University of North Carolina Athletics
Saturday, September 22
Chapel Hill
12:20 p.m.
North Carolina
vs
Pittsburgh
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Carolina Hosts Pitt In 2018 Home Opener
September 21, 2018 | Football
Carolina opens the home portion of its 2018 schedule when the Tar Heels host Pittsburgh Saturday at 12:20 p.m. at Kenan Stadium.
UNC is back in action after not playing last weekend against UCF due to the effects of Hurricane Florence on the state. In its last competition, UNC fell to 0-2 on the year with a 41-19 loss at East Carolina. Carolina scored on five separate drives in the first half, but four of the five scores were field goals, and the Pirates led 21-19 at the break. The hosts then held a 20-0 advantage in the final 30 minutes to secure the victory.
Pitt won its ACC opener 24-19 over Georgia Tech on Saturday. Qadree Ollison rushed for 91 yards and two touchdowns as the Panthers raced out to a 21-0 lead and held on for the win to improve to 2-1 and 1-0 in league play.
Saturday's game will be broadcast on Raycom Sports and locally on WRAL.
AT A GLANCE
Records: North Carolina 0-2 (0-0 ACC), Pitt (2-1, 1-0 ACC)
Rankings: Both teams are unranked.
TV: Raycom. Tom Werme (play-by-play), Dave Archer (analyst), Lericia Harris (sideline) have the call.
Radio: Tar Heel Sports Network (click to listen), a division of Learfield Communications. Jones Angell (play-by-play), Brian Simmons (analyst) and Lee Pace (sideline) have the call.
On The Web: GoHeels.com | UNC Notes (PDF) | Pitt Notes (PDF)
Twitter: @TarHeelFootball, @CoachFedora | @Pitt_FB
Carolina-Pitt Series Notes
• Carolina leads the series with Pittsburgh, 9-3, and the Tar Heels have won five straight against the Panthers. Ten of the 12 meetings have been decided by 10 points or fewer, including the seven most recent games – last year's 34-31 win at Pitt, a 37-36 Carolina win in Chapel Hill in 2016, a 26-19 UNC win at Pitt in 2015, a 40-35 UNC win in 2014, a 34-27 UNC victory in 2013, a 19-17 Pitt victory in the 2009 Meineke Car Care Bowl and a 20-17 UNC win in 2000.
• Anthony Ratliff-Williams accounted for three touchdowns and Nathan Elliott threw for 235 yards and two touchdowns in his first career start as Carolina beat Pitt 34-31 last fall at Heinz Field. Ratliff-Williams returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, threw a touchdown pass and caught the game-winning touchdown from Elliott to lead UNC to the victory.
• The 2016 game went down to the final moments, with Mitch Trubisky hitting Bug Howard for a pair of 2-yard touchdowns in the fourth quarter to lift the Tar Heels to a 37-36 win at Kenan Stadium. Carolina trailed 36-23 with less than six minutes to play before Trubisky led UNC to a rousing comeback win. Howard's first score cut the deficit to six with 5:24 to go, and the duo hooked up again with two seconds left to tie the game. Nick Weiler's PAT gave Carolina the lead for the only time on the day. Trubisky finished with 453 passing yards and five touchdowns, while Ryan Switzer matched a school record with 16 catches for 208 yards and a score.
• 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 running backs coach and special teams coordinator 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.
Home Opener/ACC Opener
• Carolina is 5-1 in home openers under Larry Fedora, with the lone loss coming last year against Cal.
• Prior to 2017, UNC's last home opener against FBS competition came in 2013, when Carolina doubled up Middle Tennessee at Kenan, 40-20.
• The Tar Heels have won their ACC opener in two of the last three seasons. Carolina fell to Louisville in Chapel Hill in last season's opener, but had memorable wins over Pitt (2016) and Georgia Tech (2015) in previous campaigns. The 38-31 win in Atlanta in 2015 marked the biggest comeback in program history.
UNC is back in action after not playing last weekend against UCF due to the effects of Hurricane Florence on the state. In its last competition, UNC fell to 0-2 on the year with a 41-19 loss at East Carolina. Carolina scored on five separate drives in the first half, but four of the five scores were field goals, and the Pirates led 21-19 at the break. The hosts then held a 20-0 advantage in the final 30 minutes to secure the victory.
Pitt won its ACC opener 24-19 over Georgia Tech on Saturday. Qadree Ollison rushed for 91 yards and two touchdowns as the Panthers raced out to a 21-0 lead and held on for the win to improve to 2-1 and 1-0 in league play.
Saturday's game will be broadcast on Raycom Sports and locally on WRAL.
AT A GLANCE
Records: North Carolina 0-2 (0-0 ACC), Pitt (2-1, 1-0 ACC)
Rankings: Both teams are unranked.
TV: Raycom. Tom Werme (play-by-play), Dave Archer (analyst), Lericia Harris (sideline) have the call.
Radio: Tar Heel Sports Network (click to listen), a division of Learfield Communications. Jones Angell (play-by-play), Brian Simmons (analyst) and Lee Pace (sideline) have the call.
On The Web: GoHeels.com | UNC Notes (PDF) | Pitt Notes (PDF)
Twitter: @TarHeelFootball, @CoachFedora | @Pitt_FB
Carolina-Pitt Series Notes
• Carolina leads the series with Pittsburgh, 9-3, and the Tar Heels have won five straight against the Panthers. Ten of the 12 meetings have been decided by 10 points or fewer, including the seven most recent games – last year's 34-31 win at Pitt, a 37-36 Carolina win in Chapel Hill in 2016, a 26-19 UNC win at Pitt in 2015, a 40-35 UNC win in 2014, a 34-27 UNC victory in 2013, a 19-17 Pitt victory in the 2009 Meineke Car Care Bowl and a 20-17 UNC win in 2000.
• Anthony Ratliff-Williams accounted for three touchdowns and Nathan Elliott threw for 235 yards and two touchdowns in his first career start as Carolina beat Pitt 34-31 last fall at Heinz Field. Ratliff-Williams returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, threw a touchdown pass and caught the game-winning touchdown from Elliott to lead UNC to the victory.
• The 2016 game went down to the final moments, with Mitch Trubisky hitting Bug Howard for a pair of 2-yard touchdowns in the fourth quarter to lift the Tar Heels to a 37-36 win at Kenan Stadium. Carolina trailed 36-23 with less than six minutes to play before Trubisky led UNC to a rousing comeback win. Howard's first score cut the deficit to six with 5:24 to go, and the duo hooked up again with two seconds left to tie the game. Nick Weiler's PAT gave Carolina the lead for the only time on the day. Trubisky finished with 453 passing yards and five touchdowns, while Ryan Switzer matched a school record with 16 catches for 208 yards and a score.
• 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 running backs coach and special teams coordinator 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.
Home Opener/ACC Opener
• Carolina is 5-1 in home openers under Larry Fedora, with the lone loss coming last year against Cal.
• Prior to 2017, UNC's last home opener against FBS competition came in 2013, when Carolina doubled up Middle Tennessee at Kenan, 40-20.
• The Tar Heels have won their ACC opener in two of the last three seasons. Carolina fell to Louisville in Chapel Hill in last season's opener, but had memorable wins over Pitt (2016) and Georgia Tech (2015) in previous campaigns. The 38-31 win in Atlanta in 2015 marked the biggest comeback in program history.
Players Mentioned
Quarterback
/ Football
Wide Receiver
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