attendance: 50,500
  • Game weather: Sunny • 85 °F (29 °C) • Wind: W 4 MPH
  • Referee: Riley Johnson
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Beth Mowins (play-by-play), Kirk Morrison (analyst), Stormy Buonantony (sideline)
    

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Scoring summary
111:47UNCNate McCollum 46 yd. pass from Drake Maye (Noah Burnette kick)
(9 plays, 75 yards, 3:13)		UNC 7–0
213:17UNCOmarion Hampton 1 yd. rush (Noah Burnette kick)
(6 plays, 80 yards, 2:25)		UNC 14–0
9:47MINDragan Kesich 23 yd. field goal
(7 plays, 11 yards, 2:29)		UNC 14–3
2:23UNCBryson Nesbit 19 yd. pass from Drake Maye (Noah Burnette kick)
(7 plays, 80 yards, 2:29)		UNC 21–3
0:30MINDarius Taylor 2 yd. rush (Dragan Kesich kick)
(7 plays, 75 yards, 1:53)		UNC 21–10
310:22MINDragan Kesich 42 yd. field goal
(9 plays, 48 yards, 4:38)		UNC 21–13
1:26UNCNoah Burnette 42 yd. field goal
(8 plays, 56 yards, 1:26)		UNC 24–13
45:00UNCBritish Brooks 1 yd. rush (Noah Burnette kick)
(11 plays, 76 yards, 5:23)		UNC 31–13


Pregame line Over/under
UNC -7.5 51
Statistics MIN UNC
First downs 19 26
Plays–yards 61–303 77–519
Rushes–yards 31–170 37–105
Passing yards 133 414
Passing: comp–att–int 11–30–2 29–40–2
Time of possession 26:50 33:10
Team Category Player Statistics
MIN Passing Athan Kaliakmanis 11/29, 133 yards, INT
Rushing Darius Taylor 22 carries, 138 yards, TD
Receiving Corey Crooms 4 receptions, 46 yards
UNC Passing Drake Maye 29/40, 414 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing Omarion Hampton 13 carries, 46 yards, TD
Receiving Nate McCollum 15 receptions, 165 yards, TD

at Pittsburgh

No. 17 North Carolina vs. Pittsburgh
1 234Total
• No. 17 Tar Heels 7 21130 41
Panthers 7 1070 24
  • Date: September 23, 2023
  • Location: Acrisure Stadium
    Pittsburgh, PA
  • Game start: 8:05 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours, 27 minutes
  • Game attendance: 48,544
  • Game weather: Rainy • 57 °F (14 °C) • Wind: NW 9 MPH
  • Referee: Stuart Mullins
  • TV announcers (ACCN): Wes Durham (play-by-play), Tim Hasselbeck (analyst), Taylor Tannenbaum (sideline)
        
Scoring summary
16:56PITTRodney Hammond Jr. 7 yd. rush (Ben Sauls kick)
(13 plays, 78 yards, 7:59)		PITT 7–0
3:38UNCOmarion Hampton 3 yd. rush (Noah Burnette kick)
(10 plays, 75 yards, 3:18)		7–7
214:55PITTDaniel Carter 1 yd. rush (Ben Sauls kick)
(7 plays, 75 yards, 3:43)		PITT 14–7
9:09UNCDrake Maye 1 yd. rush (Noah Burnette kick)
(7 plays, 75 yards, 3:43)		14—14
7:23UNCAlijah Huzzie 52 yd. punt return (Noah Burnette kick)UNC 21–14
3:38PITTBen Sauls 44 yd. field goal
(7 plays, 49 yards, 3:45)		UNC 21–17
1:00UNCKobe Paysour 7 yd. pass from Drake Maye
(7 plays, 91 yards, 2:31)		UNC 28–17
312:32UNCDrake Maye 1 yd. rush (Noah Burnette kick)
(8 plays, 75 yards, 2:28)		UNC 35–17
8:44UNCNoah Burnette 43 yd. field goal
(7 plays, 55 yards, 2:52)		UNC 38–17
8:32PITTKenny Johnson 100 yd. kickoff return (Ben Sauls kick)UNC 38–24
3:58UNCNoah Burnette 48 yd. field goal
(10 plays, 45 yards, 4:34)		UNC 41–24


Pregame line Over/under
UNC -7.5 50.5
Statistics UNC PITT
First downs 22 18
Plays–yards 69–373 60–304
Rushes–yards 39–77 27–110
Passing yards 296 196
Passing: comp–att–int 22–30–0 18–33–2
Time of possession 31:07 28:53
Team Category Player Statistics
UNC Passing Drake Maye 22/30, 296 yards, TD
Rushing Omarion Hampton 18 carries, 66 yards, TD
Receiving J.J. Jones 6 receptions, 117 yards
PITT Passing Phil Jurkovec 11/15, 109 yards
Rushing Rodney Hammond Jr. 14 carries, 83 yards, TD
Receiving Konata Mumpfield 8 receptions, 90 yards

