University of North Carolina Athletics
Saturday, November 29
Raleigh, N.C. (Carter-Finley Stadium)
7:30 P.M.
North Carolina
at
NC State
Football Travels To NC State For Regular-Season Finale
November 28, 2025 | Football
FIRST AND TEN
- Carolina is in its 135th season of football (138th year) in 2025.
- Entering the matchup with NC State, the Tar Heels hold an all-time record of 755-583-54.
- The Tar Heels close the regular season versus the North Carolina trio of Wake Forest, Duke and NC State, this weekend traveling to NC State at 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday night's game between the Tar Heels and the Wolfpack will air live on ACC Network with Chris Cotter (PxP), Max Browne (Analyst) and Ashley Stroehlein (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.
- Defensive linemen Melkart Abou Jaoude leads the Atlantic Coast Conference with 10.0 sacks on the year, followed by teammate Tyler Thompson ranking third in the league with seven sacks.
- Last time out, quarterback Gio Lopez posted his fifth-straight game of 200-plus passing yards.
A WIN OVER NC STATE WOULD…
- Be Carolina's 756th all-time victory in program history.
- Help Carolina earn its fifth win of the season.
- Give the Tar Heels their 69th win all-time versus the Wolfpack.
- Help Carolina win its first game over the Wolfpack since 2020, and first win on the road in the series since 2019.
- Help Belichick become the third-straight head coach to defeat the Wolfpack in his first matchup against NC State.
THE OPPONENT
- NC State is led by Dave Doeren, in his 13th season leading the Wolfpack. Doeren is the winningest coach in NC State history, and the second-longest tenured coach for the Wolfpack.
- Quarterback CJ Bailey is fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference with 2,683 yards in the air, with 21 passing touchdowns.
- Running back Hollywood Smothers has 907 yards on the campaign, second-best in the conference.
- The Wolfpack are 3-1 this season versus North Carolina opponents, collecting wins over East Carolina, Wake Forest and Campbell.
- NC State is 5-1 at Carter-Finley Stadium this season. The Wolfpack have posted a winning record at home every season since 2014.
LAST TIME VERSUS NC STATE
- NC State outscored North Carolina, 28-24, in a crazy second half and beat the Tar Heels, 35-30, in the regular season finale for both teams. The Wolfpack scored 17 points in the final 8:01 of the fourth quarter for its fourth consecutive victory over Carolina.
- The game was a defensive struggle early as NCSU led, 7-6, after a sluggish first half. The Tar Heels scored a pair of touchdowns for a 20-13 lead with 2:19 left in the third quarter, but State outscored UNC, 22-10 in the final 17:19 to grab the win.
- After the teams combined for just 13 total points in the first half, they scored 52 after halftime.
- Omarion Hampton, who entered the game ranked third nationally in rushing yards per game, continued his dominant 2024 campaign, rumbling for 185 yards on 22 carries (8.4 per carry) to give him 1,660 (second most in UNC history).
- The Wolfpack tallied 27 first downs to UNC's 17 and converted all six of its red zone opportunities.
FROM THE NOTES: DUKE
- The last four games between North Carolina and Duke have been decided by 13 total points.
- Gio Lopez got the Tar Heels on the board on the first drive with a one-yard rushing touchdown. It was his third rushing touchdown of the season and 12th of his career. The touchdown was the third time this season the Tar Heels found paydirt on the opening possession.
- The 13-play first drive for North Carolina was its longest opening drive of the season, in regard to number of plays.
- Lopez finished the third quarter 10 for 11, with 108 yards and a passing touchdown to Jordan Shipp.
- Davion Gause tied the game with a 12-yard touchdown rush on the next drive. It was his third rushing touchdown of the season and seventh of his career. The extra point by Rece Verhoff gave Carolina a 25-24 lead.
- The scoring drive was nine plays for 91 yards, the longest drive of the year by yards. The 90-yard touchdown drive was the longest for the Tar Heels since an eight play, 96-yard drive against UConn in the Fenway Bowl a season ago.
- Lopez finished the game 21 of 27 with 204 passing yards. Saturday was the third time this season that Lopez had 20-or-more completions and his fifth-straight game with 200-plus passing yards.
- Will Hardy led the Tar Heels with eight total tackles.
- Smith Vilbert had a career-high two pass breakups.
