North Carolina 31, Syracuse 6
Saturday, September 12, 2020
Kenan Stadium, Chapel Hill, N.C.
Game captains: Jeremiah Gemmel, Sam Howell, Michael Carter, British Brooks, Chazz Surratt
• Carolina won its season opener for the second time in as many seasons and its 10th time in 12 seasons under Mack Brown. The last time UNC did not win the season opener under Brown was 1995 at home against Syracuse. Brown is 26-6 all-time as a head coach in season-opening games.
• Brown is 252-128-1 overall and 77-52-1 in 12 seasons as head coach of the Tar Heels. He is 2-1 against Syracuse.
• Carolina and Syracuse have split six games. This was UNC’s first win over the Orange since 2002.
• This is the first time UNC opened the season with an ACC win since beating Clemson 45-0 in 1996.
• Carolina is 84-42-4 in season openers, including 37-31 in the ACC era.
• Carolina has won its last four games, its first four-game win streak since 2016. In those four games, opponents are averaging only nine points and 247 yards.
• UNC allowed six points, the fewest since shutting out Idaho, 66-0, on Sept. 29, 2012. It’s the fewest allowed against an ACC opponent since Duke scored six on Nov. 7, 2009.
• Carolina’s defense registered seven sacks for the first time since the Pitt game in 2013. Five different players had at least one sack and Chazz Surratt and Tomari Fox had two each.
• Carolina allowed 202 total yards, its fewest by an ACC opponent since Boston College gained 198 in 2009. • Junior running back Javonte Williams tied his career high with three rushing touchdowns, all of which came in the fourth quarter. He also rushed for three scores in 2018 against Western Carolina.
• Williams is the first player to post three rushing touchdowns in a season opener since Ronnie McGill had three against William & Mary in 2004.
• Quarterback Sam Howell was 25 of 34 for 295 yards. He finished with a completion percentage of 73.5, which marks the third time in his career completing at least 70 percent of his attempts.
• Howell’s 295 passing yards were the most by a Tar Heel quarterback in a season opener since T.J. Yates had 412 vs. LSU in 2010.
• It was the sixth time in 14 games he completed 25 or more passes and eighth game with at least 250 passing yards.
• Howell connected with tight end Garrett Walston on an 11-yard touchdown on the Tar Heels’ opening drive, Howell’s 14th straight game with a passing touchdown. For Walston, it was his second career score.
• This was the first time in Howell’s career he did not throw for multiple touchdown passes. His TD throw to Walston was his 39th as a Tar Heel, sixth most in UNC history (in just 14 games).
• Running back Michael Carter was the game’s leading rusher with 78 yards on seven carries and he added 60 yards on six catches. It was the ninth time in the last 14 games he rushed for at least 75 yards.
• Wide receiver Dyami Brown had a game-high 94 receiving yards on six carries. The 94 yards were the third most in his career.
• Wide receiver Khafre Brown made his first career start and recorded his first career catch on the first drive, a 13- yard reception. He finished with three catches for 35 yards.
• Khafre Brown (WR) , Kyler McMichael (DB), Asim Richards (OL) and Raymond Vohasek (D) made their first career starts.
• The following played in their game as a Tar Heel: Jonathan Adorno, Grayson Atkins, Cayden Baker, Ja’Qurious Conley, John Copenhaver, Jacolby Criswell, Josh Downs, Stephen Gosnell Cedric Gray, Elijah Green, Tony Grimes, D.J. Jones, Kendall Karr, Kyler McMichael, Myles Murphy, Justin Olson, Kaimon Rucker and Ethan West.
• The Carolina defense stood strong on the Orange’s first fourth-down attempt. On a designed QB run, with 7:18 in the first quarter, Tomari Fox made the tackle for a one-yard loss.
• Ben Kiernan booted a 57-yard punt in the first quarter, which marked his ninth 50-plus yard punt of his career (he kicked eight in 2019 as a freshman).
• Syracuse’s three points in both halves were the fewest by an ACC opponent in a half since Duke scored three in the first half on Oct. 26, 2019.
• Chazz Surratt led UNC with nine tackles and had a career-high two sacks and 2.5 tackles for losses.
• Tomari Fox also had his first multi-sack game as a Tar Heel. He had two for 12 yards in losses. His brother, Toman, also had a sack.
• Graduate student place-kicker Grayson Atkins split the uprights on a 31-yard field goal attempt to extend UNC’s lead to 10-6 with 3:18 left in the third quarter. The field goal was his first as a Tar Heel and his 34th as a collegian (he made 33 from 2017-19 at Furman).
• Late in the fourth quarter, Giovanni Biggers recorded his first career interception.
