The North Carolina Tar Heels (3-5) are set to host the Stanford Cardinal (3-6) at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill on Saturday night, aiming for their second consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference victory. The match is scheduled to kick off at 4:30 PM ET and will be broadcast on CW, with live streaming available on Fubo.
Last week, the Tar Heels secured their first ACC win under head coach Bill Belichick, defeating Syracuse 27-10. Their defense was particularly impressive, allowing only 152 yards and preventing the Orange from scoring a touchdown. After trailing 10-6 at halftime, North Carolina rallied strong in the second half, led by quarterback Gio Lopez, who completed 15 of 19 passes for 216 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Demon June also made a significant impact with 101 rushing yards and a touchdown, alongside a remarkable 72-yard touchdown reception. The defense demonstrated dominance with four sacks, highlighted by Melkart Abou Jaoude’s exceptional performance.
In contrast, Stanford struggled in their last outing, unable to maintain an early advantage against Pittsburgh, ultimately losing 35-20. The Cardinal’s quarterbacks, Ben Gulbranson and Elijah Brown, faced frequent pressure, combined for five sacks, and the team’s rushing offense ended with a troubling minus-10 yards. Gulbranson managed to complete 17 of 30 passes for 228 yards but threw three interceptions, while Brown contributed 108 yards and a touchdown on 10 of 14 passing. Receiver CJ Williams emerged as the standout with seven receptions for 122 yards and both of the Cardinal’s touchdown receptions.
This match marks the first meeting between these two programs as members of the ACC, and historically, Stanford holds a slight edge with a 2-1 record against North Carolina, winning their last two encounters, including a victory in the 2016 Sun Bowl.
fans are encouraged to catch this exciting college football matchup and cheer for their teams as they battle for crucial conference standings.