GAME PREVIEW
North Carolina looks to close out the season with a win over in-state rival NC State on Friday, Nov. 25 at Noon. The game will be televised by ESPN. This is the first time the two rivals have met on a Friday since the 1995 game in Raleigh. North Carolina will honor 16 seniors on Friday, many of whom have made a significant impact on the UNC record book.
Carolina is coming off a 41-7 win at home vs. The Citadel. Quarterback Mitch Trubisky threw three
touchdown passes, T.J. Logan returned a kickoff 100 yards for a score and safety Dominquie Green picked off a pass and returned it 58 yards for a touchdown in the win. Defensively, Carolina held the Bulldogs out of the end zone until the fourth quarter and forced a season-high four turnovers, including three fumbles and an interception.
NC State is coming off a 27-13 loss to Miami last Saturday and must win this week to be bowl eligible.
PLAYING ON FRIDAY
*This is the first Friday game for UNC since beating NC State in the Friday after Thanksgiving in 1995 in Raleigh by a score of 30-28. This is believed to be just the second time Carolina has played a home game on Friday since it became a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1953. Carolina played Duke on Friday, Nov. 26, 1993.
CAROLINA-NC STATE SERIES NOTES
*North Carolina leads the series with NC State, 66-33-6.
*A brief look at the last four games: Carolina defeated the Wolfpack 43-35 in 2012 on Giovani Bernard’s 74-yard game-winning punt return with 13 seconds remaining. In 2013, the Tar Heels earned their first win at Carter-Finley Stadium since 2005 with a 27-19 victory. In 2014, the Wolfpack scored a 35-7 win at Kenan Stadium. In 2015, Carolina bolted to a 35-7 first-quarter lead and Elijah Hood rushed for a career-best 220 yards as the Tar Heels earned a 45-34 victory.
*The Carolina-NC State series is the fourth-most-played in ACC history. Carolina is part of four of the five most-played series in ACC history.
*The team that has held the rushing advantage has won 21 of the last 24 meetings. The lone exceptions came in 2004 when Carolina won 30-24, but was outgained on the ground, 304-164; in 2009 when Carolina had 159 rushing yards to NC State’s 76 in a 28-27 Wolfpack victory; and in 2013 when State held a 212-152 advantage in rushing. Last season, Carolina outrushed the Wolfpack, 374-308.
TRUBISKY IN THE RANKINGS
Carolina junior Mitch Trubisky, a candidate for all the major quarterback awards, is fifth in the nation in completion percentage (69.7), sixth in total completions (258), ninth in pass efficiency rating (162.2), 10th in total yards (3,188), 14th in passing yards per game (289.8) and 14th in TD passes (25). He is fifth in the ACC and 17th in the country with 309.4 total yards of offense per game. Trubisky was recently named one of 18 semifinalists for the Davey O'Brien Award, which is presented annually to the best college quarterback, and is the nation's oldest and most prestigious national quarterback award
OVERALL
*Overall Wins: Carolina has won 19 of its last 24 games, including 13 of 15 ACC regular season
games. The 19 wins are the most in back-to-back seasons since winning 21 in 1996 (10) and 1997 (11).
*Winning 19: Carolina's 19 wins over the last two years ranks sixth among Power 5 programs.
1. Alabama - 25
2. Clemson - 24
3. Ohio State - 22
4. Michigan - 20
Oklahoma - 20
6. North Carolina - 19
Oklahoma State - 19
Wisconsin – 19
*Winning at Kenan: Carolina has won 11 of the last 12 games at Kenan Stadium, including all seven games in 2015 and four of five this season.
*35 Points: Larry Fedora is one of just 12 active coaches averaging 35 points per game in his career.
*Scoring 30/40 Under Fedora: Carolina has scored 30 or more points in 43 of Fedora’s 63 games at UNC. The Tar Heels have scored 40 or more points in 26 of those 63 games.
