2021 North Carolina Tar Heels football team

The 2021 North Carolina Tar Heels football team represented the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a member of Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) for the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Tar Heels were led by head coach Mack Brown, who was in the third season of his second stint at North Carolina and his 13th overall season at the university. The team played their home games at Kenan Memorial Stadium.

2021 North Carolina Tar Heels football
ConferenceAtlantic Coast Conference
DivisionCoastal Division
Record6–7 (3–5 ACC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorPhil Longo (3rd season)
Offensive schemeAir raid
Co-defensive coordinatorJay Bateman (3rd season)
Co-defensive coordinatorTommy Thigpen (3rd season)
Base defense4–2–5
Home stadiumKenan Memorial Stadium
Seasons
← 2020
2022 →
2021 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Atlantic Division
No. 15 Wake Forest xy   7 1     11 3  
No. 20 NC State   6 2     9 3  
No. 14 Clemson   6 2     10 3  
Louisville   4 4     6 7  
Florida State   4 4     5 7  
Syracuse   2 6     5 7  
Boston College   2 6     6 6  
Coastal Division
No. 13 Pittsburgh xy$   7 1     11 3  
Miami (FL)   5 3     7 5  
Virginia   4 4     6 6  
Virginia Tech   4 4     6 7  
North Carolina   3 5     6 7  
Georgia Tech   2 6     3 9  
Duke   0 8     3 9  
Championship: Pittsburgh 45, Wake Forest 21
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll

Personnel

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Coaching staff

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North Carolina Tar Heels coaches
Mack Brown Head coach 3rd of second stint, 13th overall
Phil Longo Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach 3rd
John Lilly Tight end coach 2nd
Stacy Searels Offensive line coach 3rd
Lonnie Galloway Assistant head coach/Wide receivers coach 3rd
Larry Porter Running backs coach/Assistant Special teams coordinator 1st
Jay Bateman Defensive coordinator/Safeties coach 3rd
Tommy Thigpen Associate Defensive coordinator/Inside linebackers coach 4th
Tim Cross Defensive line coach 3rd
Jovan Dewitt Special teams coordinator/Outside linebackers coach 2nd
Dre Bly Cornerbacks coach 3rd
Brian Hess Strength and conditioning 3rd
Natrone Means Offensive analyst 1st
Sparky Woods Senior advisor to head coach 3rd
Darrell Moody Senior advisor to head coach 3rd
Ken Browning Senior advisor to head coach 3rd
Reference:[1]

Roster

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2021 North Carolina Tar Heels Football Roster

Quarterback

Running back

  • 4 Caleb Hood – freshman (5'11, 230)
  • 19 Ty Chandlergraduate (6'0, 210)
  • 21 Elijah Green –   freshman (5'11, 205)
  • 24 British Brookssenior (5'11, 210)
  • 26 D.J. Jones – sophomore (5'10, 205)
  • 33 Kamarro Edmonds – freshman (5'11, 230)

Wide receiver

  • 2 Gavin Blackwell – freshman (5'11, 185)
  • 3 Antoine Greensenior (6'2, 210)
  • 5 J.J. Jones – freshman (6'2, 200)
  • 8 Kobe Paysourfreshman (6'1, 180)
  • 11 Josh Downssophomore (5'10, 180)
  • 12 Stephen Gosnell – sophomore (6'2, 210)
  • 13 Tylee Craftsophomore (6'4, 205)
  • 15 Beau Corrales – senior (6'3, 210)
  • 83 Justin Olson – sophomore (6'2, 200)

Placekicker

  • 17 Grayson Atkins – graduate (5'9, 210)
  • 95 Jonathan Kim – junior (6'0, 210)
  • 98 Noah Burnette –   freshman (5'9, 175)

Punter

  • 91 Ben Kiernan – junior (6'0, 215)
  • 92 Cole Maynard — Freshman (6'2, 165)
 

