Football Travels To Cal For First ACC Road Game Of 2025

Friday, October 17

Berkeley, Calif. (California Memorial Stadium)

10:30 PM

North Carolina

California

October 16, 2025 | Football

Watch Live Stats Listen Game Notes

By: Justin Wilson

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The North Carolina football team makes its longest trip of the season this weekend heading to California for a matchup with the Cal Golden Bears Friday night at California Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

GAME INFORMATION
Date: Friday, Oct. 17
Time: 10:30 PM ET
Venue: California Memorial Stadium
Watch: ESPN
Radio: Tar Heel Sports Radio Network (97.9 FM in Chapel Hill)
Live Stats

FIRST AND TEN
- Carolina is in its 135th season of football (138th year) in 2025.
- Entering the matchup with California, the Tar Heels hold an all-time record of 753-579-54.
- The Tar Heels hit the road for the first time this season in ACC play, traveling to California Friday night.
- Friday night's game between the Tar Heels and Golden Bears will be live on ESPN, with Anish Shroff (PxP), Andre Ware (Analyst) and Paul Carcaterra (Sideline) on the call.
- On December 11, 2024, Carolina announced the hiring of eight-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick as the program's new football coach.
- Belichick became the 40th coach in program history, the 12th to lead the program since joining the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1953.
- Belichick's ties to UNC date back to his father, Steve, who was an assistant coach for the Tar Heels from 1953-55.
- With the coaching transition, the 2025 Carolina Football coaching staff features more than 240 years of combined NFL experience.
- At the start of 2025, the Tar Heel roster featured 38 returners and 70 newcomers, including 40 transfers and 30 true freshmen.
- Quarterback Max Johnson made his first start of 2025 versus Clemson, his first start since last fall's season opener at Minnesota.

A WIN OVER CALIFORNIA WOULD…
- Be Carolina's 754th all-time victory in program history.
- Give Belichick his third win at the collegiate level, his second win on the road and first Atlantic Coast Conference victory.
- Help the Tar Heels start 1-0 on the road in ACC action for the first time since 2022.
- Give Carolina its second victory on the road this fall.
- Be the Tar Heels' first victory over California in program history.
- Be the second win in the state of California, the first since defeating USC in 1993.
- Give Carolina its first regular season win on a Friday since defeating NC State in 1995.

THE OPPONENT
- California is led by head coach Justin Wilcox, who's in his ninth season as head coach of the Golden Bears. Wilcox's first game as head coach at California in 2017 was against the Tar Heels.
- Under center, Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele has posted 200-or-more yards in all six games, including two contests with three touchdown passes.
- Last time out, the Bears fell in their Atlantic Coast Conference home opener to Duke, 45-21.
- California is in their second season in the ACC, joining the conference a year ago, alongside SMU and Stanford.

NEW ACC FOES
- Friday's matchup between the Tar Heels and Golden Bears is the first for Carolina against the Atlantic Coast Conference's three newest additions, California, SMU and Stanford.
- Future UNC meetings against the most recent ACC additions:
    - Friday, Oct. 17: North Carolina at California
    - Saturday, Nov. 8: Stanford at North Carolina
    - 2028: North Carolina at SMU
- Friday's game is the furthest regular season matchup (2,805 miles) the Tar Heels have played since traveling to Cal in the 2018 season opener.

TAR HEELS OUT WEST
- This weekend will be the fifth game in program history the Tar Heels have played in the state of California:
    - Friday, Oct 17: North Carolina at California
    - Dec. 28, 2022: North Carolina vs. No. 15 Oregon (Holiday Bowl): Loss, 28-17
    - Sept. 1, 2018: North Carolina at California: Loss, 24-17
    - Sept. 19, 1998: North Carolina at Stanford: Loss, 37-34
    - Aug. 29, 1993: North Carolina vs. No. 18 USC (Disneyland Pigskin Classic): Win, 31-9
- Nine different Tar Heels on the 2025 roster return home this weekend to the state of California:
    - No. 1 Thaddeus Dixon: Los Angeles
    - No. 2 Andrew Simpson: Wilder Ave
    - No. 5 Jason Robinson Jr.: Long Beach
    - No. 7 Khmori House: Pasadena
    - No. 17 Peyton Waters: Northridge
    - No. 23 Khristian Dunbar-Hawkins: Inland Empire
    - No. 28 Chinedu Onyeagoro: Los Angeles
    - No. 87 Cort Halsey: Atherton
    - No. 89 Paul Barton: Palo Alto

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
- Since 1995, the Tar Heels have played 10 games (regular season and bowl games) on Fridays, posting a 2-8 record in that stretch:
    - 2022: NC State: Loss, 30-27 (2OT)
    - 2021: at No. 24 NC State: Loss, 34-30
    - 2021: at Virginia Tech: Loss, 17-10
    - 2020: No. 2 Notre Dame: Loss, 31-17
    - 2019: Temple (Military Bowl): Win, 55-13
    - 2019: at Wake Forest: Loss, 24-18
    - 2016: No. 16 Stanford (Sun Bowl): 25-23
    - 2016: NC State: Loss, 28-21
    - 2014: Rutgers (Quick Lane Bowl): Loss, 40-21
    - 1995: at NC State: Win, 30-28
- In 2025, Carolina will play two-straight road contests on the road, at California (Oct. 17) and at Syracuse (Oct. 31).

MAX'S RETURN
- Quarterback Max Johnson earned the start at quarterback against Clemson, his first start since the 2024 season opener against Minnesota.
- Johnson posted 26 completions and 213 yards against the Tigers, the most completions and passing yards for a Tar Heel in a game this fall.
- Last fall at Minnesota, the Athens, Ga. product suffered a season-ending lower body injury.

FROM THE NOTES: CLEMSON RECAP
- The matchup was the fourth Atlantic Coast Conference opener the Tar Heels have played against
Clemson.
- Max Johnson earned his first start of the 2025 campaign and first as a Tar Heel in Kenan Stadium.
- Running back Benjamin Hall posted his first career rushing touchdown on his 11-yard rush in the fourth quarter.
- Jordan Shipp led the receiving core with five catches in the game, as 11 different Tar Heels posted a reception.
- Linebacker Khmori House led the defense with seven tackles, his third game this fall with seven-or-more tackles.
- Freshman Nicco Maggio posted his first career fumble recovery in the fourth quarter.
- Tom Maginness' 60-yard punt was his longest of 2025, and the longest punt for a Tar Heel since Maginness posted a 65-yarder at Duke last fall.