Syracuse

Syracuse vs. No. 14 North Carolina
1 234Total
Orange 0 070 7
• No. 14 Tar Heels 10 17103 40
  • Date: October 7, 2023
  • Location: Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, NC
  • Game start: 3:36 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours, 3 minutes
  • Game attendance: 50,500
  • Game weather: Sunny • 71 °F (22 °C) • Wind: NW 15 MPH
  • Referee: Marcus Woods
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Dusty Dvoracek (analyst), Tom Luginbill (analyst)
     
Scoring summary
110:51UNCNoah Burnette 29 yd. field goal
(14 plays, 64 yards, 4:09)		UNC 3–0
1:33UNCDrake Maye 1 yd. rush (Noah Burnette kick)
(17 plays, 94 yards, 7:27)		UNC 10–0
212:36UNCBryson Nesbit 23 yd. pass from Drake Maye (Noah Burnette kick)
(9 plays, 77 yards, 2:25)		UNC 17–0
6:10UNCJohn Copenhaver 1 yd. pass from Drake Maye (Noah Burnette kick)
(9 plays, 95 yards, 3:13)		UNC 24–0
0:07UNCNoah Burnette 24 yd. field goal
(12 plays, 72 yards, 3:25)		UNC 27–0
311:15SULeQuint Allen 1 yd. rush (Brady Denaburg kick)
(9 plays, 75 yards, 3:45)		UNC 27–7
6:46UNCNoah Burnette 36 yd. field goal
(10 plays, 57 yards, 4:29)		UNC 30–7
1:41UNCKobe Paysour 77 yd. pass from Drake Maye (Noah Burnette kick)
(4 plays, 83 yards, 1:24)		UNC 37–7
45:08UNCNoah Burnette 31 yd. field goal
(17 plays, 62 yards, 8:09)		UNC 40–7


Pregame line Over/under
UNC -9.5 59.5
Statistics SU UNC
First downs 11 33
Plays–yards 51–221 97–644
Rushes–yards 28–92 48–202
Passing yards 129 442
Passing: comp–att–int 16–23–2 33–49–0
Time of possession 22:44 37:16
Team Category Player Statistics
SU Passing Garrett Shrader 15/21, 124 yards, INT
Rushing LeQuint Allen 11 carries, 38 yards, TD
Receiving Umari Hatcher 6 receptions, 85 yards
UNC Passing Drake Maye 33/47, 442 yards, 3 TD
Rushing Omarion Hampton 15 carries, 78 yards
Receiving Nate McCollum 7 receptions, 135 yards

Miami (FL)

No. 25 Miami vs. No. 12 North Carolina
1 234Total
No. 25 Hurricanes 0 17014 31
• No. 12 Tar Heels 7 7216 41
  • Date: October 14, 2023
  • Location: Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, NC
  • Game start: 7:49 p.m. EDT
  • TV announcers (ABC): Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (analyst), Molly McGrath (sideline)
        
Scoring summary
16:26UNCTez Walker 18 yd. pass from Drake Maye (Noah Burnette kick)
(8 plays, 91 yards, 3:00)		UNC 7–0
212:26UMXavier Restrepo 18 yd. pass from Tyler Van Dyke (Andres Borregales kick)
(4 plays, 63 yards, 1:52)		7–7
5:17UMJacolby George 35 yd. pass from Tyler Van Dyke (Andres Borregales kick)
(11 plays, 92 yards, 5:27)		UM 14–7
2:05UNCOmarion Hampton 2 yd. rush (Noah Burnette kick)
(9 plays, 75 yards, 3:12)		14–14
0:00UMAndres Borregales 28 yd. field goal
(7 plays, 57 yards, 0:55)		UM 17–14
313:12UNCTez Walker 56 yd. pass from Drake Maye (Noah Burnette kick)
(4 plays, 75 yards, 1:48)		UNC 21–17
8:11UNCTez Walker 33 yd. pass from Drake Maye (Noah Burnette kick)
(3 plays, 23 yards, 0:44)		UNC 28–17
2:53UNCOmarion Hampton 4 yd. pass from Drake Maye (Noah Burnette kick)
(9 plays, 63 yards, 3:07)		UNC 35–17
411:01UNCNoah Burnette 34 yd. field goal
(8 plays, 39 yards, 3:53)		UNC 38–17
7:14UMXavier Restrepo 13 yd. pass from Tyler Van Dyke (Andres Borregales kick)
(12 plays, 71 yards, 3:47)		UNC 38–24
3:17UNCNoah Burnette 23 yd. field goal
(6 plays, 66 yards, 3:56)		UNC 41–24
2:17UNCBrashard Smith 54 yd. pass from Tyler Van Dyke (Andres Borregales kick)
(3 plays, 61 yards, 0:56)


Pregame line Over/under
UNC -3.5 56.5
Statistics UM UNC
First downs 28 24
Plays–yards 76–482 76–508
Rushes–yards 27–91 43–235
Passing yards 391 273
Passing: comp–att–int 31–49–2 17–33–0
Time of possession 30:04 29:56
Team Category Player Statistics
UM Passing Tyler Van Dyke 31/48, 391 yards, 4 TD
Rushing Henry Parrish Jr. 13 carries, 73 yards, TD
Receiving Xavier Restrepo 11 receptions, 96 yards, 2 TD
UNC Passing Drake Maye 17/33, 273 yards, 4 TD
Rushing Omarion Hampton 24 carries, 197 yards, TD
Receiving Tez Walker 6 receptions, 132 yards, 3 TD

Virginia (South's Oldest Rivalry)

Virginia vs. No. 10 North Carolina
1 234Total
• Cavaliers 14 0107 31
No. 10 Tar Heels 7 1073 27
  • Date: October 21, 2023
  • Location: Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, NC
  • Game start: 6:37 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours, 21 minutes
  • Game attendance: 50,500
  • Game weather: Clear • 63 °F (17 °C) • Wind: W 6 MPH
  • Referee: Riley Johnson
  • TV announcers (The CW): Tom Werme (play-by-play), James Bates (analyst), Treavor Scales (sideline)
      
Scoring summary
111:05UVAMike Hollins 11 yd. rush (Will Bettridge kick)
(7 plays, 51 yards, 2:53)		UVA 7–0
8:36UNCTez Walker 25 yd. pass from Drake Maye (Noah Burnette kick)
(8 plays, 75 yards, 2:29)		7–7
1:56UVAMike Hollins 3 yd. rush (Will Bettridge kick)
(7 plays, 46 yards, 3:25)		UVA 14–7
213:12UNCBryson Nesbit 62 yd. pass from Drake Maye (Noah Burnette kick)
(3 plays, 79 yards, 1:02)		14–14
0:00UNCNoah Burnette 43 yd. field goal
(7 plays, 54 yards, 0:58)		UNC 17–14
39:35UNCDrake Maye 3 yd. rush (Noah Burnette kick)
(7 plays, 60 yards, 2:25)		UNC 24–14
3:56UVAMike Hollins 1 yd. rush (Will Bettridge kick)
(13 plays, 74 yards, 5:39)		UNC 24–21
0:32UVAWill Bettridge 45 yd. field goal
(4 plays, 6 yards, 1:30)		24–24
412:08UNCNoah Burnette 27 yd. field goal
(11 plays, 65 yards, 3:24)		UNC 27–24
8:51UVAMalik Washington 14 yd. pass from Tony Muskett (Will Bettridge kick)
(7 plays, 73 yards, 3:12)		UVA 31–27


Pregame line Over/under
UNC -23.5 56.5
Statistics UVA UNC
First downs 26 26
Plays–yards 84–436 77–490
Rushes–yards 54–228 29–143
Passing yards 208 347
Passing: comp–att–int 20–30–1 24–48–1
Time of possession 37:06 22:54
Team Category Player Statistics
UVA Passing Tony Muskett 20/30, 208 yards, TD, INT
Rushing Perris Jones 14 carries, 67 yards
Receiving Malik Washington 12 receptions, 115 yards, TD
UNC Passing Drake Maye 24/48, 347 yards, 2 TD, INT
Rushing Omarion Hampton 19 carries, 112 yards
Receiving Tez Walker 11 receptions, 146 yards, TD

at Georgia Tech

No. 17 North Carolina vs. Georgia Tech
1 234Total
No. 17 Tar Heels 14 1477 42
• Yellow Jackets 0 22024 46
  • Date: October 28, 2023
  • Location: Bobby Dodd Stadium • Atlanta, GA
  • Game start: 8:06 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours, 26 minutes
  • Game attendance: 35,945
  • Game weather: Sunny • 71 °F (22 °C) • Wind: SE 4 MPH
  • Referee: Mike Roache
  • TV announcers (ACCN): Wes Durham (play-by-play), Tim Hasselbeck (analyst), Taylor Tannenbaum (sideline)
         
