University of North Carolina Athletics
UNC Heads To Pitt For Thursday Night Coastal Showdown
October 29, 2015 | Football
PITTSBURGH --- Just five days after a tough 26-13 victory over Virginia, North Carolina travels to No. 23 Pittsburgh for an important Coastal Division matchup. The Tar Heels have won six in a row and are 6-1 overall and 3-0 in league play for the first time since 1997. Pitt is also 6-1 with the only loss coming at nationally ranked Iowa.
Pittsburgh is the first ranked opponent the Tar Heels have faced since last year's Thursday night game at No. 25 Duke.
Last week, Carolina limited the Cavaliers to 127 yards (72 rushing, 55 passing) in the second half and shut out Virginia in the last two quarters. The Tar Heels forced five turnovers, intercepting four passes for the first time since 2013. Tailback Elijah Hood rushed for 101 yards and a pair of 3-yard touchdown runs.
Pitt won its fourth consecutive game by kicking a 25-yard field goal as time expired to win at Syracuse. The Panthers ate up the last 9:20 of the game on a 19-play drive before booting the gamewinner.
The Pitt game is just the second road game for the Tar Heels, who play nine of 12 games this season inside the state of North Carolina. Following the Pitt game, Carolina returns to Chapel Hill for a pair of home games against Duke and Miami.
AT A GLANCE
Records: North Carolina 6-1 (3-0 ACC), Pitt 6-1 (4-0 ACC)
Rankings: Pitt is ranked No. 23 in the AP poll and No. 24 in the coaches poll. Carolina is receiving votes in both polls.
TV: ESPN. Adam Amin (play-by-play), Kelly Stouffer (analyst) and Marty Smith (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.
On The Web: GoHeels.com | UNC Notes | PittsburghPanthers.com | Pitt Notes
Twitter: @TarHeelFootball, @CoachFedora | @GoPittFootball | @CoachDuzzPittFB
Fan Information: Tickets
• Carolina is the only school in the country that has not allowed a punt return this season.
• Carolina has allowed just 45 points in the second half in seven games – 6.4 points per game. (South Carolina – 7 points; North Carolina A&T – 14; Illinois – 7; Delaware – 7; Georgia Tech – 10; Wake Forest – 0; Virginia – 0)
• Senior wide receiver Quinshad Davis has 180 career receptions and is just two shy of passing Hakeem Nicks (181) to become the school's all-time leader. He is already UNC's all-time leader in touchdown receptions with 22.
• Marquise Williams needs just 14 yards to become only the fifth quarterback in ACC history with 2,000 career rushing yards. Williams ranks 14th in UNC history with 1,986 yards.
• Williams has been responsible for 76 career touchdowns, which is three shy of the school record of 79 held by Darian Durant (2001-04) and ranks 10th in ACC history. Williams has rushed for 27 scores (UNC record for QB), passed for 46 and has three receiving TDs.
• For the second straight week, North Carolina is the only unranked Power 5 conference team in the country with just one loss.
• Five current Tar Heels have made 30-or-more career starts. Quinshad Davis leads the way with 40, followed by OG Landon Turner (35), OT Jon Heck (31), LB Jeff Schoettmer (31) and OG Caleb Peterson (30).
• North Carolina is 10 for 10 in non-quarterback passes under Larry Fedora. WR Quinshad Davis has completed all four pass attempts of his career for touchdowns. He is 4 of 4 for 121 yards and four touchdowns for a passer rating of 684.1. WR Ryan Switzer has completed all three of his attempts for two touchdowns.
• Carolina ranks second in the country in passing yards allowed, 10th in pass efficiency defense and 16th in scoring defense. UNC is allowing just 137.3 passing yards per game and 16.7 points per game.
• Carolina is 16th in the nation in scoring offense and is one of just 10 teams in the country averaging more than 200 yards per game rushing (215.3) and 250 passing (258.3).
• Carolina has converted 48 percent of its third down opportunities this season, which ranks 12th nationally.
• Carolina has punted just 18 times this year. Only Baylor (17) and Navy (17) have fewer punts.
CAROLINA-PITT SERIES NOTES
• North Carolina leads the series with Pittsburgh, 6-3. Seven of the nine meetings have been decided by 10 points or less, including the three most recent games – a 40-35 UNC win in 2014, a 34-27 UNC victory in 2013 and a 19-17 Pitt victory in the 2009 Meineke Car Care Bowl.
• In UNC's last visit to Pittsburgh, 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. 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 nine 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 running backs coach Andre Powell spent six seasons at UNC from 2001-06 under head coach John Bunting as the team's running backs and special teams coach.