Tight end

  • 18 Bryson Nesbitfreshman (6'6, 245)
  • 81 John Copenhaver –   freshman (6'3, 245)
  • 82 Kendall Karr –   freshman (6'3, 245)
  • 84 Garrett Walston – graduate (6'4, 245)
  • 88 Kamari Morales – sophomore (6'2, 250)

Offensive lineman

  • 51 Wyatt Tunall – sophomore (6'5, 305)
  • 52 Jonathan Adorno – sophomore (6'4, 315)
  • 54 Chance Carroll –   freshman (6'2, 300)
  • 57 Cayden Baker – sophomore (6'5, 305)
  • 61 Diego Pounds – freshman (6'7, 330)
  • 63 Ed Montilus – junior (6'4, 315)
  • 66 Eli Sutton – freshman (6'7, 305)
  • 64 Malik McGowan –   freshman (6'3, 330)
  • 67 Trey Zimmerman –   freshman (6'5, 280)
  • 68 Brian Anderson – senior (6'2, 305)
  • 69 Quiron Johnson – graduate (6'2, 315)
  • 72 Asim Richardsjunior (6'4, 325)
  • 73 Marcus McKethansenior (6'7, 335)
  • 74 Jordan Tucker – senior (6'7, 340)
  • 75 Joshua Ezeudujunior (6'4, 320)
  • 76 William Barnes – junior (6'4, 325)
  • 77 Wisdom Asaboro – sophomore (6'8, 315)
  • 79 Hunter Shope – sophomore (6'1, 290)

Defensive lineman

  • 5 Jahvaree Ritziefreshman (6'5, 285)
  • 6 Keeshawn Silver – freshman (6'6, 290)
  • 8 Myles Murphy – sophomore (6'4, 305)
  • 41 Kedrick Bingley-Jones – freshman (6'4, 280)
  • 51 Raymond Vohaseksenior (6'3, 300)
  • 52 Jahlil Taylor – junior (5'11, 310)
  • 56 Tomari Fox – junior (6'2, 290)
  • 98 Kevin Hester Jr. – sophomore (6'4, 305)
 

Linebacker

  • 7 Eugene Asantejunior (6'1, 220)
  • 10 Desmond Evans – sophomore (6'6, 265)
  • 11 Raneiria "Rara" Dillworth – freshman (6'1, 205)
  • 12 Tomon Foxgraduate (6'3, 265)
  • 17 Chris Collins – junior (6'4, 255)
  • 19 Ethan West –   freshman (6'3, 255)
  • 23 Power Echols – freshman (5'11, 220)
  • 25 Kaimon Ruckersophomore (6'1, 265)
  • 26 Trevion Stevenson ― Freshman (6'4, 240)
  • 33 Cedric Graysophomore (6'1, 225)
  • 34 Gabe Stephens – freshman (6'4, 225)
  • 42 Tyrone Hopper – graduate (6'4, 245)
  • 44 Jeremiah Gemmel – senior (6'1, 225)

Defensive back

  • 0 Ja'Qurious Conley – sophomore (6'1, 210)
  • 1 Kyler McMichael – junior (6'0, 210)
  • 2 Don Chapman – junior (6'1, 195)
  • 3 Cameron Roseman-Sinclair –   freshman (5'11, 210)
  • 4 Trey Morrison – senior (5'9, 190)
  • 9 Cam'Ron Kelly – junior (6'1, 210)
  • 13 Obi Egbuna – junior (5'10, 190)
  • 14 Dontae Balfour – freshman (6'2, 180)
  • 15 Ladaeson DeAndre Hollins – junior (6'2, 210)
  • 16 DeAndre Boykins – freshman (5'11, 210)
  • 18 Christopher Holliday –   freshman (6'3, 215)
  • 20 Tony Grimessophomore (6'1, 190)
  • 21 Dontavius Nash – freshman (6'1, 180)
  • 27 Giovanni Biggers – junior (6'1, 195)
  • 28 Tymir Brown – freshman (5'10, 180)
  • 29 Storm Ducksophomore (6'0, 205)

Long snappers

  • 61 Drew Little – junior (5'11, 220)
  • 62 Spencer Triplett –   freshman (6'3, 235)

  • North Carolina Tar Heels Football Roster as of 10/25/2021[2]

Offseason

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Coaching changes

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Larry Porter was hired in January for his second stint as the Tar Heels' running backs coach,[3] replacing Robert Gillespie, who departed for the same position at Alabama. Porter's first tenure at UNC came under previous head coach Larry Fedora from 2014–2016. He was also given the title of Assistant Special teams coordinator. Former Tar Heel and NFL running back Natrone Means was also hired in the offseason as an offensive analyst.[4]

Departures

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NFL Draft

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The following Tar Heels were selected in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Round Pick Player Position NFL Team
2 35 Javonte Williams RB Denver Broncos
3 78 Chazz Surratt LB Minnesota Vikings
3 82 Dyami Brown WR Washington Football Team
4 107 Michael Carter RB New York Jets
6 221 Dazz Newsome WR Chicago Bears

Transfers

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The Tar Heels lost sixteen players from the 2020 season.

Name No. Pos. Height Weight Hometown Year New school
Bryson Richardson #6 DB 6’0 203 Lawrenceville, GA Sophomore UMass
Myles Wolfolk #11 DB 5’11 205 Largo, MD Senior† Bowie State
Billy Ross #56 OL 6’5 315 Huntington, WV Junior Marshall
DJ Ford #16 S 6’3 208 Ashland, AL Senior† ECU
Bryce Watts #2 DB 6’0 180 Toms River, NJ   Junior UMass
Xach Gill #90 DT 6’5 290 Wake Forest, NC Junior Temple
Jace Ruder #10 QB 6’3 228 Norton, KS   Sophomore North Texas
Noah Ruggles #97 PK 6’2 195 Odessa, FL Junior Ohio State
Triston Miller #71 OL 6'5 290 Charlotte, NC   Freshman Arizona State
Lancine Turay #58 DT 6’6 270 Newark, NJ   Sophomore Temple
Rontavius Groves #4 WR 5’11 180 Nashville, TN Junior Texas State
Patrice Rene #5 DB 6’2 205 Ottawa, ON Senior† Rutgers
Ray Rose #9 WR 6’1 215 Belmont, NC Freshman ECU
Khadry Jackson #8 LB 6’1 230 Orlando, FL Junior Georgia Southern
Welton Spottsville #14 DB 6’0 220 Havelock, NC Sophomore Kennesaw State
AJ Beatty #54 OL 6’5 300 Pittsburgh, PA Freshman Albany

†Denotes player who was listed as a senior by UNC, and chose to transfer elsewhere for the extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA in response to the COVID-19 pandemic

Additions

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Incoming transfers

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Name No. Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Prev. school
Ty Chandler #19 RB 6'0 205 Graduate Nashville, TN Tennessee

Recruiting class

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North Carolina signed 19 players in the 2021 class. The Tar Heels' class finished 14th in the 247Sports football recruiting rankings, 16th in the Rivals rankings, and 7th in the ESPN recruiting rankings. Eleven signees were ranked in the ESPN 300 top prospect list.

