Carolina Hosts Pitt For Homecoming Saturday

November 15, 2014 | Football

By: UNC Athletic Communications

CHAPEL HILL --- After an open weekend, North Carolina returns to action Saturday, Nov. 15, when it plays host to Pittsburgh in Kenan Stadium on Homecoming. The game will be televised by the ACC Network with kickoff slated for 12:30 p.m.

The Tar Heels (4-5 overall, 2-3 ACC) are looking to regroup after a disappointing 47-20 loss two weeks ago at Miami. Quarterback Marquise Williams ran for two touchdowns, but was under duress all afternoon as Miami collected six sacks and limited UNC to just 11 rushing yards. Linebacker Cayson Collins was a bright spot with a 39-yard fumble return for a touchdown.

Carolina plays two of its final three games of the season at home, including Saturday's matchup with Pitt and the season finale on Nov. 29 vs. NC State. Sandwiched between those two is a Thursday night game at Duke on Nov. 20. With four overall wins, Carolina must win two of its last three to advance to postseason play.

AT A GLANCE
Records: North Carolina 4-5 (2-3 ACC), Pitt 4-5 (2-3 ACC)
Rankings: Both teams are unranked.
TV: ACC Network. Tim Brant (play-by-play), Dave Archer (analyst) and Rachel Baribeau (sideline) have the call.
Radio: Tar Heel Sports Network (click to listen), a division of Learfield Communications. Jones Angell (play-by-play), Ethan Albright (analyst) and Lee Pace (sideline) have the call. | Affiliate List (PDF)
On The Web: GoHeels.com | UNC Notes | PittsburghPanthers.com | Pitt Notes
Twitter: @TarHeelFootball, @CoachFedora | @GoPittFootball
Fan Information: Tickets | Fan Guide | Parking Information

QUICK HITS
• QB Marquise Williams ranks second in the ACC and 20th in the country in total offense, averaging 303.0 total yards per game. Only FSU's Jameis Winston (325.0) is averaging more in the ACC.
• Williams has been responsible for 150 points this season, which ranks 10th in the country.
• Williams is one of five players in the country leading his team in both passing yards and rushing yards.
• Quinshad Davis' next start will be the 30th of his career.
• Carolina has nine players with 10 or more receptions this season, including Ryan Switzer (44), Mack Hollins (28), Bug Howard (27), Quinshad Davis (23), Jack Tabb (18), T.J. Logan (18), Romar Morris (17), T.J. Thorpe (13) and Austin Proehl (11). Kendrick Singleton needs just one catch to become the 10th.
• Carolina is tied for third in the country with three interception returns for touchdowns. The Tar Heels are 11th nationally with 232 interception return yards.
• Nazair Jones became the first UNC defensive tackle to pick off a pass since Tydreke Powell vs. Wake Forest in 2011. Jones' INT set up Carolina's final scoring drive against UVA.
• Carolina has intercepted at least one pass in seven of nine games this season and returned three for touchdowns.
• Carolina ranks third in the conference and 27th in the country in scoring, averaging 35.4 points per game. The Tar Heels have scored 30 or more points in six of nine games this year.
• Five UNC players have thrown a touchdown this year. No other school in the country has five different passers with a touchdown.
• Four different times this year a Carolina player has thrown just one pass in a game and it has gone for a touchdown - Mitch Trubisky at Virginia, Quinshad Davis at Notre Dame, Ryan Switzer at ECU and Tommy Hibbard at ECU.
• Mack Hollins has an ACC-best seven receiving touchdowns. He is 12th nationally averaging 20.2 yards per catch.
• Hollins had touchdown receptions of 53 and 67 yards against Virginia. He became the first Tar Heels with two 50-yard TD catches in a single game since Hakeem Nicks in 2008 vs. West Virginia.
• Carolina's schedule is ranked the 17th-most difficult in the country by the Sagarin rankings.
• Six of Carolina's 12 opponents this season have been ranked in the Top 25 at some point this season (ECU, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, Duke).
• Carolina is 20th in the nation in turnovers gained and 20th in interceptions.

CAROLINA-PITT NOTES
• North Carolina leads the series with Pittsburgh, 5-3. Six of the eight meetings have been decided by 10 points or less, including the two most recent games – a 34-27 UNC victory in 2013 and a 19-17 Pitt victory in the 2009 Meineke Car Care Bowl. Last year's game was the first time the two squads had met as members of the ACC's Coastal division.
• Ryan Switzer returned two punts for touchdowns, including the game-winner in the fourth quarter, to lead the Tar Heels to a 34-27 win in last year's game at Pittsburgh. The Tar Heels recorded seven sacks and stuffed tailback James Connor on 4th-and-1 on Pitt's final drive.
• In one of the most memorable games in Carolina history, No. 5 UNC lost at No. 1 Pittsburgh, 7-6, in 1982. The game was played at Three Rivers Stadium in primetime on CBS. It was the network's first regular-season college football game in 19 years. Future Hall of Famer Dan Marino threw a 4-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter to give the Panthers a 7-3 lead. Marino was 15 of 28 for 125 yards and four interceptions against the Tar Heel defense. Kelvin Bryant led the Tar Heels with 58 yards rushing and five receptions for 22 yards.
• Pittsburgh has been ranked in five of the previous eight meetings, and is 3-2 in those games. Carolina knocked off No. 17 Pitt, 45-29, in the first meeting in 1974, and beat No. 13 Pitt, 17-7, in 1979. Both of those wins came in Chapel Hill.
• Pittsburgh defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Matt House was a defensive graduate assistant coach at North Carolina under John Bunting in 2003 and 2004. • Pittsburgh defensive backs coach Troy Douglas is in his first year with the Panthers. Douglas was UNC's defensive backs coach from 2009-11.