UNC football bests Charlotte, 38-20, in home opener

The UNC football team (2-0) defeated the Charlotte 49ers (0-2), 38-20, during the Tar Heels’ home opener at Kenan Stadium on Saturday afternoon. 

Following graduate quarterback Max Johnson's season-ending injury, sophomore second-string quarterback Conner Harrell recorded his first career start at Kenan Stadium. During the outing, Harrell threw for 219 yards while rushing for 39, notching two touchdowns and one interception.

On the defensive end, UNC held the 49ers to 49 rushing yards, with defensive lineman Jahvaree Ritzie securing his fifth sack in two games. Ritzie became the first Tar Heel to achieve this since 2013. 

But Harrell had a rough start. During North Carolina's opening drive, Harrell fumbled the ball on third-and-12. 

"[Harrell] knows we got a chance to be a really good team," head coach Mack Brown said. "We've got to have a quarterback step up. So, there's a tremendous amount of pressure, and we've got to take that pressure off of it and really help him."

Avoiding the potential turnover, the fumble was soon forgotten throughout North Carolina’s next two possessions. Harrell led a 94-yard drive and threw a 30-yard pass to cap it off to senior tight end Bryson Nesbit in the end zone. 

While Charlotte responded with a field goal on the next series, the Tar Heels worked to extend their lead.

Led by the efforts of junior running back Omarion Hampton who pushed the Tar Heels to Charlotte’s 39-yard line, Harrell then handed the ball off to senior wide receiver Nate McCollum who scampered into the end zone for his first rushing touchdown since 2022. 

Exiting the first quarter, the Tar Heels led 14-3. 

In an attempt to work their way back into the game, 49ers’ quarterback Max Brown used his passing abilities to force Charlotte to the UNC 22. After Charlotte made its way to the 2-yard line, wide receiver Jairus Mack attempted to reach the end zone, but UNC junior defensive back Marcus Allen kept the player out of it to hold the possession to a field goal. 

"There's no benchmark," sophomore linebacker Amare Campbell said. "We just stop everything. Stop the run. Stop the pass. No yards."

North Carolina continued to tear up Charlotte’s defense, resulting in a six minute-long possession that ended in a 4-yard rushing touchdown from Harrell. The Tar Heels exited the first half up 21-6. 

Entering the third quarter, the 49ers found some traction. 

Relying on the same passing abilities that dominated the first half, first-year quarterback Deshawn Purdie — who entered the second half after Brown got hurt — threw 34 yards downfield to Mack who reached UNC's 3-yard line. After a false start penalty that pushed the 49ers back five yards, Brown's pass reached tight end Bryce Kennon in the left side of the end zone for Charlotte's first touchdown. 

With Charlotte only a score away, the Tar Heels worked to make it a two possession game.

At the UNC 42-yard line, the ball went from Harrell to running back Caleb Hood to wide receiver Kobe Paysour before eventually going back to Harrell. With Charlotte's defense unable to keep up, Harrell cranked a 58-yard deep ball to redshirt first-year wide receiver Christian Hamilton. Not only did this play result in Harrell's longest collegiate pass, but it also served as Hamilton's first career touchdown. 

North Carolina continued to put the game out of reach after graduate place-kicker Noah Burnette secured a 44-yard field goal with a little under four minutes remaining in the third quarter, which UNC exited leading 31-13. 

The Tar Heels found success once more during a run-heavy possession led by first-year running back Davion Gause. After making it to the 1-yard line, Harrell handed the ball off to Gause who pushed through the middle for his first career touchdown to make the score 38-13. 

"I think there we some drives I want back [and] some plays I want back just thinking about it now," Harrell said. "But we got a lot to build off of."

Although the 49ers recorded one more touchdown, North Carolina maintained the comfortable lead to remain in the win column.

The Tar Heels will return to Kenan Stadium next Saturday to take on N.C. Central at 6 p.m.

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