- Rece Verhoff's 49-yard field goal was his 17th made field goal of the season on 21 attempts. Verhoff has posted a field goal make in 10-straight games, dating back to the Charlotte game.
- Tom Maginness posted two punts of 50-or-more yards on the night.
DEFENSIVE NUMBERS IN THE ACC
- The Tar Heels' defense ranks fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference in conference games, allowing 111.0 yards per game.
- In Carolina's first three ACC games, the Tar Heel defense held opponents under 100 yards in three consecutive conference games for the first time since 2009.
- Opponents have averaged just 3.2 yards per rush in ACC games.
- Versus Stanford, Carolina limited the Cardinal to just 36 yards rushing.
- In conference games, the Tar Heels have allowed the second-fewest total yards, giving up 325.6 yards per game.
- The defense has allowed 214.6 yards per game through the air in ACC games, fifth-best in the league.
WINS AGAINST NC STATE
- Despite the recent success NC State has had in the rivalry matchup, four Carolina players on the current roster have won against the Wolfpack.
- Defensive back Gavin Gibson owns two wins against NCSU, defeating the squad in the 2022 Duke's Mayo Bowl, 16-12, as a member of Maryland's team and the 2024 Military Bowl, 26-21, while playing for East Carolina.
- Defensive lineman CJ Mims was also a member of that 2024 ECU team, while wide receiver Nathan Leacock played against NC State in Tennessee's 51-10 victory in the Duke's Mayo Classic.
- Carolina long snapper Spencer Triplett is the only Tar Heel with a win against the Wolfpack, as he was a freshman on the 2020 team that defeated NC State, 48-21.
HEY, YOU LOOK FAMILIAR
- Outside of the numerous connections of high school players from the state of North Carolina on both teams that will play in Saturday's game, a pair of former state champions at Chaminade-Madonna Prep School will look to lead the way for their teams.
- Carolina running back Davion Gause and NC State quarterback CJ Bailey were teammates at Chaminade, helping the program win three state championships.
- Gause ran for 1,047 yards and 14 TDs on 87 carries (12 ypc) as a senior and Bailey passed for 3,125 yards and threw 47 touchdowns.
- Additionally, NC State co-defensive coordinator/safeties/nickels coach Charlton Warren spent the past three years with the Tar Heels as the co-defensive coordinator/assistant head coach for the defense and defensive backs coach.
IN-STATE BATTLES
- Two weeks ago started the first of three-straight games against Atlantic Coast Conference foes from the state of North Carolina. This weekend, Carolina closes the regular season on the road at NC State:
- Saturday, Nov. 15: North Carolina at Wake Forest - Loss, 28-12
- Saturday, Nov. 22: Duke at North Carolina - Loss, 32-25
- Saturday, Nov. 29: North Carolina at NC State
- Carolina will face the trio of Wake Forest, Duke and NC State in three consecutive games for the third time in program history, 1933, 1999 and 2025.
- In both of the previous occurrences, the Tar Heels went 2-1 in the three-game swing versus the Tar Heel State opponents.
GIO'S RECENT RUN
- Quarterback Gio Lopez has thrown for 200-plus passing yards in five-straight games, posting 20-or-more completions against Duke for the third time this season.
- The five-game streak for Lopez is the longest of his career with 200-or-more passing yards.
- All three of Lopez's 20-plus completion performances have come as of late, versus Virginia (Oct. 25), Wake Forest (Nov. 15) and Duke (Nov. 22)
MELKART'S STRETCH SINCE UVA
- Over the last five games, defensive end Melkart Abou Jaoude has 26 tackles and 8.5 sacks.
- In the Tar Heels' stretch against Virginia, Syracuse and Stanford, Abou Jaoude had multiple sacks in all three games.
- Abou Jaoude's 10 sacks on the season are a career-high and atop the Atlantic Coast Conference, the most in a season by a Tar Heel since Kareem Martin's 11.5 sacks in 2013.
- The Newton, N.J. native's 10 sacks rank eighth in the nation.
DEFENSIVE END DUO
- The tandem of Melkart Abou Jaoude and Tyler Thompson have combined for 17 sacks this season, 14 of which have come in the last five games.
- Abou Jaoude's 10 sacks lead the ACC and Thompson's mark is currently tied for third.