Scoring summary
19:31UNCBryson Nesbit 14 yd. pass from Drake Maye (Noah Burnette kick)
(9 plays, 75 yards, 3:02)		UNC 7–0
4:30UNCOmarion Hampton 17 yd. rush (Noah Burnette kick)
(6 plays, 46 yards, 2:10)		UNC 14–0
211:32GTMalik Rutherford 42 yd. pass from Haynes King (Aidan Birr kick)
(5 plays, 69 yards, 1:25)		UNC 14–7
9:24UNCBritish Brooks 7 yd. rush (Noah Burnette kick)
(6 plays, 75 yards, 2:08)		UNC 21–7
6:53GTBrett Seither 35 yd. pass from Haynes King (Aidan Birr kick)
(6 plays, 75 yards, 2:31)		UNC 21–14
2:46GTMalik Rutherford 14 yd. pass from Haynes King (Aidan Birr kick)
(8 plays, 86 yards, 3:05)		21–21
0:45UNCOmarion Hampton 3 yd. rush (Noah Burnette kick)
(8 plays, 75 yards, 2:01)		UNC 28–21
0:00GTAidan Birr 40 yd. field goal
(8 plays, 52 yards, 0:45)		UNC 28–24
36:03UNCDrake Maye 14 yd. rush (Noah Burnette kick)
(13 plays, 85 yards, 6:49)		UNC 35–24
412:02GTJamal Haynes 4 yd. rush (Malik Rutherford pass from Haynes King)
(9 plays, 88 yards, 2:50)		UNC 35–32
11:13UNCTychaun "Doc" Chapman 35 yd. pass from Drake Maye (Noah Burnette kick)
(2 plays, 38 yards, 0:39)		UNC 42–32
10:40GTDontae Smith 70 yd. rush (Aidan Birr kick)
(2 plays, 75 yards, 0:33)		UNC 42–39
4:28GTBrett Seither 5 yd. pass from Haynes King (Aidan Birr kick)
(6 plays, 79 yards, 2:32)		GT 46–42


Pregame line Over/under
UNC -11.5 64.5
Statistics UNC GT
First downs 25 29
Plays–yards 72–577 78–639
Rushes–yards 47–267 48–348
Passing yards 310 287
Passing: comp–att–int 17–25–0 23–30–1
Time of possession 32:04 27:56
Team Category Player Statistics
UNC Passing Drake Maye 17/25, 310 yards, 2 TD
Rushing Omarion Hampton 29 carries, 153 yards, 2 TD
Receiving Bryson Nesbit 3 receptions, 89 yards, TD
GT Passing Haynes King 23/30, 287 yards, 4 TD
Rushing Dontae Smith 22 carries, 178 yards, TD
Receiving Eric Singleton, Jr. 8 receptions, 117 yards, TD

Campbell

Campbell vs. North Carolina
1 234Total
Fighting Camels 7 000 7
• Tar Heels 7 211714 59
  • Date: November 4, 2023
  • Location: Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, NC
  • Game start: 12:03 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours, 13 minutes
  • Game attendance: 47,667
  • Game weather: Sunny • 62 °F (17 °C) • Wind: N 4 MPH
  • Referee: Gary Patterson
  • TV announcers (ACCN): Jorge Sedano (play-by-play), Orlando Franklin (analyst), Marilyn Payne (sideline)
      
Scoring summary
16:20UNCTez Walker 10 yd. pass from Drake Maye (Noah Burnette kick)
(8 plays, 51 yards, 2:39)		UNC 7–0
1:40CUChaney Fitzgerald 19 yd. pass from Hajj-Malik Williams (Caleb Dowden kick)
(7 plays, 62 yards, 4:32)		7–7
28:56UNCOmarion Hampton 54 yd. rush (Noah Burnette kick)
(5 plays, 76 yards, 1:45)		UNC 14–7
2:36UNCTez Walker 31 yd. pass from Drake Maye (Noah Burnette kick)
(4 plays, 80 yards, 1:11)		UNC 21–7
0:27UNCOmarion Hampton 4 yd. rush (Noah Burnette kick)
(9 plays, 49 yards, 1:42)		UNC 28–7
314:23UNCJohn Copenhaver 25 yd. pass from Drake Maye (Noah Burnette kick)
(3 plays, 75 yards, 0:37)		UNC 35–7
7:13UNCJ.J. Jones 21 yd. pass from Drake Maye (Noah Burnette kick)
(3 plays, 16 yards, 0:42)		UNC 42–7
1:26UNCNoah Burnette 43 yd. field goal
(6 plays, 31 yards, 2:42)		UNC 45–7
48:58UNCConner Harrell 61 yd. rush (Noah Burnette kick)
(4 plays, 80 yards, 1:28)		UNC 52–7
7:13UNCChris Culliver 41 yd. pass from Conner Harrell (Noah Burnette kick)
(1 play, 41 yards, 0:06)		UNC 59–7


Pregame line Over/under
UNC -38.5 67.5
Statistics CU UNC
First downs 20 26
Plays–yards 79–287 61–594
Rushes–yards 42–102 33–276
Passing yards 185 318
Passing: comp–att–int 25–37–1 21–28–0
Time of possession 38:26 21:34
Team Category Player Statistics
CU Passing Hajj-Malik Williams 25/37, 185 yards, INT
Rushing Hajj-Malik Williams 11 carries, 51 yards
Receiving Ezeriah Anderson 9 receptions, 102 yards
UNC Passing Drake Maye 16/23, 244 yards, 4 TD
Rushing Omarion Hampton 15 carries, 144 yards, 2 TD
Receiving Bryson Nesbit 6 receptions, 78 yards

