Football To Open ACC Play At Clemson Saturday

Saturday, September 19

Clemson, S.C. (Memorial Stadium)

Noon

North Carolina

Clemson

Jordan Hall
University of North Carolina Football v East Tennessee State; ETSU
Kenan Stadium
Chapel Hill, NC
Saturday, September 12, 2026

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

September 18, 2026 | Football

Game Notes Watch Live Stats Listen

By: Justin Wilson

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - For the second consecutive year, Carolina Football will open ACC play against Clemson, as the Tar Heels will travel to Clemson, South Carolina, to face the Tigers on Saturday, Sept. 19. Kickoff is set for noon on ESPN from Memorial Stadium.

First and Ten
• Carolina is in its 136th season of football (139th year) in 2026 and the Tar Heels own an all-time record of 757-584-54.
• UNC travels to Clemson in its ACC opener on Saturday, Sept. 19, at noon at Memorial Stadium. It's the program's first trip to Clemson since 2023 and the second consecutive year that the Tar Heels open conference play against the Tigers.
• Saturday's game between the Tar Heels and the Tigers will air live on ESPN with Bob Wischusen (PxP), Louis Riddick (Analyst) and Stormy Buonantony (Sideline) on the call.
• In its last outing, UNC earned a 35-3 victory against ETSU in Carolina's home opener to kick off the 100th season in Kenan Stadium. The Tar Heels have now won 26 straight games against FCS opponents.
• Sophomore running back Demon June turned in a career performance with three rushing touchdowns on seven attempts, marking the first multi-rushing TD game of his young career.
• The Tar Heels have allowed just 13 points through two games this season, tied for the second fewest in the conference and the fifth fewest nationally. UNC is one of three ACC teams that has allowed just one touchdown this season.
• Carolina has recorded seven sacks as a team this season, which is second in the ACC and tied for 11th nationally.
• Sophomore Xavier Lewis is tied for nation's lead in tackles for loss through two games this season with 6.5. He had 4.5 in the season opener against TCU and followed that performance with two against ETSU.
• Carolina Football will celebrate the 100th season of Kenan Stadium during the 2026 season with a series of special events, facility enhancements and fan experiences to honor 100 years of one of the most picturesque athletic venues in the country.
• UNC's coaches and players will wear a 'JS' patch and helmet decal throughout the season in memory of James Spurling, who worked with the program and passed away in February.

A Win Against Clemson Would…
• Be Carolina's 758th all-time victory in program history.
• Give Carolina a win in its ACC opener for the first time since 2023.
• Help Carolina start 3-0 on the year for the fourth time in the last five seasons.
• Give the Tar Heels their first at Clemson since 2001 in their sixth trip to Memorial Stadium since that season.
• Give UNC its first win over the Tigers since 2010, snapping a seven-game losing streak versus Clemson.

ACC Opener History
• For the second consecutive year, Carolina will open ACC play against Clemson, after the Tar Heels welcomed the Tigers to Kenan Stadium to start its conference slate in 2025.
• It is the first time the UNC has opened league play against the same opponent in consecutive years since 2021-22, when Carolina played Virginia Tech in its conference opener both seasons.
• Entering the matchup versus the Tigers, Carolina is 30-43 all-time in Atlantic Coast Conference openers (since 1953).
• Saturday is the fifth time the Tar Heels will open ACC play versus Clemson.

Carolina vs. Clemson in the ACC Opening Game:
• Sept. 19, 1959 in Chapel Hill: Loss, 20-18
• Aug. 31, 1996 in Chapel Hill: Win, 45-0
• Sept. 27, 2024 in Clemson: Loss, 50-35
• Oct. 4, 2025 in Chapel Hill: Loss, 38-10

Getting to the QB
• UNC has tallied seven sacks this season, tied for the 11th-most nationally and the second most in the ACC.
• Carolina had four sacks versus ETSU and three against TCU.

Lewis Leading The Nation
• Defensive lineman Xavier Lewis has had a breakout sophomore season, as the Raleigh native is tied for the national lead in tackles for loss with 6.5, along with LSU's Princewill Umanmielen.
• Lewis had 4.5 tackles for loss in the season opener against TCU and added two TFLs against ETSU.
• Additionally, he's second in nation and leads the ACC in sacks with four.

Career Day for June
• Sophomore running back Demon June turned in a career day against ETSU last Saturday, as he scored a career-high three rushing touchdowns to lead the Tar Heels to a 35-3 victory. He finished the game with seven carries for 33 yards with three scores.
• Prior to Saturday's game, June had not recorded a multi-rushing TD game in his career, and he became the first Tar Heel since Omarion Hampton in 2024 with three or more rushing touchdowns. He found the end zone from nine yards out to make it 21-0 right before halftime to give UNC control of the game.
• After the intermission, June tallied a 6-yard and 1-yard rushing touchdown to account for Carolina's final three scores of the game.

Smart Football
• Carolina has committed just eight penalties through two games this season, which is tied for the third fewest in the ACC and the 16th fewest nationally.
• The Tar Heels had only three in their season-opening win against TCU and five penalties in their last outing against ETSU.

Two 90-Yard Drives
• The Tar Heels posted two 90-yard scoring drives in last Saturday's win against ETSU, marking the first time the program has accomplished the feat since the Syracuse game in 2023.
• Carolina began the drive on its own one-yard line, piecing together a 99-yard drive across 10 plays, resulting in a Billy Edwards Jr. to Benjamin Hall touchdown pass. The drive tied the longest in school history, matching the 99-yard scoring drive against Miami in 2022.
• Later in the game, the Tar Heels put together a 10-play, 90-yard scoring drive capped off by a June rushing touchdown.

Back to Their Home State
• Seven UNC players hail from the state of South Carolina, including Jordan Avinger, Gannon Burt, Timir Hickman-Collins, Jaylen McGill, Zamaurious Robertson, Andrew Threatt and Carnell Warren.
• McGill's hometown of Spartanburg in the closest among the group to Memorial Stadium, approximately 70 miles.

Been Here Before
• Three Carolina players will visit Memorial Stadium for the second consecutive year, as running back Kaleb Jackson and kicker Aeron Burrell were members of LSU's program last season when the visiting Tigers defeated Clemson, 17-10.
• Linebacker Derek McDonald will play at Memorial Stadium for the third time in his collegiate career and second consecutive year. McDonald helped Syracuse earn a 34-21 victory in Clemson last year and started at linebacker and recorded eight tackles in a 27-21 loss in 2022.
• Defensive backs Kaleb Cost and Tre Miller, along with tight end Deems May III are the lone UNC players from the 2023 team that played in Clemson that year.
• Additionally, offensive lineman Andrew Threatt played in Memorial Stadium in 2023 at Charleston Southern, when he actually appeared in the game as a defensive lineman.

Red Zone Defense
• The Tar Heels rank fourth nationally in red zone defense, allowing opponents to score on just 40% of their trips to the red zone.
• UNC has yielded just two scores in the red zone and only one touchdown, while forcing two turnovers on downs and a missed field goal.

First In A Carolina Uniform
• Carolina quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. connected with tight end Jelani Thurman for the Tar Heels' first passing touchdown of the season in the first quarter of the ETSU game last Saturday.
• It was Edwards' first passing TD in a UNC uniform and Thurman's first receiving TD at Carolina.