*The 700 Club: Carolina, now in its 126th season of college football, won its 700th all-time game with a 35-14 victory at Virginia. UNC’s all-time record is 702-521-54.
*Wins In Florida: Carolina is just the second team in college football history to knock off Miami and Florida State on the road in the same season. Virginia in 2011 is the other.
*Ranked Wins: Carolina’s wins at No. 12 Florida State and at No. 16 Miami mark the first time the Tar Heels have won two games on the road over ranked teams in the same season.
*Fresh Faces: Carolina has played 17 freshmen this season, including 10 true freshmen and seven redshirt freshmen. True freshmen to see action this year are tailback Jordon Brown, safety Myles Dorn, defensive tackle Marlon Dunlap, safety D.J. Ford, defensive end Tomon Fox, cornerback Patrice Rene, linebacker Dominique Ross, cornerback K.J. Sails, punter Tom Sheldon and linebacker Jonathan Smith. The redshirt freshmen include tight end Jake Bargas, offensive tackle Charlie Heck, offensive guard Tommy Hatton, wide receiver Anthony Ratliff-Williams, tight end Carl Tucker, defensive end Jason Strowbridge and OT William Sweet.
*New Starters: Carolina has had 16 different players make their first career starts in 2016, including quarterback Mitch Trubisky.
OFFENSE
*2K Rushers: Elijah Hood (2,524) and T.J. Logan (2,071) each have more than 2,000 career rushing yards. It is the first time in school history Carolina has had two players with 2,000 rushing yards on the team at the same time.
*Third-Down Percentage: Carolina is second in the ACC and 22nd nationally in third down conversion percentage (46.4). After converting 56.2 percent in a three-game win streak over Miami, Virginia and Georgia Tech, the Tar Heels are just five of 18 in the last two games vs. Duke and The Citadel.
*Trubisky Rankings: Carolina junior Mitch Trubisky, a candidate for all the major quarter back awards, is fifth in the nation in completion percentage (69.7), sixth in total completions (258), ninth in pass efficiency rating (162.2), 10th in total yards (3,188), 14th in passing yards per game (289.8) and 14th in TD passes (25). He is fifth in the ACC and 17th in the country with 309.4 total yards of offense per game.
*Trubisky Streak: Trubisky’s school-record streak of consecutive pass attempts without an interception ended at 243 against Virginia Tech. His fourth pass of the game, which was intended for Mack Hollins, was tipped and then intercepted by Virginia Tech cornerback Greg Stroman. The previous record of 154 was set by Oscar Davenport in 1996-97. Trubisky attempted 178 consecutive passes this season before his first interception.
*Trubisky’s Top Three: In his first five games as a starter, Trubisky had three of the top 11 single-game passing performances in UNC history (453 vs. Pitt - ranks second all-time at UNC; 432 vs. JMU - ranks fourth; 405 vs. FSU - ranks 11th).
*100 Point Scorers: Carolina has five players who have scored 100 or more career points. They are PK Nick Weiler (265 points), TB Elijah Hood (174), TB T.J. Logan (156), WR Ryan Switzer (144) and WR Mack Hollins (120). WR Bug Howard (96) is closing in on the 100-point club.
*Offensive Line Experience: One of the most experienced offensive lines in the country when the season began, Carolina has suffered a series of setbacks and injuries on the O-line. Senior John Ferranto was lost before the season began with a torn pec and senior Caleb Peterson played the first five games of the year before a back injury ended his season. Still, the Tar Heels have three starters – senior OT Jon Heck (48 career starts), senior center Lucas Crowley (38) and junior left tackle Bentley Spain (21) with significant game experience. Junior R.J. Prince has started 10 games this year at right guard and redshirt freshman Tommy Hatton has made six starts.
