Overview
- Gio Lopez threw for 216 yards and two touchdowns, while Demon June ran for 101 yards and added a receiving score to pace North Carolina.
- The Tar Heels outgained the Orange 425-147 and surpassed 21 points against an FBS opponent for the first time this season.
- Syracuse started walk-on true freshman Joe Filardi at quarterback; he finished 4-for-18 for 39 yards as the Orange completed only four passes, their fewest in an ACC game since 2013.
- Bill Belichick recorded his first ACC and Power-Four victory as UNC’s defense held Syracuse without an offensive touchdown and controlled the second half.
- The outcome ran counter to pregame odds and models that favored Syracuse (around -2 to -2.5, with some simulations backing the Orange), leaving UNC at 3-5 before hosting Stanford and Syracuse at 3-6 on a five-game slide heading to Miami and Notre Dame.