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Data updatedOct 31, 2026
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North Carolina football stats, 2026

4–3 (2–2 ACC). 2026 season, games through Oct 24, 2026.

SP+ rating3.758th of 138
SP+ offense26.376th of 138
SP+ defense22.542nd of 138
PRIME6.936th of 138
Elo146177th of 138

North Carolina football rankings: how good is North Carolina?

SP+ (58th) and Elo (77th) see a middle-of-the-pack team. PRIME has it 36th. PRIME grades each possession, so it's higher on how North Carolina's drives have gone than the others.

What is North Carolina good at, and what is it bad at?

Good at

  • North Carolina doesn't give up big plays: 6.9% of the plays against it go for big gains, 5th in FBS.

Bad at

  • North Carolina's defensive front gets pushed around: a Big Uglies rating of 40.9, where 50 is average, 122nd of 138.
  • North Carolina can't get off the field on 3rd down: opponents convert 44.2% of their 3rd downs, 109th of 138.
  • North Carolina gives the ball away: 1.4 giveaways a game (5 interceptions and 5 lost fumbles), 96th of 134.

Good at means top 25 in FBS; bad at means 91st or worse. Turnovers swing a lot from week to week.

Week 9

Miami at North Carolina

Sat, Oct 31, 7:30 PM ET. SP+ projection: North Carolina 18, Miami 37. The numbers' pick: Miami (89%).

Full head to head

North Carolina football schedule, 2026

Next: vs. Miami, Sat, Oct 31, 7:30 PM ET on ABC, ERADM.

WeekDateOpponentResult or kickoff (ET), TV
1Sat, Aug 29vs. TCU (neutral)W 15–10
2Sat, Sep 12vs. East Tennessee StateW 35–3
3Sat, Sep 19at ClemsonL 20–28
5Sat, Oct 3vs. Notre DameL 26–37
6Sat, Oct 10at PittsburghW 21–17
7Sat, Oct 17at DukeW 24–20
8Sat, Oct 24vs. SyracuseL 30–31
9Sat, Oct 31vs. Miami7:30 PM ET, ABC, ERADM
10Sat, Nov 7at UConn12:00 PM ET, CBSSN
11Sat, Nov 14vs. LouisvilleTBA
12Sat, Nov 21at VirginiaTBA
13Sat, Nov 28vs. NC StateTBA

Kickoff times are Eastern. TV from CollegeFootballData.com; networks are set a week or two ahead.

North Carolina's 2026 record: the wins and losses

Record4–3
Strength of record+0.848th of 138
Schedule so far+1.730th of 138
Average margin+3.6
In wins+11.3
In losses−6.7
Best win
vs. TCU (3–4, SP+ 42nd), 15–10, Week 1
Worst loss
vs. Syracuse (3–4, SP+ 87th), 30–31, Week 8
Biggest win
vs. East Tennessee State (FCS), 35–3, Week 2
Closest win
at Pittsburgh (5–3, SP+ 44th), 21–17, Week 6

Wins (4)

  1. vs. TCU 3–4, SP+ 42nd 15–10
  2. at Pittsburgh 5–3, SP+ 44th 21–17
  3. at Duke 5–2, SP+ 47th 24–20
  4. vs. East Tennessee State FCS 35–3

Losses (3)

  1. vs. Notre Dame 6–1, SP+ 4th, AP No. 5 26–37
  2. at Clemson 4–3, SP+ 55th 20–28
  3. vs. Syracuse 3–4, SP+ 87th 30–31
Record
Against the AP Top 250–1
Against the SP+ top 250–1
Against the SP+ top 503–1
Against Power 4 teams and Notre Dame3–3
Against teams with winning records2–2
In one-score games (8 points or fewer)3–2
At home2–2
Away2–1
Against FCS teams1–0

Opponents are judged by where they stand now: their record, their SP+ rank out of 138 and the latest AP poll. Wins and losses are listed best opponent first. Strength of record and schedule are PRIME's, on its points scale, where higher is better.

How many championships has North Carolina won?

North Carolina hasn't won a major-college national championship.

North Carolina has won 8 conference championships, most recently the ACC in 1980.

ACC
5: 1963, 1971, 1972, 1977, 1980
Southern Conference
3: 1922, 1946, 1949

Through the 2025 season. National titles are the ones the school claims; conference titles include shared ones. From each program's records as collected on Wikipedia.

North Carolina offense: stats and national ranks

StatValueRank
Points per game24.499th
Yards per play5.8991st
Success rate44.3%63rd
Explosive play rate11.2%94th
Yards per carry4.8490th
Yards per pass attempt7.1788th
Sack rate allowed6.1%83rd
3rd down conversion38.6%80th

North Carolina defense: stats and national ranks

StatValueRank
Points allowed20.942nd
Yards per play allowed5.5054th
Success rate allowed44.0%92nd
Explosive plays allowed6.9%5th
Yards per carry allowed4.7667th
Yards per attempt allowed6.6151st
Sack rate5.3%89th
3rd downs allowed44.2%109th

How good is North Carolina's offensive line?

Big Uglies, our offensive line rating, has North Carolina at 54.2, 37th of 138 (50 is average). It's 57th in adjusted line yards per carry (2.98), gets stuffed on 15.8% of runs (35th fewest) and converts 85.0% of short-yardage runs (8th).

StatValueRank
Big Uglies: offensive line54.237th
Line yards per carry (adjusted)2.9857th
Stuff rate (runs stopped at or behind the line)15.8%35th
Power success (short yardage)85.0%8th
Sack rate allowed6.1%83rd
Open-field yards per carry (adjusted)1.00109th

How good is North Carolina's defensive line?