- As a team, the Tar Heels are averaging 2.7 sacks per game, ranking second in the ACC and 19th nationally.
- Carolina is in its 135th season of football (138th year) in 2025.
- Entering the matchup with NC State, the Tar Heels hold an all-time record of 755-583-54.
- The Tar Heels close the regular season versus the North Carolina trio of Wake Forest, Duke and NC State, this weekend traveling to NC State at 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday night's game between the Tar Heels and the Wolfpack will air live on ACC Network with Chris Cotter (PxP), Max Browne (Analyst) and Ashley Stroehlein (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.
- Defensive linemen Melkart Abou Jaoude leads the Atlantic Coast Conference with 10.0 sacks on the year, followed by teammate Tyler Thompson ranking third in the league with seven sacks.
- Last time out, quarterback Gio Lopez posted his fifth-straight game of 200-plus passing yards.
A WIN OVER NC STATE WOULD…
- Be Carolina's 756th all-time victory in program history.
- Help Carolina earn its fifth win of the season.
- Give the Tar Heels their 69th win all-time versus the Wolfpack.
- Help Carolina win its first game over the Wolfpack since 2020, and first win on the road in the series since 2019.
- Help Belichick become the third-straight head coach to defeat the Wolfpack in his first matchup against NC State.
THE OPPONENT
- NC State is led by Dave Doeren, in his 13th season leading the Wolfpack. Doeren is the winningest coach in NC State history, and the second-longest tenured coach for the Wolfpack.
- Quarterback CJ Bailey is fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference with 2,683 yards in the air, with 21 passing touchdowns.
- Running back Hollywood Smothers has 907 yards on the campaign, second-best in the conference.
- The Wolfpack are 3-1 this season versus North Carolina opponents, collecting wins over East Carolina, Wake Forest and Campbell.
- NC State is 5-1 at Carter-Finley Stadium this season. The Wolfpack have posted a winning record at home every season since 2014.
LAST TIME VERSUS NC STATE
- NC State outscored North Carolina, 28-24, in a crazy second half and beat the Tar Heels, 35-30, in the regular season finale for both teams. The Wolfpack scored 17 points in the final 8:01 of the fourth quarter for its fourth consecutive victory over Carolina.
- The game was a defensive struggle early as NCSU led, 7-6, after a sluggish first half. The Tar Heels scored a pair of touchdowns for a 20-13 lead with 2:19 left in the third quarter, but State outscored UNC, 22-10 in the final 17:19 to grab the win.
- After the teams combined for just 13 total points in the first half, they scored 52 after halftime.
- Omarion Hampton, who entered the game ranked third nationally in rushing yards per game, continued his dominant 2024 campaign, rumbling for 185 yards on 22 carries (8.4 per carry) to give him 1,660 (second most in UNC history).
- The Wolfpack tallied 27 first downs to UNC's 17 and converted all six of its red zone opportunities.
FROM THE NOTES: DUKE
- The last four games between North Carolina and Duke have been decided by 13 total points.
- Gio Lopez got the Tar Heels on the board on the first drive with a one-yard rushing touchdown. It was his third rushing touchdown of the season and 12th of his career. The touchdown was the third time this season the Tar Heels found paydirt on the opening possession.
- The 13-play first drive for North Carolina was its longest opening drive of the season, in regard to number of plays.
- Lopez finished the third quarter 10 for 11, with 108 yards and a passing touchdown to Jordan Shipp.
- Davion Gause tied the game with a 12-yard touchdown rush on the next drive. It was his third rushing touchdown of the season and seventh of his career. The extra point by Rece Verhoff gave Carolina a 25-24 lead.
- The scoring drive was nine plays for 91 yards, the longest drive of the year by yards. The 90-yard touchdown drive was the longest for the Tar Heels since an eight play, 96-yard drive against UConn in the Fenway Bowl a season ago.
- Lopez finished the game 21 of 27 with 204 passing yards. Saturday was the third time this season that Lopez had 20-or-more completions and his fifth-straight game with 200-plus passing yards.
- Will Hardy led the Tar Heels with eight total tackles.
- Smith Vilbert had a career-high two pass breakups.
- Rece Verhoff's 49-yard field goal was his 17th made field goal of the season on 21 attempts. Verhoff has posted a field goal make in 10-straight games, dating back to the Charlotte game.
