Tar Heels Visit Atlanta For ACC Opener

October 3, 2015 | Football

By: UNC Athletic Communications

ATLANTA --- North Carolina plays its first conference game of the season on Saturday, Oct. 3 when the Tar Heels travel to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech. It's also the first road game for UNC, which plays just three regular-season games outside the state this year. Saturday's game will kickoff at 3:30 p.m. and will be televised by ESPNU.

Carolina is coming off a 41-14 win over Delaware, while the Yellow Jackets fell to Duke 34-20 in Durham. The Tar Heels will be looking to snap an eight-game losing streak in Atlanta and start the ACC season 1-0 for the first time since 2011.

In the win over Delaware, quarterback Mitch Trubisky came off the bench to complete 17 of 20 pass attempts for 312 yards and four touchdowns to spark the UNC offense. The sophomore signal caller had touchdown passes of 33 and 64 yards to Mack Hollins, 10 yards to Bug Howard and 63 yards to Ryan Switzer. UNC's defense allowed just 303 total yards, including a mere 24 yards passing.

UNC has outscored its opponents this year by a combined score of 155-59. The Tar Heels are third in the nation in passing yards allowed and 16th in scoring defense.

AT A GLANCE
Records: North Carolina 3-1 (0-0 ACC), Georgia Tech 2-2 (0-1 ACC)
Rankings: Neither team is ranked.
TV: ESPNU. Saturday's game can by watched on WatchESPN.com. Clay Matvick (play-by-play) and John Congemi (analyst) 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 | RamblinWreck.com
Twitter: @TarHeelFootball, @CoachFedora | @GeorgiaTechFB
Fan Information: Tickets | Gameday/Parking Information

QUICK HITS
• Carolina ranks third in the country in passing yards allowed, fourth in pass efficiency defense and 16th in scoring defense. UNC is allowing just 113.5 passing yards per game.
• Carolina is 24th in the nation in scoring offense, averaging more than 200 yards per game both rushing (217.0) and passing (268.5).
• Carolina has converted 55.1 percent of its third down opportunities this season, which ranks fourth nationally. Last week against Delaware, UNC was 10 of 13 on third down.
• After struggling in this category the last few seasons, Carolina is 13th in the country in penalty yards per game (37.8) and 16th in penalties per game (4.75).
• Carolina did not punt against Delaware and has punted just nine times this year. Only Baylor (5), Navy (6) and Arkansas (7) have punted less.
• Marquise Williams has been responsible for 67 career touchdowns, which is 12 shy of the school record of 79 held by Darian Durant (2001-04) and ranks 18th in ACC history. Williams has rushed for 24 scores (UNC record for QB) and passed for 43.
• Preseason first-team All-America guard Landon Turner will make his 33rd career start Saturday against Georgia Tech. Turner has graded out at 90 percent or higher in every game this season and has already been named the ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week on two occasions.
• Senior wide receiver Quinshad Davis is 14 receptions shy of becoming the school's all-time leader in catches. He is already UNC's all-time leader in touchdown receptions with 22.
• Last season, North Carolina made just six field goals and none longer than 30 yards. This season, kicker Nick Weiler has made seven of eight attempts, including four from 46 yards-or-longer.
• Carolina is averaging 217.0 rushing yards per game, which ranks fourth in the ACC. Under Larry Fedora, UNC has averaged more than 164 rushing yards per game. That is the best average over a similar time span since 1993-96. In the season opener, Carolina rushed for 208 yards against South Carolina, had 211 against North Carolina A&T and a season-high 254 vs. Illinois.
• Carolina has averaged more than 425 offensive yards per game in three straight seasons. This season, UNC is averaging 485.5 yards of offense per game.
• Through four games, no opponent has returned a punt against the Tar Heels. Carolina is one of three schools (Navy, Baylor) that has not had a punt returned this year.

SERIES NOTES VS. GEORGIA TECH
• North Carolina and Georgia Tech are meeting for the 51st time with the Yellow Jackets holding a 28-19-3 lead in the series.
• Georgia Tech has won 14 of the last 17 against Carolina.
• Carolina is trying to snap an eight-game road losing streak to the Yellow Jackets. The Tar Heels last win at Georgia Tech was a 16-13 decision in 1997. UNC entered that game ranked fifth in the country and finished the season 11-1. Six of the eight losses in Atlanta have been decided by eight points or less.
• Last season, UNC's T.J. Logan scored on a 2-yard run with 11 seconds left to help North Carolina rally past Georgia Tech, 48-43, in Chapel Hill.
• In the most recent meeting in Atlanta, Carolina scored the first two touchdowns and held leads of 13-0 and 20-7 in the first half before Georgia Tech rallied for a 28-20 win in rainy conditions.
• Over the last three meetings, the two teams have combined for 257 points, an average of 85.7 points per game. In 2012, Georgia Tech beat UNC, 68-50, as the teams combined to score 118 points, the most in ACC history.
• Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson is a native of Newland, N.C., and he earned his bachelor's degree from Western Carolina in 1979 and a master's degree from Appalachian State in 1982. He began his coaching career at Avery County (N.C.) High School and also coached Lees-McRae Junior College in Banner Elk, N.C.
• North Carolina has 10 scholarship players from Georgia: DB Cameron Albright (Kennesaw), S Allen Artis (Marietta), DE Mikey Bart (Buford), LB Ayden Bonilla (Woodstock), S J.K. Britt (Newnan), DE Junior Gnonkonde (Lakeland), WR Bug Howard (Rochelle), OG Nick Polino (Buford), TE Caleb Samuel (Macon), and DE Justin Thomason (McDonough).