*Rushing High: Carolina rushed for a season-high 283 yards in the win over Georgia Tech. The previous high was 197 at Illinois. Hood's Breakout: Elijah Hood rushed for a season-high 168 yards and scored three touchdowns in the win over Georgia Tech. He averaged 14.0 yards per carry. North Carolina is 9-0 when Hood scores multiple touchdowns. It is the 11th time in his career he rushed for 100 yards and the second time in his career he rushed for three touchdowns. He also scored three rushing touchdowns last year in a win over Duke.
*Highest Rushing Average in 20 years: In the first five seasons under Larry Fedora, Carolina averaged 174.8 rushing yards per game. That is the highest four-year average since the 1992-95 seasons when Mack Brown’s Tar Heels posted a 214.4 average.
*Record-Holding WR: Ryan Switzer is Carolina’s all-time leading receiver with 226 career catches. Against Miami, he eclipsed the record held previously by Quinshad Davis, who had 205 from 2012-15. Switzer ranks eighth in ACC history in receptions.
*Switzer Against P5: Switzer leads the nation with 69 receptions against Power 5 opponents.
*Consistent Switzer: Switzer has at least one catch in 49 of 51 career games at UNC.
*ACC Record 30 Receptions: Switzer made an ACC record 30 combined receptions in consecutive
wins over Pitt and Florida State. He tied the ACC single-game record with 16 catches vs. Pitt and
then had 14 vs. FSU.
*Closing in On UNC Record: Switzer ranks 10th in the country with 78 receptions. He is seven
receptions shy of the UNC single-season record of 85 set by Dwight Jones in 2011. Switzer is third in the ACC and is 11th in the country with 7.1 receptions per game. He is fourth in the league with 77.8 receiving yards per game.
*Bug Catches: Bug Howard posted three straight games of 100-or-more yards receiving in wins over Miami, Virginia and Georgia Tech.
*Proehl's Breakout Season: Junior WR Austin Proehl, son of Carolina Panthers’ wide receivers coach Ricky Proehl, entered the season with 27 career catches. This year he has 35 receptions for 484 yards and three touchdowns.
North Carolina looks to close out the season with a win over in-state rival NC State on Friday, Nov. 25 at Noon. The game will be televised by ESPN. This is the first time the two rivals have met on a Friday since the 1995 game in Raleigh. North Carolina will honor 16 seniors on Friday, many of whom have made a significant impact on the UNC record book.
Carolina is coming off a 41-7 win at home vs. The Citadel. Quarterback Mitch Trubisky threw three
touchdown passes, T.J. Logan returned a kickoff 100 yards for a score and safety Dominquie Green picked off a pass and returned it 58 yards for a touchdown in the win. Defensively, Carolina held the Bulldogs out of the end zone until the fourth quarter and forced a season-high four turnovers, including three fumbles and an interception.
NC State is coming off a 27-13 loss to Miami last Saturday and must win this week to be bowl eligible.
PLAYING ON FRIDAY
*This is the first Friday game for UNC since beating NC State in the Friday after Thanksgiving in 1995 in Raleigh by a score of 30-28. This is believed to be just the second time Carolina has played a home game on Friday since it became a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1953. Carolina played Duke on Friday, Nov. 26, 1993.
CAROLINA-NC STATE SERIES NOTES
*North Carolina leads the series with NC State, 66-33-6.
*A brief look at the last four games: Carolina defeated the Wolfpack 43-35 in 2012 on Giovani Bernard’s 74-yard game-winning punt return with 13 seconds remaining. In 2013, the Tar Heels earned their first win at Carter-Finley Stadium since 2005 with a 27-19 victory. In 2014, the Wolfpack scored a 35-7 win at Kenan Stadium. In 2015, Carolina bolted to a 35-7 first-quarter lead and Elijah Hood rushed for a career-best 220 yards as the Tar Heels earned a 45-34 victory.
*The Carolina-NC State series is the fourth-most-played in ACC history. Carolina is part of four of the five most-played series in ACC history.