Duke (Victory Bell)

Duke vs. No. 24 North Carolina
1 234OT2OTTotal
Blue Devils 0 1402236 45
• No. 24 Tar Heels 10 631738 47
  • Date: November 11, 2023
  • Location: Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, NC
  • Game start: 8:06 p.m. EST
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours, 45 minutes
  • Game attendance: 50,500
  • Game weather: Cloudy • 51 °F (11 °C) • Wind E 3 MPH
  • Referee: Jeff Flanagan
  • TV announcers (ACCN): Wes Durham (play-by-play), Tim Hasselbeck (analyst), Taylor Tannenbaum (sideline)
           
Scoring summary
110:44UNCDrake Maye 1 yd. rush (Noah Burnette kick)
(10 plays, 75 yards, 4:16)		UNC 7–0
5:53UNCNoah Burnette 23 yd. field goal
(11 plays, 67 yards, 3:55)		UNC 10–0
211:38UNCNoah Burnette 31 yd. field goal
(11 plays, 67 yards, 3:51)		UNC 13–0
5:18DukeJordan Moore 10 yd. pass from Grayson Loftis (Todd Pelino kick)
(9 plays, 70 yards, 6:13)		UNC 13–7
2:07DukeGrayson Loftis 3 yd. rush (Todd Pelino kick)
(5 plays, 14 yards, 2:59)		Duke 14–13
0:23UNCNoah Burnette 25 yd. field goal
(8 plays, 66 yards, 1:39)		UNC 16–14
36:49UNCNoah Burnette 27 yd. field goal
(16 plays, 55 yards, 6:41)		UNC 19–14
414:55UNCOmarion Hampton 2 yd. rush (Noah Burnette kick)
(7 plays, 73 yards, 2:23)		UNC 26–14
9:41DukeJordan Waters 13 yd. rush (Todd Pelino kick)
(7 plays, 70 yards, 3:15)		UNC 26–21
5:21DukeJordan Waters 23 yd. rush (Jalon Calhoun pass from Grayson Loftis)
(8 plays, 54 yards, 4:19)		Duke 29–26
1:55UNCBryson Nesbit 15 yd. pass from Drake Maye (Noah Burnette kick)
(10 plays, 75 yards, 3:26)		UNC 33–29
0:41DukeJordan Moore 30 yd. pass from Grayson Loftis (Todd Pelino kick)
(9 plays, 75 yards, 1:14)		Duke 36–33
0:00UNCNoah Burnette 43 yd. field goal
(6 plays, 50 yards, 0:41)		36–36
OTDukeTodd Pelino 49 yd. field goal
(4 plays, -7 yards)		Duke 39–36
UNCNoah Burnette 24 yd. field goal
(6 plays, 19 yards)		39–39
2OTUNCDrake Maye 5 yd. rush (John Copenhaver pass from Drake Maye)
(4 plays, 25 yards)		UNC 47–39
DukeJordan Moore 6 yd. pass from Grayson Loftis (Jalon Calhoun pass from Grayson Loftis failed)
(6 plays, 25 yards)		UNC 47–45


Pregame line Over/under
UNC -10.5 53.5
Statistics Duke UNC
First downs 22 30
Plays–yards 72–379 87–537
Rushes–yards 43–179 44–195
Passing yards 200 342
Passing: comp–att–int 17–29–0 28–43–1
Time of possession 31:24 28:36
Team Category Player Statistics
Duke Passing Grayson Loftis 16/28, 189 yards, 3 TD
Rushing Jordan Waters 20 carries, 113 yards, 2 TD
Receiving Jordan Moore 6 receptions, 88 yards, 3 TD
UNC Passing Drake Maye 28/43, 342, TD, INT
Rushing Omarion Hampton 31 carries, 169 yards, TD
Receiving Tez Walker 7 receptions, 162 yards

at Clemson

North Carolina vs. Clemson
1 234Total
No. 20 Tar Heels 7 076 20
• Tigers 0 14143 31
  • Date: November 18, 2023
  • Location: Memorial Stadium • Clemson, SC
  • Game start: 3:40 p.m. EST
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours, 50 minutes
  • Game attendance: 81,305
  • Game weather: Sunny • 75 °F (24 °C) • Wind: S 2 MPH
  • Referee: Marcus Woods
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Robert Griffin III (analyst), Kris Budden (sideline)
    
