University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Travel To Death Valley Saturday
September 27, 2014 | Football
This is the first time Carolina has opened its ACC slate against Clemson since 1996 when the Tar Heels began the year with a 45-0 victory over the Tigers in Chapel Hill. The last time Carolina began the ACC season at Clemson was 1984. Carolina has lost four of its last five against the Tigers, including the most recent meeting, which was a 59-38 loss in 2011. This is UNC head coach Larry Fedora's first game against Clemson.
Carolina is coming off a 70-41 loss at East Carolina. ECU's 70 points, 789 yards of total offense and 39 first downs were all the most allowed in UNC history. Three different UNC players threw a touchdown, including QB Mitch Trubisky, WR Ryan Switzer and holder Tommy Hibbard (on a fake field goal play).
Clemson played host to No. 1 Florida State, falling in overtime 23-17.
AT A GLANCE
Records: North Carolina 2-1 (0-0 ACC), Clemson 1-2 (0-1 ACC)
Rankings: Carolina is unranked. Clemson is receiving votes in both polls.
TV: ESPNU (click to watch). Anish Shroff (play-by-play), Kelly Stouffer (analyst) and Cara Capuano (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 | ClemsonTigers.com | Clemson Notes
Twitter: @TarHeelFootball, @CoachFedora | @ClemsonFB, @RuffinMcNeill
Fan Information: Tickets | Fan Guide | Parking Information
QUICK HITS
• Carolina plays two of its next three and four of its next six on the road, including this week at Clemson and Oct. 11 at No. 8 Notre Dame.
• Carolina is 12th in the nation in turnover margin.
• Carolina started four sophomores and a true freshman on the offensive line last week against ECU.
• Over the last 16 games, Carolina has scored 10 non-offensive touchdowns (five punt returns for touchdowns,
three interception returns for touchdowns, two kickoff returns for touchdowns).
• Twelve different players have scored a touchdown this season. Tailback Romar Morris leads the team with three scores.
• The Tar Heels have scored on all 14 red zone possessions this season with 11 touchdowns and three field goals.
• Sixteen of Nick Weiler's 22 kickoffs have gone for touchbacks. Last year, he had 19 for the season.
• Weiler has made all three of his field goal attempts this season.
• Punter Tommy Hibbard continues to have an outstanding season. He is averaging 39.7 yards per punt. Seven of his 18 punts have been inside the opponents' 20-yard line.
• WR Ryan Switzer ranks third in the ACC with 5.3 receptions per game. Switzer has attempted two passes in career and both have gone for touchdowns.
CAROLINA-CLEMSON NOTES
• Clemson leads the overall series with North Carolina, 35-19-1. Clemson leads the series in games played in Death Valley, 17-7-0, including the three most recent victories in 2003, 2006 and 2011.
• Carolina's last victory in Clemson was a 38-3 victory in 2001 led by quarterback Darian Durant and defensive end Julius Peppers.
• Carolina associate head coach for defense Vic Koenning was the Tigers' defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach from 2005-08. His Clemson defense was among the best in the nation in 2007 and 2008. In 2007, Clemson was ninth in the nation in total defense (307 ypg), and 10th in scoring defense (18.7 ppg).
• Several members of Clemson's coaching staff have ties to the Tar Heels. Assistant head coach Danny Pearman, who also coaches tight end and special teams, was a member of former UNC head coach John Bunting's final staff in 2006. The Tigers' offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell was the assistant head coach and offensive line coach at UNC in 2000 (under Carl Torbush) and 2001 (under Bunting). Clemson
defensive tackles coach Dan Brooks coached at UNC from 1988-93 with former head coach Mack Brown.
• Carolina and Clemson met every year from 1957-2003, but have met just three times since. Carolina lost 52-7 at Clemson in 2006; won 21-16 in Chapel Hill in 2010; and lost 59-38 at Clemson in 2011.
• In the most recent game in 2011, Carolina turned the ball over six times, including twice inside its own 30-yard line, as Clemson rolled to a 59-38 victory. Carolina trailed by just seven points at the half, but Clemson scored 35 points in the third quarter. Ryan Houston started in place of Giovani Bernard, who was nursing a hip injury, and rushed 12 times for 63 yards and two touchdowns. T.J. Thorpe had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
• The only current Tar Heels to play in the 2011 game at Clemson are S Tim Scott, LB Travis Hughes, B Norkeithus Otis, WR T.J. Thorpe, PK Thomas Moore and P Tommy Hibbard.
Players Mentioned