College recruiting information
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Keeshawn Silver
DL
Rocky Mount, NC Rocky Mount 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 275 lb (125 kg) Mar 3, 2020 
Star ratings: Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 90
Drake Maye
QB
Charlotte, NC Myers Park 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Mar 6, 2020 
Star ratings: Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 86
Raneiria Dillworth
LB
Kernersville, NC Glenn 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 193 lb (88 kg) Apr 17, 2020 
Star ratings: Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 85
Power Echols
LB
Charlotte, NC Julius L. Chambers 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 206 lb (93 kg) Jan 25, 2020 
Star ratings: Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 83
Gavin Blackwell
WR
Monroe, NC Sun Valley 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 165 lb (75 kg) Feb 10, 2020 
Star ratings: Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 83
Tymir Brown
DB
Jacksonville, NC Jacksonville 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 165 lb (75 kg) Mar 17, 2020 
Star ratings: Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 83
Kamarro Edmonds
RB
Havelock, NC Havelock 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Apr 3, 2020 
Star ratings: Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 83
DeAndre Boykins
DB
Concord, NC Central Cabarrus 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Mar 18, 2020 
Star ratings: Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 82
Dontavius Nash
DB
Gastonia, NC Hunter Huss 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Jun 15, 2019 
Star ratings: Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 82
Diego Pounds
OL
Raleigh, NC Millbrook 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 275 lb (125 kg) Sep 25, 2020 
Star ratings: Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 81
Jahvaree Ritzie
DL
Kernersville, NC Glenn 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 285 lb (129 kg) Jun 12, 2020 
Star ratings: Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 81
Kobe Paysour
WR
Kings Mountain, NC Kings Mountain 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Mar 7, 2020 
Star ratings: Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 80
Gabe Stephens
LB
Mount Holly, NC Mountain Island Charter 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Feb 7, 2020 
Star ratings: Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 80
Eli Sutton
OL
Brentwood, TN Brentwood Academy 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 280 lb (130 kg) Mar 8, 2020 
Star ratings: Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 80
Dontae Balfour
DB
Starke, FL Bradford 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Feb 3, 2021 
Star ratings: Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 79
Trevion Stevenson
EDGE
Hampton, VA Phoebus 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Jul 18, 2020 
Star ratings: Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 79
Bryson Nesbit
TE
Charlotte, NC South Mecklenburg 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Dec 1, 2020 
Star ratings: Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 79
JJ Jones
WR
Myrtle Beach, SC Myrtle Beach 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 190 lb (86 kg) May 21, 2020 
Star ratings: Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 79
Caleb Hood
RB
Rockingham, NC Richmond Senior 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Jun 12, 2020 
Star ratings: Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 76
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: #16  247Sports: #14  ESPN: #7
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Rivals commits". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
  • "ESPN commits". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
  • "2021 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
  • "247Sports commits". 247sports.com. Retrieved November 2, 2021.

Schedule

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DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 36:00 p.m.at Virginia TechNo. 10ESPNL 10–1765,632
September 117:30 p.m.Georgia State*No. 24ACCRSNW 59–1750,500
September 187:30 p.m.VirginiaNo. 21
ACCNW 59–3950,500
September 257:30 p.m.at Georgia TechNo. 21ACCNL 22–4537,450
October 212:00 p.m.Duke
ESPN2W 38–745,812
October 93:30 p.m.Florida State
  • Kenan Memorial Stadium
  • Chapel Hill, NC
ESPNL 25–3544,805
October 163:30 p.m.Miami
  • Kenan Memorial Stadium
  • Chapel Hill, NC
ACCNW 45–4250,500
October 307:30 p.m.at No. 11 Notre Dame*NBCL 34–4471,018
November 612:00 p.m.No. 9 Wake Forest*[1]
  • Kenan Memorial Stadium
  • Chapel Hill, NC (rivalry)
ABCW 58–5550,500
November 117:30 p.m.at No. 21 PittsburghESPNL 23–30 OT41,687
November 2012:00 p.m.Wofford*
  • Kenan Memorial Stadium
  • Chapel Hill, NC
ACCRSNW 34–1443,011
November 267:00 p.m.at No. 20 NC StateESPNL 30–3456,919
December 3011:30 a.m.vs. South Carolina [2]*ESPNL 21–3845,520

[5]

^ The game against Wake Forest, a fellow member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, was played as a non-conference game and did not count in the league standings.[6] This was done because the two rivals otherwise only play once every six years due to conference divisional alignment.