Scoring summary
14:31UNCJ.J. Jones 33 yd. pass from Drake Maye (Noah Burnette kick)
(4 plays, 46 yards, 1:22)		UNC 7–0
210:10CUJake Briningstool 3 yd. pass from Cade Klubnik (Jonathan Weitz kick)
(14 plays, 80 yards, 6:29)		7–7
0:03CUCade Klubnik 3 yd. rush (Jonathan Weitz kick)
(11 plays, 57 yards, 1:11)		CU 14–7
37:15CUPhil Mafah 3 yd. rush (Jonathan Weitz kick)
(7 plays, 56 yards, 3:33)		CU 21–7
6:20UNCOmarion Hampton 55 yd. rush (Noah Burnette kick)
(3 plays, 75 yards, 0:55)		CU 21–14
3:19CUWill Shipley 33 yd. rush (Jonathan Weitz kick)
(6 plays, 75 yards, 3:01)		CU 28–14
410:33CUJonathan Weitz 21 yd. field goal
(11 plays, 88 yards, 5:14)		CU 31–14
7:03UNCOmarion Hampton 3 yd. rush (Nate McCollum pass from Drake Maye failed)
(9 plays, 75 yards, 3:30)		CU 31–20


Pregame line Over/under
CLEM -8.5 59.5
Statistics UNC CLEM
First downs 19 25
Plays–yards 69–457 89–466
Rushes–yards 32–248 55–247
Passing yards 209 219
Passing: comp–att–int 16–37–1 21–34–0
Time of possession 21:49
Team Category Player Statistics
UNC Passing Drake Maye 16/36, 209 yards, TD, INT
Rushing Omarion Hampton 19 carries, 178 yards, 2 TD
Receiving Tez Walker 4 receptions, 70 yards
CLEM Passing Cade Klubnik 21/32, 219 yards, TD
Rushing Will Shipley 18 carries, 126 yards, TD
Receiving Adam Randall 2 receptions, 57 yards

at NC State (Rivalry)

North Carolina vs. NC State
1 234Total
Tar Heels 0 7130 20
• No. 22 Wolfpack 6 20130 39
  • Date: November 25, 2023
  • Location: Carter-Finley Stadium • Raleigh, NC
  • Game start: 8:07 p.m. EST
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours, 22 minutes
  • Game attendance: 56,919
  • Game weather: Clear • 39 °F (4 °C) • Wind: NE 3 MPH
  • Referee: Adam Savoie
  • TV announcers (ACCN): Wes Durham (play-by-play), Tim Hasselbeck (analyst), Taylor Tannenbaum (sideline)
        
Scoring summary
110:35NSCUBrayden Narveson 32 yd. field goal
(6 plays, 43 yards, 3:15)		NCSU 3–0
5:32NCSUBrayden Narveson 40 yd. field goal
(8 plays, 24 yards, 3:54)		NCSU 6–0
212:56NCSUKC Concepcion 11 yd. pass from Brennan Armstrong (Brayden Narveson kick)
(11 plays, 83 yards, 5:53)		NCSU 13–0
10:15NCSUKC Concepcion 6 yd. pass from Brennan Armstrong (Brayden Narveson kick)
(4 plays, 55 yards, 1:39)		NCSU 20–0
5:57NCSUBrayden Narveson 28 yd. field goal
(7 plays, 46 yards, 2:57)		NCSU 23–0
4:34UNCJohn Copenhaver 15 yd. pass from Drake Maye (Noah Burnette kick)
(4 plays, 75 yards, 1:23)		NCSU 23–7
0:00NCSUBrayden Narveson 24 yd. field goal
(13 plays, 70 yards, 4:28)		NCSU 26–7
310:26NCSUDacari Collins 20 yd. pass from Brennan Armstrong (Brayden Narveson kick)
(8 plays, 75 yards, 4:34)		NCSU 33–7
8:50UNCDrake Maye 1 yd. rush (Noah Burnette kick)
(6 plays, 75 yards, 1:36)		NCSU 33–14
7:54NCSUDelbert Mimms, III 7 yd. rush (Juice Vereen pass from Brennan Armstrong failed)
(3 plays, 75 yards, 0:56)		NCSU 39–14
5:44UNCTez Walker 0 yd. pass from Drake Maye (John Copenhaver pass from Drake Maye failed)
(10 plays, 75 yards, 2:10)		NCSU 39–20


Pregame line Over/under
UNC -2.5 55.5
Statistics UNC NCSU
First downs 21 25
Plays–yards 59–384 74–504
Rushes–yards 21–130 43–170
Passing yards 254 334
Passing: comp–att–int 22–38–2 22–31–0
Time of possession 19:54 40:00
Team Category Player Statistics
UNC Passing Drake Maye 22/38, 254, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing Drake Maye 9 carries, 106 yards, TD
Receiving John Copenhaver 5 receptions, 64 yards, TD
NCSU Passing Brennan Armstrong 22/31, 334 yards, 3 TD
Rushing KC Concepcion 11 carries, 55 yards
Receiving KC Concepcion 7 receptions, 131 yards, 2 TD

vs. West Virginia (Duke's Mayo Bowl)