*The team that has held the rushing advantage has won 21 of the last 24 meetings. The lone exceptions came in 2004 when Carolina won 30-24, but was outgained on the ground, 304-164; in 2009 when Carolina had 159 rushing yards to NC State’s 76 in a 28-27 Wolfpack victory; and in 2013 when State held a 212-152 advantage in rushing. Last season, Carolina outrushed the Wolfpack, 374-308.
TRUBISKY IN THE RANKINGS
Carolina junior Mitch Trubisky, a candidate for all the major quarterback awards, is fifth in the nation in completion percentage (69.7), sixth in total completions (258), ninth in pass efficiency rating (162.2), 10th in total yards (3,188), 14th in passing yards per game (289.8) and 14th in TD passes (25). He is fifth in the ACC and 17th in the country with 309.4 total yards of offense per game. Trubisky was recently named one of 18 semifinalists for the Davey O'Brien Award, which is presented annually to the best college quarterback, and is the nation's oldest and most prestigious national quarterback award
OVERALL
*Overall Wins: Carolina has won 19 of its last 24 games, including 13 of 15 ACC regular season
games. The 19 wins are the most in back-to-back seasons since winning 21 in 1996 (10) and 1997 (11).
*Winning 19: Carolina's 19 wins over the last two years ranks sixth among Power 5 programs.
1. Alabama - 25
2. Clemson - 24
3. Ohio State - 22
4. Michigan - 20
Oklahoma - 20
6. North Carolina - 19
Oklahoma State - 19
Wisconsin – 19
*Winning at Kenan: Carolina has won 11 of the last 12 games at Kenan Stadium, including all seven games in 2015 and four of five this season.
*35 Points: Larry Fedora is one of just 12 active coaches averaging 35 points per game in his career.
*Scoring 30/40 Under Fedora: Carolina has scored 30 or more points in 43 of Fedora’s 63 games at UNC. The Tar Heels have scored 40 or more points in 26 of those 63 games.
*The 700 Club: Carolina, now in its 126th season of college football, won its 700th all-time game with a 35-14 victory at Virginia. UNC’s all-time record is 702-521-54.
*Wins In Florida: Carolina is just the second team in college football history to knock off Miami and Florida State on the road in the same season. Virginia in 2011 is the other.
*Ranked Wins: Carolina’s wins at No. 12 Florida State and at No. 16 Miami mark the first time the Tar Heels have won two games on the road over ranked teams in the same season.
*Fresh Faces: Carolina has played 17 freshmen this season, including 10 true freshmen and seven redshirt freshmen. True freshmen to see action this year are tailback Jordon Brown, safety Myles Dorn, defensive tackle Marlon Dunlap, safety D.J. Ford, defensive end Tomon Fox, cornerback Patrice Rene, linebacker Dominique Ross, cornerback K.J. Sails, punter Tom Sheldon and linebacker Jonathan Smith. The redshirt freshmen include tight end Jake Bargas, offensive tackle Charlie Heck, offensive guard Tommy Hatton, wide receiver Anthony Ratliff-Williams, tight end Carl Tucker, defensive end Jason Strowbridge and OT William Sweet.
*New Starters: Carolina has had 16 different players make their first career starts in 2016, including quarterback Mitch Trubisky.
OFFENSE
*2K Rushers: Elijah Hood (2,524) and T.J. Logan (2,071) each have more than 2,000 career rushing yards. It is the first time in school history Carolina has had two players with 2,000 rushing yards on the team at the same time.
*Third-Down Percentage: Carolina is second in the ACC and 22nd nationally in third down conversion percentage (46.4). After converting 56.2 percent in a three-game win streak over Miami, Virginia and Georgia Tech, the Tar Heels are just five of 18 in the last two games vs. Duke and The Citadel.