^ The Duke's Mayo Bowl was the 59th edition of the North Carolina–South Carolina football rivalry. The two teams are next scheduled to kick off the 2023 season, also at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.

Game summaries

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At Virginia Tech

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North Carolina at Virginia Tech
1 234Total
No. 10 Tar Heels 0 073 10
Hokies 7 703 17
  • Date: September 3, 2021
  • Location: Lane Stadium
    Blacksburg, VA
  • Game start: 6:00 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours, 13 minutes
  • Game attendance: 65,632
  • Game weather: Temperature: 77 °F (25 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: NW 0 MPH
  • Referee: Duane Heydt
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Jason Benetti (play–by–play), Andre Ware (analyst), and Paul Carcaterra (sideline)
 


Pregame line Over/under
UNC −5.5 64
Statistics UNC VT
First downs 18 17
Total yards 354 296
Rushing yards 146 127
Passing yards 208 169
Turnovers 3 2
Time of possession 25:03 34:57
Team Category Player Statistics
North Carolina Passing Sam Howell 17/32, 208 yards, TD, 3 INT
Rushing Ty Chandler 10 carries, 66 yards
Receiving Josh Downs 8 receptions, 123 yards, TD
Virginia Tech Passing Braxton Burmeister 12/19, 169 yards, TD, INT
Rushing Jalen Holston 13 carries, 49 yards
Receiving Raheem Blackshear 3 receptions, 66 yards

Georgia State

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Georgia State at North Carolina
1 234Total
Panthers 3 707 17
No. 24 Tar Heels 14 102114 59
  • Date: September 11, 2021
  • Location: Kenan Memorial Stadium
    Chapel Hill, NC
  • Game start: 7:30 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours, 35 minutes
  • Game attendance: 50,500
  • Game weather: Temperature: 75 °F (24 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: S 3 MPH
  • Referee: Jeremy Parker
  • TV announcers (ACCRSN/ESPN3): Tom Werme (play-by-play), James Bates (analyst), and Abby Labar (sideline)
        


Pregame line Over/under
UNC −25.5 64.5
Statistics GSU UNC
First downs 16 28
Total yards 271 607
Rushing yards 181 201
Passing yards 90 406
Turnovers 1 1
Time of possession 30:17 29:43
Team Category Player Statistics
Georgia State Passing Cornelious Brown IV 12/26, 68 yards, INT
Rushing Darren Grainger 5 carries, 56 yards
Receiving Jamari Thrash 2 receptions, 18 yards
North Carolina Passing Sam Howell 21/29, 352 yards, 3 TD
Rushing Sam Howell 11 carries, 104 yards, 2 TD
Receiving Antoine Green 3 receptions, 117 yards, TD

Virginia

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Virginia at North Carolina
1 234Total
Cavaliers 7 2138 39
No. 21 Tar Heels 21 32114 59
  • Date: September 18, 2021
  • Location: Kenan Memorial Stadium
    Chapel Hill, NC
  • Game start: 7:30 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours, 35 minutes
  • Game attendance: 50,500
  • Game weather: Temperature: 80 °F (27 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: E 4 MPH
  • Referee: Stuart Mullins
  • TV announcers (ACCN): Dave O'Brien (play–by–play), Tim Hasselbeck (analyst) and Kelsey Riggs (sideline)
           


Pregame line Over/under
UNC −9 65
Statistics UVA UNC
First downs 27 35
Total yards 577 699
Rushing yards 24 392
Passing yards 553 307
Turnovers 2 1
Time of possession 32:41 27:19
Team Category Player Statistics
Virginia Passing Brennan Armstrong 39/54, 554 yards, 4 TD, INT
Rushing Jacob Rodriguez 3 carries, 14 yards
Receiving Dontayvion Wicks 7 receptions, 183 yards, TD
North Carolina Passing Sam Howell 14/21, 307 yards, 5 TD, INT
Rushing Ty Chandler 20 carries, 198 yards, 2 TD
Receiving Josh Downs 8 receptions, 203 yards, 2 TD

