Football Hosts Virginia Saturday In South’s Oldest Rivalry

Saturday, October 25

Chapel Hill, N.C.

Noon

North Carolina

#16 Virginia

October 24, 2025 | Football

Watch Listen Live Stats Game Notes

By: Justin Wilson

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - In the 130th meeting between the programs, North Carolina football welcomes the Virginia Cavaliers to Kenan Stadium this weekend in The South's Oldest Rivalry. Kickoff is slated for noon on ACC Network.

GAME INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, Oct. 24
Time: Noon ET
Venue: Kenan Stadium
Watch: ACC Network
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 Virginia, the Tar Heels hold an all-time record of 753-580-54.
- The Tar Heels will have a noon kickoff for the second consecutive home game when they host Virginia Saturday.
- Saturday's game will air live on ACC Network with Wes Durham (PxP), Steve Addazio (Analyst) and Dana Boyle (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.
- North Carolina leads the ACC and ranks 10th nationally in fewest penalties with only 29 this season, two fewer than the next-closest conference opponent.

A WIN OVER VIRGINIA WOULD…
- Be Carolina's 754th all-time victory in program history.
- Give Belichick his third win at the collegiate level, his second win at home and first Atlantic Coast
Conference victory.
- Give UNC its first ranked win since 2023 when the Tar Heels defeated No. 25 Miami, 41-31, on Oct. 14, 2023.
- Be Carolina's first victory against a top-20 opponent since a 58-55 win versus Wake Forest on Nov. 6, 2021.
- Give Carolina its 67th victory against the Cavaliers in the series.
- Be the Tar Heels' 34th win over Virginia at home in program history and 39th overall win against the Cavs in ACC play.

THE OPPONENT
- Virginia is led by Tony Elliott, the fourth-year head coach of the Cavaliers. Entering Saturday's matchup in Chapel Hill, Virginia is ranked 16th in the AP Poll.
- Under center, Chandler Morris posted a season-best 380 yards and four touchdowns in the air in Virginia's Atlantic Coast Conference opener.
- Last time out, the Cavaliers defeated Washington State, 22-20 at home.
- The last time the two programs met in Chapel Hill, Virginia defeated No. 10 North Carolina, 31-27, for the program's first ever top-10 road victory.

LAST TIME VERSUS VIRGINIA
- Omarion Hampton and J.J. Jones each scored twice and North Carolina's defense played its best game of the season as the Tar Heels defeated Virginia, 41-14, at Scott Stadium.
- Carolina had a season-high six sacks in the first half alone, limiting the Cavaliers to just 77 offensive yards, (including only four on the ground) in a dominant opening 30 minutes. The Tar Heels outscored UVA, 17-3, in the second quarter.
- In the game, UNC posted 10 sacks, reaching double-digits for the first time since a 2000 game against Wake Forest. Virginia mustered just seven rushing yards overall.

BREAKOUT GAME FOR PAYSOUR
- In his first start of the season, Kobe Paysour delivered one of the best performances of his UNC career.
- Entering last Friday's game at Cal, Paysour had two catches for 18 yards on the season, but put together a strong performance on his birthday (Oct. 17) with a career-high 101 receiving yards on six receptions.
- He brought in six of his seven targets, making a couple contested catches, to record the first 100-yard receiving game of the season by a Tar Heel.
- The redshirt senior surpassed 1,000 career receiving yards in the game and now has 1,090 to his credit.

SMART FOOTBALL
- North Carolina ranks 10th nationally in fewest penalties with only 29 this season.
- That mark leads the ACC and is two fewer than any other conference team.
- The Tar Heels are averaging just 4.83 penalties per game under head coach Bill Belichick.

FROM THE NOTES: CALIFORNIA RECAP
- Quarterback Gio Lopez returned to the starting lineup for Carolina, making his fifth start of the season under center. Lopez was 19-of-35 for 167 yards.
- Running back Benjamin Hall put together several great runs against Cal, rushing for a career-high 68 yards in the contest. He scored his second career rushing touchdown on an 18-yard rush.
- Defensively, Tyler Thompson had a breakout game with a pair of sacks and tackles for loss.