University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Pittsburgh
Football Heads To Pittsburgh For ACC Opener
September 22, 2023 | Football
Who:
No. 17 North Carolina (3-0, 0-0 ACC) vs. Pittsburgh (1-2, 0-0 ACC)
Where:
Acrisure Stadium – Pittsburgh, Pa.
Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023 – 8:00 p.m. – ACC Network
Pitt's up next ✈️#CarolinaFootball 🏈 #UNCommon pic.twitter.com/jH5mr19upD
— Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) September 19, 2023
The Lead: Carolina is 3-0 for the second straight season and will now shift its attention toward ACC play. This week, the Tar Heels will face their first true road test when they travel to Pittsburgh to face the Panthers. Last season, UNC defeated the Panthers 42-24 in Chapel Hill.
Storylines:
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North Carolina is now 53-22 as a ranked team in 15 seasons under Brown.
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UNC is one of just four teams in the FBS with two non-conference Power 5 wins (UNC, Utah, Colorado & Fresno State).
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Against Minnesota, Maye recorded his eighth career game with 300+ passing yards and second with 400 yards.
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Against the Gophers, Nate McCollum made a career-high 15 receptions for 165 yards, one catch shy of the UNC single-game record.
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North Carolina has gained 500 or more yards in two straight games.
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Maye is the only Tar Heel QB to start a season completing 20 or more passes in three-straight games.
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Last week, the Tar Heel defense held on nine of 12 third-down chances by the Gophers.
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North Carolina is 13 of 15 in the red zone this season.
From The Notes:
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Last week, Drake Maye passed Mitch Trubisky for sixth all-time in passing touchdowns by a Tar Heel. Maye now has 43 total passing touchdowns.
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Against the Gophers, Maye passed for 414 yards and passed Ronald Curry for sixth in UNC career passing yards. He now has 5,301 career passing yards.
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2023 is the first time since 1976 that UNC has defeated an SEC opponent and a Big 10 opponent in the same season.
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North Carolina ranks second in the nation in third down conversions. Through three games, UNC is 28/43 (65%) on third down.
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Carolina is 7-1 in games when Maye passes for over 300 yards.
Switching Sides:
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Since 2015, Pat Narduzzi has directed Pitt to 41 victories in ACC play, the second-highest win total during that span. Pitt trails only Clemson (60).
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Pitt has defeated at least one Top 25 team in each of the past seven seasons under Coach Pat Narduzzi.
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The Panthers rank fifth nationally and lead the ACC in total defense at 236.0 yards per game. Pitt yielded only 211 yards at West Virginia.
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Pitt is one of just six teams that will play 11 "Power Conference" opponents in 2023, joining Colorado, Louisville, Purdue, Utah and West Virginia.
Players Mentioned