At Georgia Tech

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North Carolina at Georgia Tech
1 234Total
No. 21 Tar Heels 7 078 22
Yellow Jackets 0 131418 45
  • Date: September 25, 2021
  • Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
    Atlanta, GA
  • Game start: 7:30 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours, 24 minutes
  • Game attendance: 37,450
  • Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: 0 MPH
  • Referee: Gary Patterson
  • TV announcers (ACCN): Roy Philpott (play-by-play), Tim Hasselbeck (analyst) and Kelsey Riggs (sideline)
       
Pregame line Over/under
UNC −13 70.5
Statistics UNC GT
First downs 18 19
Total yards 369 394
Rushing yards 63 261
Passing yards 306 133
Turnovers 3 0
Time of possession 30:05 29:55
Team Category Player Statistics
North Carolina Passing Sam Howell 25/39, 306 yards, 2 TD
Rushing Ty Chandler 17 carries, 48 yards
Receiving Emery Simmons 3 receptions, 110 yards
Georgia Tech Passing Jeff Sims 10/13, 112 yards, TD
Rushing Jeff Sims 10 carries, 128 yards, 3 TD
Receiving Malachi Carter 3 receptions, 48 yards, TD

Duke

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Duke at North Carolina
1 234Total
Blue Devils 0 070 7
Tar Heels 7 17014 38
   
Pregame line Over/under
UNC −20 72.5
Statistics Duke UNC
First downs 15 21
Total yards 314 456
Rushing yards 130 135
Passing yards 184 321
Turnovers 2 0
Time of possession 27:18 32:42
Team Category Player Statistics
Duke Passing Gunnar Holmberg 17/24, 184 yards, TD, INT
Rushing Mataeo Durant 19 carries, 114 yards
Receiving Jalon Calhoun 6 receptions, 103 yards, TD
North Carolina Passing Sam Howell 18/32, 321 yards, 3 TD
Rushing Ty Chandler 12 carries, 53 yards, TD
Receiving Josh Downs 8 receptions, 168 yards, TD

Florida State

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Florida State at North Carolina
1 234Total
Seminoles 0 21140 35
Tar Heels 10 078 25
     


Pregame line Over/under
UNC −16.5 63.5
Statistics FSU UNC
First downs 22 27
Total yards 383 432
Rushing yards 238 229
Passing yards 145 203
Turnovers 0 1
Time of possession 29:48 30:12
Team Category Player Statistics
Florida State Passing Jordan Travis 11/13, 145 yards, 3 TD
Rushing Jordan Travis 14 carries, 121 yards, 2 TD
Receiving Keyshawn Helton 3 receptions, 71 yards
North Carolina Passing Sam Howell 17/32, 203 yards, 2 TD, INT
Rushing Sam Howell 11 carries, 108 yards
Receiving Josh Downs 9 receptions, 121 yards, TD

Miami

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Miami at North Carolina
1 234Total
Hurricanes 10 7178 42
Tar Heels 14 1777 45
  • Date: October 16, 2021
  • Location: Kenan Memorial Stadium
    Chapel Hill, NC
  • Game start: 3:30 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours, 36 minutes
  • Game attendance: 50,500
  • Game weather: Temperature: 73 °F (23 °C) • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: W 3 MPH
  • Referee: Duane Heydt
  • TV announcers (ACCN): Wes Durham (play-by-play), Roddy Jones (analyst), Alex Chappell (sideline)
          