*Trubisky Rankings: Carolina junior Mitch Trubisky, a candidate for all the major quarter back awards, is fifth in the nation in completion percentage (69.7), sixth in total completions (258), ninth in pass efficiency rating (162.2), 10th in total yards (3,188), 14th in passing yards per game (289.8) and 14th in TD passes (25). He is fifth in the ACC and 17th in the country with 309.4 total yards of offense per game.
*Trubisky Streak: Trubisky’s school-record streak of consecutive pass attempts without an interception ended at 243 against Virginia Tech. His fourth pass of the game, which was intended for Mack Hollins, was tipped and then intercepted by Virginia Tech cornerback Greg Stroman. The previous record of 154 was set by Oscar Davenport in 1996-97. Trubisky attempted 178 consecutive passes this season before his first interception.
*Trubisky’s Top Three: In his first five games as a starter, Trubisky had three of the top 11 single-game passing performances in UNC history (453 vs. Pitt - ranks second all-time at UNC; 432 vs. JMU - ranks fourth; 405 vs. FSU - ranks 11th).
*100 Point Scorers: Carolina has five players who have scored 100 or more career points. They are PK Nick Weiler (265 points), TB Elijah Hood (174), TB T.J. Logan (156), WR Ryan Switzer (144) and WR Mack Hollins (120). WR Bug Howard (96) is closing in on the 100-point club.
*Offensive Line Experience: One of the most experienced offensive lines in the country when the season began, Carolina has suffered a series of setbacks and injuries on the O-line. Senior John Ferranto was lost before the season began with a torn pec and senior Caleb Peterson played the first five games of the year before a back injury ended his season. Still, the Tar Heels have three starters – senior OT Jon Heck (48 career starts), senior center Lucas Crowley (38) and junior left tackle Bentley Spain (21) with significant game experience. Junior R.J. Prince has started 10 games this year at right guard and redshirt freshman Tommy Hatton has made six starts.
*Rushing High: Carolina rushed for a season-high 283 yards in the win over Georgia Tech. The previous high was 197 at Illinois. Hood's Breakout: Elijah Hood rushed for a season-high 168 yards and scored three touchdowns in the win over Georgia Tech. He averaged 14.0 yards per carry. North Carolina is 9-0 when Hood scores multiple touchdowns. It is the 11th time in his career he rushed for 100 yards and the second time in his career he rushed for three touchdowns. He also scored three rushing touchdowns last year in a win over Duke.
*Highest Rushing Average in 20 years: In the first five seasons under Larry Fedora, Carolina averaged 174.8 rushing yards per game. That is the highest four-year average since the 1992-95 seasons when Mack Brown’s Tar Heels posted a 214.4 average.
*Record-Holding WR: Ryan Switzer is Carolina’s all-time leading receiver with 226 career catches. Against Miami, he eclipsed the record held previously by Quinshad Davis, who had 205 from 2012-15. Switzer ranks eighth in ACC history in receptions.
*Switzer Against P5: Switzer leads the nation with 69 receptions against Power 5 opponents.
*Consistent Switzer: Switzer has at least one catch in 49 of 51 career games at UNC.
*ACC Record 30 Receptions: Switzer made an ACC record 30 combined receptions in consecutive
wins over Pitt and Florida State. He tied the ACC single-game record with 16 catches vs. Pitt and
then had 14 vs. FSU.
*Closing in On UNC Record: Switzer ranks 10th in the country with 78 receptions. He is seven
receptions shy of the UNC single-season record of 85 set by Dwight Jones in 2011. Switzer is third in the ACC and is 11th in the country with 7.1 receptions per game. He is fourth in the league with 77.8 receiving yards per game.
*Bug Catches: Bug Howard posted three straight games of 100-or-more yards receiving in wins over Miami, Virginia and Georgia Tech.
*Proehl's Breakout Season: Junior WR Austin Proehl, son of Carolina Panthers’ wide receivers coach Ricky Proehl, entered the season with 27 career catches. This year he has 35 receptions for 484 yards and three touchdowns.