Big Uglies has North Carolina's defensive front at 40.9, 122nd of 138. It gives up 3.00 adjusted line yards per carry (80th), stuffs 11.2% of runs (136th) and gets a sack on 5.3% of dropbacks (89th).

StatValueRank
Big Uglies: defensive front40.9122nd
Line yards allowed per carry (adjusted)3.0080th
Stuff rate (defense)11.2%136th
Power success allowed79.5%117th
Sack rate5.3%89th
Front-seven havoc6.6%133rd

Are North Carolina's backs actually good, or is it all the offensive line?

North Carolina's line is 57th of 138 in adjusted line yards per carry (2.98), the part of each run it earns. Its backs are 109th in adjusted open-field yards (1.00), the part they earn past 10 yards. It's mostly the line: the backs aren't adding much once they're past it.

North Carolina football players: the stat leaders

Benjamin Hall (RB), Billy Edwards (QB), C.J. Sadler (WR), Demon June (RB), Donovan Hoilette (DL), Gregory Smith (DB), Jaylen Harvey (DL), Jaylen McGill (RB), Jelani Thurman (TE), Jordan Shipp (WR), Kenton Dopson III (DB), Leroy Jackson (DL), Peyton Seelmann (LB), Shamar Easter (TE), Tre Miller (DB), Trech Kekahuna (WR), Xavier Lewis (DL).

North Carolina football results, 2026

WeekOpponentResult
1vs. TCUW 15–10
2vs. East Tennessee StateW 35–3
3at ClemsonL 20–28
5vs. Notre DameL 26–37
6at PittsburghW 21–17
7at DukeW 24–20
8vs. SyracuseL 30–31

Ranks are out of 138 FBS teams. Stats from play-by-play; scoring counts FBS opponents only. Compare North Carolina with any team.

Questions about North Carolina

What is North Carolina's record?

North Carolina is 4–3, 2–2 in the ACC, with games through Oct 24, 2026.

Is North Carolina good this year?

North Carolina is 58th of 138 in SP+, Bill Connelly's rating (middle of the pack), 36th in PRIME and 77th in Elo. They aren't in the AP Top 25.

Who does North Carolina play this week?

North Carolina hosts Miami, Sat, Oct 31, 7:30 PM ET. The numbers' pick: Miami.

What is North Carolina's best win?

TCU, 15–10 in Week 1. TCU is 3–4 and 42nd in SP+.

What is North Carolina's 2026 football schedule?

Week 1: vs. TCU (W 15–10); Week 2: vs. East Tennessee State (W 35–3); Week 3: at Clemson (L 20–28); Week 5: vs. Notre Dame (L 26–37); Week 6: at Pittsburgh (W 21–17); Week 7: at Duke (W 24–20); Week 8: vs. Syracuse (L 30–31); Week 9: vs. Miami; Week 10: at UConn; Week 11: vs. Louisville; Week 12: at Virginia; Week 13: vs. NC State.

When does North Carolina play next, and what channel is it on?

Against Miami at home, Sat, Oct 31, 7:30 PM ET, at Kenan Stadium. It's on ABC, ERADM.

What was the score of North Carolina's last game?

North Carolina lost to Syracuse 31–30 on Sat, Oct 24 at home.

Who is North Carolina's quarterback?

Billy Edwards has thrown the most for North Carolina this season: 1,534 passing yards through Oct 24, 2026.

Where does North Carolina play its home games?

Kenan Stadium.

Where is North Carolina ranked?

Unranked in the latest AP poll. 58th of 138 in SP+, 36th in PRIME and 77th in Elo.

How many national championships has North Carolina won?

North Carolina hasn't won a major-college national championship.

How many conference championships has North Carolina won?

North Carolina has won 8 conference championships, most recently the ACC in 1980. North Carolina has 5 ACC titles.

How good is North Carolina?

SP+ (58th) and Elo (77th) see a middle-of-the-pack team. PRIME has it 36th. PRIME grades each possession, so it's higher on how North Carolina's drives have gone than the others.

What is North Carolina good at?

North Carolina doesn't give up big plays: 6.9% of the plays against it go for big gains, 5th in FBS.

What is North Carolina bad at?

North Carolina's defensive front gets pushed around: a Big Uglies rating of 40.9, where 50 is average, 122nd of 138. North Carolina can't get off the field on 3rd down: opponents convert 44.2% of their 3rd downs, 109th of 138. North Carolina gives the ball away: 1.4 giveaways a game (5 interceptions and 5 lost fumbles), 96th of 134.

How much has North Carolina spent on its roster?

The NIL Standard's preseason estimate puts North Carolina's roster at $20.7 million, 48th of the 70 FBS rosters it values and 9th of 17 in the ACC, where the average is $21.6 million. That's $5.2 million per win so far (4 wins). Its 2026 transfer class is 19 players, 0 of them four- or five-stars, per 247Sports.

How good is North Carolina's offensive line?

Big Uglies, our offensive line rating, has North Carolina at 54.2, 37th of 138 (50 is average). It's 57th in adjusted line yards per carry (2.98), gets stuffed on 15.8% of runs (35th fewest) and converts 85.0% of short-yardage runs (8th).

How good is North Carolina's defensive line?

Big Uglies has North Carolina's defensive front at 40.9, 122nd of 138. It gives up 3.00 adjusted line yards per carry (80th), stuffs 11.2% of runs (136th) and gets a sack on 5.3% of dropbacks (89th).

Are North Carolina's backs actually good, or is it all the offensive line?

North Carolina's line is 57th of 138 in adjusted line yards per carry (2.98), the part of each run it earns. Its backs are 109th in adjusted open-field yards (1.00), the part they earn past 10 yards. It's mostly the line: the backs aren't adding much once they're past it.

Who is North Carolina's head coach?

Bill Belichick, since 2025.

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