Pregame line Over/under
UNC −7 63
Statistics Miami UNC
First downs 30 23
Total yards 421 382
Rushing yards 157 228
Passing yards 264 154
Turnovers 3 1
Time of possession 26:09 33:51
Team Category Player Statistics
Miami Passing Tyler Van Dyke 20/45, 264 yards, TD, 3 INT
Rushing Jaylan Knighton 17 carries, 92 yards, 2 TD
Receiving Keyshawn Smith 7 receptions, 73 yards
North Carolina Passing Sam Howell 17/26, 154 yards, 2 TD, INT
Rushing Ty Chandler 18 carries, 104 yards, 2 TD
Receiving Josh Downs 11 receptions, 96 yards, TD

At No. 11 Notre Dame

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North Carolina at Notre Dame
1 234Total
Tar Heels 0 13147 34
No. 11 Fighting Irish 7 101413 44
          


Pregame line Over/under
ND −3.5 62.5
Statistics UNC ND
First downs 28 28
Total yards 564 523
Rushing yards 223 293
Passing yards 341 230
Turnovers 1 0
Time of possession 30:15 29:45
Team Category Player Statistics
UNC Passing Sam Howell 24/31, 341 yards, TD, INT
Rushing Sam Howell 18 carries, 101 yards, TD
Receiving Josh Downs 10 receptions, 142 yards
Notre Dame Passing Jack Coan 16/24, 213 yards, TD
Rushing Kyren Williams 22 carries, 199 yards, TD
Receiving Avery Davis 5 receptions, 51 yards, TD

No. 9 Wake Forest

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Wake Forest at North Carolina
1 234Total
No. 9 Demon Deacons 10 21177 55
Tar Heels 14 101024 58
               


Pregame line Over/under
UNC −2.5 75.5
Statistics Wake UNC
First downs 35 31
Total yards 615 546
Rushing yards 217 330
Passing yards 398 216
Turnovers 2 1
Time of possession 26:27 33:33
Team Category Player Statistics
Wake Forest Passing Sam Hartman 25/51, 398 yards, 5 TD, 2 INT
Rushing Justice Ellison 13 carries, 81 yards
Receiving Jaquarii Roberson 7 receptions, 111 yards, 2 TD
North Carolina Passing Sam Howell 16/26, 216 yards, TD
Rushing Ty Chandler 22 carries, 213 yards, 4 TD
Receiving Antoine Green 6 receptions, 83 yards, TD

At No. 25 Pittsburgh

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North Carolina at Pittsburgh
1 234OTTotal
Tar Heels 0 76100 23
No. 25 Panthers 17 6007 30
  • Date: November 11, 2021
  • Location: Heinz Field
    Pittsburgh, PA
  • Game start: 7:30 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours, 39 minutes
  • Game weather: Temperature: 66 °F (19 °C) • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: SE 13 MPH
  • Referee: Jerry Maggallanes
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Matt Barrie (play-by-play), Roddy Jones (analyst), Katie George (sideline)
    


Pregame line Over/under
PITT −6.5 73
Statistics UNC PITT
First downs 16 25
Total yards 384 441
Rushing yards 88 95
Passing yards 296 346
Turnovers 1 1
Time of possession 34:11 25:49
Team Category Player Statistics
North Carolina Passing Sam Howell 22/33, 296 yards, 2 TD, INT
Rushing Ty Chandler 14 carries, 42 yards
Receiving Antoine Green 3 receptions, 108 yards, 2 TD
Pittsburgh Passing Kenny Pickett 25/43, 346 yards, 3 TD, INT
Rushing Israel Abanikanda 12 carries, 63 yards
Receiving Jordan Addison 6 receptions, 84 yards

Wofford

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Wofford at North Carolina
1 234Total
Terriers 0 707 14
Tar Heels 10 10140 34
  • Date: November 20, 2021
  • Location: Kenan Memorial Stadium
    Chapel Hill, NC
  • Game start: 12:00 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 2 hours, 46 minutes
  • Game attendance: 43,011
  • Game weather: Temperature: 48 °F (9 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: N 2 MPH
  • Referee: Marcus Woods
  • TV announcers (ACCRSN): Tom Werme (play-by-play), James Bates (analyst), Rebecca Fiorentino (sideline)
    