North Carolina vs. West Virginia
1 234Total
Tar Heels 0 1000 10
• Mountaineers 7 10310 30
  • Date: December 27, 2023
  • Location: Bank of America Stadium • Charlotte, NC
  • Game start: 5:36 P.M. EST
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours, 13 minutes
  • Game attendance: 42,925
  • Game weather: Cloudy • 59 °F (15 °C) • Wind: SE 3 MPH
  • Referee: Jerry McGinn (Big Ten)
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Matt Barrie (play-by-play), Dan Mullen (analyst), Harry Lyles Jr. (sideline)
    
Scoring summary
114:49WVUTraylon Ray 75 yd. pass from Garrett Greene (Michael Hayes kick)
(1 play, 75 yards, 0:11)		WVU 7–0
28:34UNCNoah Burnette 28 yd. field goal
(14 plays, 45 yards, 7:13)		WVU 7–3
1:29WVUBeanie Bishop Jr. 78 yd. punt return
(2:16)		WVU 14–3
0:27UNCJJ Jones 16 yd. pass from Conner Harrell (Noah Burnette kick)
(5 plays, 76 yards, 0:58)		WVU 14–10
0:00WVUMichael Hayes 30 yd. field goal
(6 plays, 63 yards, 0:27)		WVU 17–10
32:40WVUMichael Hayes 34 yd. field goal
(8 plays, 54 yards, 3:46)		WVU 20–10
412:48WVUJahiem White 11 yd. rush (Michael Hayes kick)
(3 plays, 78 yards, 1:56)		WVU 27–10
7:58WVUMichael Hayes 29 yd. field goal
(8 plays, 15 yards, 3:27)		WVU 30–10


Pregame line Over/under
WVU -5.5 60.5
Statistics UNC WVU
First downs 20 16
Plays–yards 68–339 53–392
Rushes–yards 41–140 30–164
Passing yards 199 228
Passing: comp–att–int 18–27–2 12–23–0
Time of possession 34:39 25:21
Team Category Player Statistics
UNC Passing Conner Harrell 18/27, 199 yards, TD, 2 INT
Rushing Omarion Hampton 19 carries, 62 yards
Receiving Gavin Blackwell 3 receptions, 78 yards
WVU Passing Garrett Greene 12/23, 228 yards, TD
Rushing Garrett Greene 9 carries, 64 yards
Receiving Traylon Ray 3 receptions, 91 yards, TD

Rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
Week
PollPre1234567891011121314Final
AP211720171514121017RV2422RVRV
Coaches201618171513121017252320RV—
CFPNot released—2420——Not released

After the season

All-Conference Selections

Source:[19]

1st team

2nd team

3rd team

  • Willie Lampkin (OL)
  • Tez Walker (WR)
  • Power Echols (LB)

Honorable Mention

  • Spencer Rolland (OL)
  • Corey Gaynor (OL)
  • Myles Murphy (DT)
  • Alijah Huzzie (DB)

All-America Selections

  • Omarion Hampton (1st Team, WCFF; 2nd team CBS Sports, AP)

Departures

Transfer Portal Entries

The following members of the 2023 Tar Heel football team entered the transfer portal in the postseason window.[20]

Name No. Pos. Height Weight Hometown Year New school
Kedrick Bingley-Jones 41 DL 6'4" 305 Concord, NC Junior Mississippi State
Jefferson Boaz 14 QB 6'7" 235 Pilot Mountain, NC Junior Stephen F. Austin
Jalen Brooks 36 LB 5'10" 240 Knightdale, NC Junior Campbell
Deuce Caldwell 44 LB 6'0" 230 Mauldin, SC Sophomore TBD
Chance Carroll 54 OL 6'2" 295 Mooresville, NC Junior TBD
Tychaun Chapman 0 WR 5'9" 175 Virginia Beach, VA R-Fr. Marshall
Sebastian Cheeks 32 LB 6'2" 230 Skokie, IL R-Fr. Wisconsin
Ryan Coe 40 PK 6'2" 225 McDonald, PA Graduate Cal
Elijah Green 21 RB 5'11" 210 Roswell, GA Junior Indiana
Andre Greene Jr. 1 WR 6'2" 200 Richmond, VA R-Fr. Virginia
Tayon Holloway 20 DB 6'0" 185 Virginia Beach, VA R-Fr. Louisville
D.J. Jones 26 DB/RB 5'10" 200 Fayetteville, NC Graduate TBD
Justin Kanyuk 74 OL 6'6" 315 Lehigh Valley, PA R-Fr. Georgia Southern
Cole Maynard 92 P 6'1" 180 Mooresville, NC Sophomore TBD
Kamari Morales 88 TE 6'2" 245 Buck Lake, FL Graduate Boston College
George Pettaway 23 RB 5'10" 195 Suffolk, VA Sophomore James Madison
Diego Pounds 61 OL 6'5" 330 Raleigh, NC Sophomore Ole Miss

NFL draft entries

The following Tar Heel players announced plans to enter the 2024 NFL draft and forgo any remaining collegiate eligibility.

