PITT (2-1, 1-0 ACC) vs. NORTH CAROLINA (0-2, 0-0 ACC)

September 22, 2018 • 12:20 p.m., ET

Kenan Stadium (50,500/Natural Grass) • Chapel Hill, N.C.

Raycom (WTAE-TV) • Pitt IMG Sports Radio Network

PittsburghPanthers.com • @Pitt_FB

LINK (PDF): Pitt Game Notes (vs. North Carolina)

GAME STORYLINES

• Pitt travels to North Carolina this Saturday for its first road game of the season. The Panthers are coming off a 24-19 win over Georgia Tech. The Tar Heels, originally slated to host UCF last week, saw their Sept. 15 game canceled due to Hurricane Florence.

• Narrow margins have been the rule during recent Pitt-UNC series history. The past seven meetings have been decided by a combined 28 points (4.0 points per game). The Tar Heels edged Pitt at Heinz Field last year, 34-31.

• Since 2013, North Carolina is the only team in the Coastal that Pitt has not beaten. The Panthers are 0-5 against the Tar Heels in ACC play. North Carolina also leads the overall series, 9-3.

• Pitt’s last victory in the series occurred in the 2009 Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte. Dave Wannstedt’s Panthers edged the Tar Heels (coached by Butch Davis), 19-17, on a field goal with 52 seconds left.

• With a 2-1 overall record, Pitt has won at least two of its first three games for the 14th time since the 2000 season. A victory at North Carolina would give the Panthers their first 3-1 start since 2015, Pat Narduzzi’s debut season in Pittsburgh.

• Pitt’s last 2-0 start to ACC play also occurred in 2015. The Panthers opened with a 4-0 conference record that year, finishing as the Coastal Division runner-up with a 6-2 league record.

• Sophomore defensive end Rashad Weaver is tied for the national lead with three fumble recoveries on the young season. Weaver recovered two fumbles against Penn State and one last week in the Georgia Tech win.

• Senior tailback Qadree Ollison is averaging 94.3 rushing yards per game. Ollison had a season-high 119 yards against Penn State and netted 91 last week against Georgia Tech. For the year, he has totaled 283 yards on 45 carries (6.3 avg.) and three touchdowns.

SERIES NOTES
This is the 13th meeting between Pitt and North Carolina in a series that dates back to 1974…nine of the 12 games have been decided by single digits, including each of the last seven contests…the Tar Heels lead the overall series, 9-3, and have won all five ACC encounters, including last season’s 34-31 decision at Heinz Field…Pitt and North Carolina meet annually as members of the ACC’s Coastal Division…the Panthers are 2-4 against the Tar Heels in Pittsburgh and 0-5 in Chapel Hill…Pitt won the lone neutral site meeting, 19-17, in the 2009 Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte…bowl MVP Dion Lewis rushed for 159 yards and a touchdown, while Dan Hutchins provided the winning points on a 33-yard field goal with 52 seconds left to upend the Tar Heels…that 2009 bowl victory capped a 10-3 season for Pitt…the Panthers’ only two regular-season wins in the series both occurred in Pittsburgh: 20-16 in 1978 and 7-6 in 1982…the 1982 game served as the opener for both schools and was a battle of preseason Top 5 teams in Three Rivers Stadium…Pitt, led by quarterback Dan Marino, was the preseason No. 1 team, while North Carolina, which featured tailback Kelvin Bryant, was No. 5…the ’82 game was played in Three Rivers Stadium to accommodate a weeknight CBS primetime TV audience.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Television • Raycom (WTAE-TV, Channel 4, in Pittsburgh)

Tom Werme (play-by-play), Dave Archer (analyst), Lericia Harris, reporter

Pitt Radio • 93.7 The Fan & the Pitt IMG Sports Network

Bill Hillgrove (play-by-play), Pat Bostick (analyst), Larry Richert (reporter)

SiriusXM Satellite Radio

XM Channel 380, Internet Channel 965

WPTS Radio (Pitt Student Station) • 92.1 FM

Pitt IMG Sports Network Online Audio Options

PittsburghPanthers.com

Pitt Panthers Gameday App

TuneIn (free live and on-demand content)