University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Rapid Reactions: Schedule Release
January 16, 2019 | Football, Featured Writers
By Pat James
1. As has been known for quite some time, the opener against South Carolina on Aug. 31 in Charlotte will present North Carolina the opportunity to make a strong initial impression in a nationally televised game. It'll also be Mack Brown's first game on the Tar Heel sideline in almost 22 years. Adding even more intrigue to the matchup is that Gamecocks' head coach Will Muschamp served as Brown's defensive coordinator at Texas from 2008-2010. UNC has lost its last three games against South Carolina.
2. Despite the interest surrounding the opener, no game stands out more than the one on Sept. 28, when Carolina hosts Clemson. It's not every year that the defending national champion comes to your town. For UNC fans, that's especially been the case. The Tigers will be the first consensus reigning champs ever to visit Kenan Stadium, and the first national champion of any kind to come to Chapel Hill since Tennessee in 1951. The Volunteers were recognized as national champions in 1950 by the College Football Researchers Association and National Championship Foundation, but not by the AP or UPI (Coaches) polls. The meeting between the Tar Heels and Clemson will also be their first since the 2015 ACC Championship game.
3. The South Carolina and Clemson games sandwich a challenging five-game start to the season. In between those, UNC will play its home opener against Miami, travel to Wake Forest and then face Appalachian State at Kenan. Luckily, all five of those games will be played in the state of North Carolina. The Carolina coaching staff will surely emphasize that as it continues aggressively recruiting in-state players.
4. After having only one scheduled open date in each of the last four seasons, the Tar Heels have two in 2019, making the schedule feel much more segmented. The first open date falls on the second weekend of October, between UNC's games at Georgia Tech on Oct. 5 and at Virginia Tech on Oct. 19. Those are the only consecutive road games that Carolina plays. The second open date is during the second weekend of November, giving the Tar Heels 11 days to prepare for a Thursday night game at Pittsburgh on Nov. 14.
5. UNC also plays at Wake Forest on a Thursday night. That non-conference game, held on Sept. 12 in Winston-Salem, will come just five days after Carolina faces Miami in its home opener on Sept. 7. The Tar Heels are 9-9 all-time on Thursday nights. This will be the ninth straight season they've played at least one Thursday night game and the first time they've played two since 2015.
1. As has been known for quite some time, the opener against South Carolina on Aug. 31 in Charlotte will present North Carolina the opportunity to make a strong initial impression in a nationally televised game. It'll also be Mack Brown's first game on the Tar Heel sideline in almost 22 years. Adding even more intrigue to the matchup is that Gamecocks' head coach Will Muschamp served as Brown's defensive coordinator at Texas from 2008-2010. UNC has lost its last three games against South Carolina.
2. Despite the interest surrounding the opener, no game stands out more than the one on Sept. 28, when Carolina hosts Clemson. It's not every year that the defending national champion comes to your town. For UNC fans, that's especially been the case. The Tigers will be the first consensus reigning champs ever to visit Kenan Stadium, and the first national champion of any kind to come to Chapel Hill since Tennessee in 1951. The Volunteers were recognized as national champions in 1950 by the College Football Researchers Association and National Championship Foundation, but not by the AP or UPI (Coaches) polls. The meeting between the Tar Heels and Clemson will also be their first since the 2015 ACC Championship game.
3. The South Carolina and Clemson games sandwich a challenging five-game start to the season. In between those, UNC will play its home opener against Miami, travel to Wake Forest and then face Appalachian State at Kenan. Luckily, all five of those games will be played in the state of North Carolina. The Carolina coaching staff will surely emphasize that as it continues aggressively recruiting in-state players.
4. After having only one scheduled open date in each of the last four seasons, the Tar Heels have two in 2019, making the schedule feel much more segmented. The first open date falls on the second weekend of October, between UNC's games at Georgia Tech on Oct. 5 and at Virginia Tech on Oct. 19. Those are the only consecutive road games that Carolina plays. The second open date is during the second weekend of November, giving the Tar Heels 11 days to prepare for a Thursday night game at Pittsburgh on Nov. 14.
5. UNC also plays at Wake Forest on a Thursday night. That non-conference game, held on Sept. 12 in Winston-Salem, will come just five days after Carolina faces Miami in its home opener on Sept. 7. The Tar Heels are 9-9 all-time on Thursday nights. This will be the ninth straight season they've played at least one Thursday night game and the first time they've played two since 2015.
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