University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Appalachian State
Football Welcomes App State For 2023 Home Opener
September 8, 2023 | Football
Who:
No. 17 North Carolina (1-0) vs. App State (1-0)
Where:
Kenan Stadium – Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023 – 5:15 p.m. – ACC Network
The Lead: After a dominant defensive performance to open the 2023 campaign, the North Carolina Tar Heels will return home to Kenan Stadium for their home-opener against in-state rival Appalachian State. With a win, the Tar Heels would be 2-0 for the fourth time in the last five seasons since head coach Mack Brown returned to Chapel Hill.
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Storylines:
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 With the win over South Carolina, Mack Brown became the first head coach to win 100 games at two FBS schools.
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 Last season's matchup between the Tar Heels and Mountaineers was the highest scoring game between two opponents in UNC history (124). UNC 63, App State, 61.Â
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 The Tar Heels are 4-0 in home-openers since Mack Brown's return in 2019.Â
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 Kaimon Rucker was named the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week and ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week after week one.Â
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 Since Mack Brown's return to Chapel Hill in 2019, the Tar Heels are 11-4 versus opponents from the state of North Carolina.
From The Notes:
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This is only the 4th matchup between the Tar Heels and Mountaineers. UNC leads 2-1.
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The Mountaineers' lone win in the series was at Kenan Stadium in 2019. App State won 34-31.
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North Carolina is looking for its first home victory since Oct. 29, 2022 when it defeated Pittsburgh, 42-24.
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In Chip Lindsey's debut as offensive coordinator, the Tar Heels averaged 6.15 yards per play.Â
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North Carolina enters week two leading the FBS with nine sacks.Â
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The Tar Heel offensive line didn't give up a sack last week against South Carolina.
Switching Sides:
- App State opened this year with a 45-24 win vs. ranked FCS foe Gardner-Webb.
 - App State's last seven games vs. Power Five opponents have all been decided by seven points or less, with the Mountaineers going 3-4 in that stretch.
 - Since joining the FBS ranks in 2014, App State is 2-9 against AP Top 25 teams, with a 2-1 mark in the last three games.
 - Six of App State's last seven games against AP Top 25 foes ended with one-possession final margins, and the only exception was a 34-23 loss at Coastal Carolina in 2020 after App State held a lead going into the final three minutes. Between 2014 and 2019, the Mountaineers held late leads against top-10 teams before losing in OT at Penn State (2018) and Tennessee (2016).
Mack's Weekly Press Conference:
