North Carolina
UCF
Football To Battle UCF Saturday
September 19, 2025 | Football
Game Information
Date/Time: Saturday, Sept. 20 - 3:30 PM
Watch: FOX
Live Stats
Radio: Tar Heel Sports Radio Network (97.9 FM in Chapel Hill)
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First and Ten
• Carolina is in its 135th season of football (138th year) in 2025.
• Entering the matchup with UCF, the Tar Heels hold an all-time record of 753-577-54.
• Saturday afternoon's game between the Tar Heels and Knights will be live on FOX, with Eric Collins (PxP) and Spencer Tillman (Analyst) 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 features 38 returners and 70 newcomers, including 40 transfers and 30 true freshmen.
• Last Saturday versus Richmond, the Tar Heels earned their first home victory of the season, a 41-6 verdict.
• Against the Spiders, freshman Demon June paced Carolina with 148 yards rushing and a touchÂdown.
The Opponent
• Scott Frost enters his third year as head coach at UCF, his first since 2017, when he led the Knights to a 13-0 record.
• Saturday will be the second-straight game hosting a North Carolina program for UCF, defeating North Carolina A&T, 68-7, on Sept. 6.
• Against the Aggies, the Knights were led by Jaden Nixon and Jacurri Brown on the ground, who combined for nine carries, 262 yards and four touchdowns.
• UCF's pass defense has allowed just 98.5 yards per game this season, ranking third nationally and first in the Big 12.
UNC-UCF Connection
• Saturday's game features a connection between the program's head coaches, as North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick was the defensive coordinator of the New York Jets when the organization drafted now UCF head coach Scott Frost, with the 67th pick (Third Round) of the 1998 NFL Draft.
• That team finished first in the AFC East and ended the season with a 12-4 record, falling in the AFC Championship to the Denver Broncos. Current New York Jets head coach was a member of the secondary that season, along with Frost.
• Additionally, North Carolina linebacker Mikai Gbayor started his career at Nebraska, where he was recruited by Scott Frost, and played for him during the 2021 campaign.
A Win Over UCF Would...
• Be Carolina's 754th all-time victory in program history.
• Give Coach Belichick his third win at the college level and his second on the road.
• Be Carolina's first victory over the Knights in the first meeting between the two programs.
• Give the Tar Heels their second road victory of the 2025 campaign.
• Be Carolina's fourth-straight regular season win in the Sunshine State.
• Give the Tar Heels their first win over a Big 12 program since Oct. 5, 2002, a 38-35 victory at Arizona State.
Series History: UCF
• Saturday is the first meeting between the two programs.
• The Knights will become the 56th different current Power Four program the Tar Heels have faced in program history.
• Current Power Four Programs UNC Has Yet to Face:
    - Big 12: BYU, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, UCF (Saturday)
    - Big Ten: Iowa, Purdue (scheduled for 2027), UCLA, Washington
    - SEC: Ole Miss
Getting Defensive
• Entering the matchup with UCF, the Tar Heel defense has not allowed a touchdown in two-straight games, for the first time since 2012 (Sept. 22, 2012 vs. East Carolina, Sept. 29, 2012 vs. Idaho).Â
• Two weeks ago, the Tar Heel defense limited Charlotte to three points on the night, as the 49ers were held to 21 yards on the ground:
    - Fewest points allowed since Sept. 29, 2012 versus Idaho (66-0)
From The Notes: Richmond Recap
• Carolina is 13-2 all-time against Richmond, and 9-0 in Chapel Hill. Saturday was the first meeting between the two programs since 1978.
• The Tar Heels have won 25-straight games versus FCS opponents, a streak that dates back to the 2000 campaign.
• North Carolina scored on each of its first four possessions. It was the first time the Tar Heels have scored on each of their first four possessions since scoring on the opening seven possessions against Syracuse on Oct. 7, 2023.
• The Tar Heels have posted seven-straight regular season games with at least one takeaway.
• North Carolina has stopped opponents from scoring a touchdown in back-to-back weeks for the first time since 2012, holding ECU to two field goals on Sept. 22nd, 2012 and Idaho scoreless the following week on Sept. 29th.
• Carolina posted its first fumble return for a touchdown since Trey Morrison against Duke in 2021 on Mikai Gbayor's 62-yard defensive score.
June Bursts On The Scene
• Freshman Demon June led the Tar Heels in the win over Richmond, posting 148 yards and a touchdown.
• June logged the first 100-yard game for Carolina this fall, becoming the first Tar Heel freshman to lead Carolina in rushing in back-to-back games since Michael Carter in 2017.
• The Jacksonville, N.C. native's 148 yards were the most for a freshman running back since Carter's 157 yards against Virginia in 2017.
• June's 50-yard rush on the opening drive was the longest by a Carolina freshman since Omarion Hampton's 58-yarder against Georgia State in 2022.
• As of Sept. 15, June ranks second nationally in freshman rushing yards this season:
    1. Bo Jackson (Ohio State): 217 yards
    2. Demon June (North Carolina): 200 yards