Name No. Pos. Height Weight Hometown Year
Amari Gainer 3 LB 6'3" 235 Tallahassee, FL Graduate
Corey Gaynor 65 OL 6'3" 305 Parkland, FL Graduate
Cedric Gray 33 LB 6'2" 235 Charlotte, NC Senior
Drake Maye 10 QB 6'4" 230 Huntersville, NC Sophomore
Myles Murphy 8 DL 6'4" 310 Greensboro, NC Senior
Spencer Rolland 75 OL 6'6" 315 Burnsville, MN Graduate
Tez Walker 9 WR 6'2" 200 Charlotte, NC Junior

Coaching Changes

Following continued defensive struggles under DC Gene Chizik in the 2023 season, both he and defensive line coach Tim Cross were dismissed after the team's bowl game. Senior Defensive Analyst Ted Monachino was elevated to the defensive line coaching position the same day Cross and Chizik's departures were announced.[21]

Former Georgia Tech head coach Geoff Collins was hired to replace Chizik as defensive coordinator for the 2024 season.[22]

Senior advisor Darrell Moody retired after the season, and was replaced by former Tar Heel and NFL linebacker Brian Simmons in a similar advisory role to head coach Mack Brown.[23] Brown's other senior advisor, Sparky Woods also left the staff in late January.[24]

References

  1. ^ Samuels, Doug (December 7, 2022). "Phil Longo to be Luke Fickell's offensive coordinator at Wisconsin". FootballScoop.com. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  2. ^ "Carolina Football Names Randy Clements Offensive Line Coach". GoHeels.com. December 14, 2022. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
  3. ^ "Chip Lindsey Hired As Offensive Coordinator". GoHeels.com. December 15, 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  4. ^ Hale, David M. (January 11, 2023). "Ex-UNC football star Dre Bly out as Tar Heels' CB coach". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  5. ^ "Carolina Football Names Jason Jones Cornerbacks Coach". GoHeels.com. January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  6. ^ Stone, Augusta (February 23, 2023). "Panthers add John Lilly to coaching staff". panthers.com. Carolina Panthers. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  7. ^ Martin, Ross (February 27, 2023). "UNC to Hire Freddie Kitchens as New Tight End Coach". InsideCarolina.com. 247 Sports. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  8. ^ Smith, Adam (March 1, 2023). "NFL Coaching Veteran Clyde Christensen Joining UNC Staff as Analyst". InsideCarolina.com. 247 Sports. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  9. ^ Smith, Adam (March 7, 2023). "UNC Adding Ted Monachino from NFL Ranks to Improve Pass Rush". InsideCarolina.com. 247 Sports. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  10. ^ a b Martin, Ross (January 19, 2023). "UNC Transfer Portal Tracker: Who's Coming? Who's Going?". InsideCarolina.com. 247Sports. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  11. ^ "North Carolina 2023 Football Commits". 247 Sports. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  12. ^ "Football Coaches". University of North Carolina Athletics.
  13. ^ "2023 Football Roster". goheels.com. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  14. ^ "UNC football 2023 ACC schedule, opponents announced". The News & Observer. January 30, 2023. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  15. ^ Bergin, Mark (January 30, 2023). "Here are the 2023 football schedules for NC State, North Carolina and Duke". WRAL. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  16. ^ "ACC Announces Football Schedule Model for 2023–26" (Press release). Atlantic Coast Conference. June 28, 2022. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  17. ^ Murphy, Brian (June 28, 2022). "ACC eliminates football divisions, adopts new schedule model in 2023". WRAL. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  18. ^ "2023 North Carolina Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com.
  19. ^ "Atlantic Coast Conference Announces 2023 All-ACC Football Teams". Atlantic Coast Conference. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  20. ^ Smith, Adam. "Tracker: UNC Football Players Entering Transfer Portal". InsideCarolina.com. 247 Sports. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  21. ^ Barnett, Zach (January 3, 2023). "Mack Brown announces major staff changes at North Carolina". footballscoop.com. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  22. ^ "Geoff Collins Hired As Defensive Coordinator". University of North Carolina Athletics. January 5, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  23. ^ "UNC Legend Brian Simmons Joins Football Staff". GoHeels.com. University of North Carolina Athletics. January 30, 2024. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  24. ^ Smith, Adam (January 30, 2024). "Sparky Woods Leacing UNC Football Staff". InsideCarolina.com. 247 Sports. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
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