Pregame line Over/under
UNC −38.5 64.5
Statistics WOF UNC
First downs 18 30
Total yards 302 519
Rushing yards 209 305
Passing yards 93 214
Turnovers 1 0
Time of possession 31:18 28:42
Team Category Player Statistics
Wofford Passing Peyton Derrick 8/10, 93 yards, INT
Rushing Peyton Derrick 8 carries, 69 yards
Receiving Jim Welsh 3 receptions, 42 yards
North Carolina Passing Jacolby Criswell 11/19, 125 yards
Rushing British Brooks 7 carries, 89 yards, 2 TD
Receiving Josh Downs 8 receptions, 89 yards

At No. 20 N.C. State

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North Carolina at N.C. State
1 234Total
Tar Heels 0 10146 30
No. 20 Wolfpack 14 0713 34
  • Date: November 26, 2021
  • Location: Carter-Finley Stadium
    Raleigh, NC
  • Game start: 7:00 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 3 hours, 34 minutes
  • Game attendance: 56,919
  • Game weather: Temperature: 41 °F (5 °C) • Weather: Cloudy
  • Referee: Jeff Heaser
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Matt Barrie (play-by-play), Roddy Jones (analyst), Tiffany Blackmon (sideline)
       


Pregame line Over/under
NCSU −7 63.5
Statistics UNC NCSU
First downs 22 21
Total yards 444 360
Rushing yards 297 113
Passing yards 147 247
Turnovers 1 1
Time of possession 29:23 30:27
Team Category Player Statistics
North Carolina Passing Sam Howell 14/26, 147 yards, TD, INT
Rushing British Brooks 15 carries, 124 yards
Receiving Josh Downs 8 receptions, 75 yards
N.C. State Passing Devin Leary 19/30, 247 yards, 4 TD
Rushing Zonovan Knight 9 carries, 69 yards
Receiving Emeka Emezie 5 receptions, 112 yards, 2 TD

Vs. South Carolina (Duke's Mayo Bowl)

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North Carolina vs. South Carolina
(Duke's Mayo Bowl)
1 234Total
Tar Heels 0 1380 21
Gamecocks 18 776 38
       


Pregame line Over/under
UNC −9.5 57
Statistics UNC USC
First downs 14 27
Total yards 333 543
Rushing yards 128 301
Passing yards 205 242
Turnovers 0 0
Time of possession 20:58 39:02
Team Category Player Statistics
North Carolina Passing Sam Howell 12/20, 205 yards, TD
Rushing British Brooks 5 carries, 72 yards, TD
Receiving Antoine Green 4 receptions, 73 yards
South Carolina Passing Dakereon Joyner 9/9, 160 yards, TD
Rushing Kevin Harris 31 carries, 182 yards, TD
Receiving Jaheim Bell 5 receptions, 159 yards, 2 TD

Rankings

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Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
Week
PollPre1234567891011121314Final
AP10242121RV
Coaches9221920RVRV
CFPNot releasedNot released

Players drafted into the NFL

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Round Pick Player Position NFL Club
3 67 Joshua Ezeudu OG New York Giants
5 144 Sam Howell QB Washington Commanders
5 169 Ty Chandler RB Minnesota Vikings
5 173 Marcus McKethan OG New York Giants

References

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  1. ^ "2021 Football Coaching Staff". goheels.com. goheels. February 2, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  2. ^ "2021 Football Roster". goheels.com. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  3. ^ PJ Morales (January 29, 2021). "Larry Porter returns to UNC for second stint as running backs coach". Daily Tar Heel.
  4. ^ Steven J. Gaither (March 23, 2021). "Natrone Means hired at UNC after starting at HBCUs". HBCU Gameday.
  5. ^ "2021 North Carolina Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  6. ^ Wolken, Dan (January 26, 2015). "ACC teams Wake Forest and North Carolina schedule non-conference matchups". USA Today.