Saturday, September 12, 2020
Kenan Stadium, Chapel Hill, N.C.
Game captains: Jeremiah Gemmel, Sam Howell, Michael Carter, British Brooks, Chazz Surratt
• Carolina won its season opener for the second time in as many seasons and its 10th time in 12 seasons under Mack Brown. The last time UNC did not win the season opener under Brown was 1995 at home against Syracuse. Brown is 26-6 all-time as a head coach in season-opening games.
• Brown is 252-128-1 overall and 77-52-1 in 12 seasons as head coach of the Tar Heels. He is 2-1 against Syracuse.
• Carolina and Syracuse have split six games. This was UNC’s first win over the Orange since 2002.
• This is the first time UNC opened the season with an ACC win since beating Clemson 45-0 in 1996.
• Carolina is 84-42-4 in season openers, including 37-31 in the ACC era.
• Carolina has won its last four games, its first four-game win streak since 2016. In those four games, opponents are averaging only nine points and 247 yards.
• UNC allowed six points, the fewest since shutting out Idaho, 66-0, on Sept. 29, 2012. It’s the fewest allowed against an ACC opponent since Duke scored six on Nov. 7, 2009.
• Carolina’s defense registered seven sacks for the first time since the Pitt game in 2013. Five different players had at least one sack and Chazz Surratt and Tomari Fox had two each.
• Carolina allowed 202 total yards, its fewest by an ACC opponent since Boston College gained 198 in 2009. • Junior running back Javonte Williams tied his career high with three rushing touchdowns, all of which came in the fourth quarter. He also rushed for three scores in 2018 against Western Carolina.
• Williams is the first player to post three rushing touchdowns in a season opener since Ronnie McGill had three against William & Mary in 2004.
• Quarterback Sam Howell was 25 of 34 for 295 yards. He finished with a completion percentage of 73.5, which marks the third time in his career completing at least 70 percent of his attempts.
• Howell’s 295 passing yards were the most by a Tar Heel quarterback in a season opener since T.J. Yates had 412 vs. LSU in 2010.
• It was the sixth time in 14 games he completed 25 or more passes and eighth game with at least 250 passing yards.
• Howell connected with tight end Garrett Walston on an 11-yard touchdown on the Tar Heels’ opening drive, Howell’s 14th straight game with a passing touchdown. For Walston, it was his second career score.
• This was the first time in Howell’s career he did not throw for multiple touchdown passes. His TD throw to Walston was his 39th as a Tar Heel, sixth most in UNC history (in just 14 games).
• Running back Michael Carter was the game’s leading rusher with 78 yards on seven carries and he added 60 yards on six catches. It was the ninth time in the last 14 games he rushed for at least 75 yards.
• Wide receiver Dyami Brown had a game-high 94 receiving yards on six carries. The 94 yards were the third most in his career.
• Wide receiver Khafre Brown made his first career start and recorded his first career catch on the first drive, a 13- yard reception. He finished with three catches for 35 yards.
• Khafre Brown (WR) , Kyler McMichael (DB), Asim Richards (OL) and Raymond Vohasek (D) made their first career starts.
• The following played in their game as a Tar Heel: Jonathan Adorno, Grayson Atkins, Cayden Baker, Ja’Qurious Conley, John Copenhaver, Jacolby Criswell, Josh Downs, Stephen Gosnell Cedric Gray, Elijah Green, Tony Grimes, D.J. Jones, Kendall Karr, Kyler McMichael, Myles Murphy, Justin Olson, Kaimon Rucker and Ethan West.
• The Carolina defense stood strong on the Orange’s first fourth-down attempt. On a designed QB run, with 7:18 in the first quarter, Tomari Fox made the tackle for a one-yard loss.
• Ben Kiernan booted a 57-yard punt in the first quarter, which marked his ninth 50-plus yard punt of his career (he kicked eight in 2019 as a freshman).
• Syracuse’s three points in both halves were the fewest by an ACC opponent in a half since Duke scored three in the first half on Oct. 26, 2019.
• Chazz Surratt led UNC with nine tackles and had a career-high two sacks and 2.5 tackles for losses.
• Tomari Fox also had his first multi-sack game as a Tar Heel. He had two for 12 yards in losses. His brother, Toman, also had a sack.
• Graduate student place-kicker Grayson Atkins split the uprights on a 31-yard field goal attempt to extend UNC’s lead to 10-6 with 3:18 left in the third quarter. The field goal was his first as a Tar Heel and his 34th as a collegian (he made 33 from 2017-19 at Furman).
• Late in the fourth quarter, Giovanni Biggers recorded his first career interception.