- Tom Maginness posted two punts of 50-or-more yards on the night.
DEFENSIVE NUMBERS IN THE ACC
- The Tar Heels' defense ranks fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference in conference games, allowing 111.0 yards per game.
- In Carolina's first three ACC games, the Tar Heel defense held opponents under 100 yards in three consecutive conference games for the first time since 2009.
- Opponents have averaged just 3.2 yards per rush in ACC games.
- Versus Stanford, Carolina limited the Cardinal to just 36 yards rushing.
- In conference games, the Tar Heels have allowed the second-fewest total yards, giving up 325.6 yards per game.
- The defense has allowed 214.6 yards per game through the air in ACC games, fifth-best in the league.
WINS AGAINST NC STATE
- Despite the recent success NC State has had in the rivalry matchup, four Carolina players on the current roster have won against the Wolfpack.
- Defensive back Gavin Gibson owns two wins against NCSU, defeating the squad in the 2022 Duke's Mayo Bowl, 16-12, as a member of Maryland's team and the 2024 Military Bowl, 26-21, while playing for East Carolina.
- Defensive lineman CJ Mims was also a member of that 2024 ECU team, while wide receiver Nathan Leacock played against NC State in Tennessee's 51-10 victory in the Duke's Mayo Classic.
- Carolina long snapper Spencer Triplett is the only Tar Heel with a win against the Wolfpack, as he was a freshman on the 2020 team that defeated NC State, 48-21.
HEY, YOU LOOK FAMILIAR
- Outside of the numerous connections of high school players from the state of North Carolina on both teams that will play in Saturday's game, a pair of former state champions at Chaminade-Madonna Prep School will look to lead the way for their teams.
- Carolina running back Davion Gause and NC State quarterback CJ Bailey were teammates at Chaminade, helping the program win three state championships.
- Gause ran for 1,047 yards and 14 TDs on 87 carries (12 ypc) as a senior and Bailey passed for 3,125 yards and threw 47 touchdowns.
- Additionally, NC State co-defensive coordinator/safeties/nickels coach Charlton Warren spent the past three years with the Tar Heels as the co-defensive coordinator/assistant head coach for the defense and defensive backs coach.
IN-STATE BATTLES
- Two weeks ago started the first of three-straight games against Atlantic Coast Conference foes from the state of North Carolina. This weekend, Carolina closes the regular season on the road at NC State:
- Saturday, Nov. 15: North Carolina at Wake Forest - Loss, 28-12
- Saturday, Nov. 22: Duke at North Carolina - Loss, 32-25
- Saturday, Nov. 29: North Carolina at NC State
- Carolina will face the trio of Wake Forest, Duke and NC State in three consecutive games for the third time in program history, 1933, 1999 and 2025.
- In both of the previous occurrences, the Tar Heels went 2-1 in the three-game swing versus the Tar Heel State opponents.
GIO'S RECENT RUN
- Quarterback Gio Lopez has thrown for 200-plus passing yards in five-straight games, posting 20-or-more completions against Duke for the third time this season.
- The five-game streak for Lopez is the longest of his career with 200-or-more passing yards.
- All three of Lopez's 20-plus completion performances have come as of late, versus Virginia (Oct. 25), Wake Forest (Nov. 15) and Duke (Nov. 22)
MELKART'S STRETCH SINCE UVA
- Over the last five games, defensive end Melkart Abou Jaoude has 26 tackles and 8.5 sacks.
- In the Tar Heels' stretch against Virginia, Syracuse and Stanford, Abou Jaoude had multiple sacks in all three games.
- Abou Jaoude's 10 sacks on the season are a career-high and atop the Atlantic Coast Conference, the most in a season by a Tar Heel since Kareem Martin's 11.5 sacks in 2013.
- The Newton, N.J. native's 10 sacks rank eighth in the nation.
DEFENSIVE END DUO
- The tandem of Melkart Abou Jaoude and Tyler Thompson have combined for 17 sacks this season, 14 of which have come in the last five games.
- Abou Jaoude's 10 sacks lead the ACC and Thompson's mark is currently tied for third.
- As a team, the Tar Heels are averaging 2.7 sacks per game, ranking second in the ACC and 19th nationally.
Players Mentioned
Defensive Line
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Running Back
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Running Back
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Wide Receiver
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Long Snapper
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Defensive Line
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