Who’s Playing
North Carolina @ No. 25 Pittsburgh
Current Records: North Carolina 5-4; Pittsburgh 7-2
What to Know
Get ready for an ACC battle as the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Pittsburgh Panthers will face off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday at Heinz Field. Keep an eye on the score for this one: both teams posted some lofty points totals in their previous games, so things might heat up even more when they meet.
Don’t be fooled by the insanely high score: we promise UNC and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons were playing football. The Tar Heels sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 58-55 win on Saturday. The victory came about thanks to a strong surge after the third quarter to overcome a 48-34 deficit. RB Ty Chandler had a dynamite game for UNC; he rushed for four TDs and 213 yards on 22 carries. Chandler put himself on the highlight reel with a 50-yard TD scramble in the fourth quarter. Not surprisingly, Chandler’s sharp performance set his single-game rushing touchdown high for the season.
Special teams collected 16 points for UNC. K Grayson Atkins delivered a perfect 3-for-3 game.
Meanwhile, Pitt turned the game against the Duke Blue Devils into a track meet and took the gold after outgaining them 636 yards to 384. Everything went Pitt’s way against Duke on Saturday as they made off with a 54-29 victory. The contest was all but wrapped up at the end of the third, by which point the Panthers had established a 44-22 advantage. QB Kenny Pickett continued his habit of dropping crazy stat lines, passing for three TDs and 416 yards on 44 attempts in addition to rushing for one TD and 57 yards.
Pitt’s defense was a presence as well, as it embarrassed Duke’s offensive line to sack the quarterback six times for a total loss of 47 yards. Leading the way was LB Cam Bright and his two sacks. Bright now has three sacks through nine games.
UNC is expected to lose this next one by 6.5. Those who got lucky with them against the spread on Saturday might want to hold off on placing bets this time since the team has yet to string together back-to-back wins against the spread.
UNC is now 5-4 while the Panthers sit at 7-2. A pair of defensive stats to keep in the back of your head while watching: The Tar Heels are 225th worst in the nation in touchdowns allowed, with 36 on the season. Pitt has experienced some struggles of their own as they are stumbling into the game with the 181st most passing touchdowns allowed in the nation, having given up 14 on the season. It’s possible one of these Achilles’ heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.
How To Watch
- When: Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Heinz Field — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- TV: ESPN
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Follow: CBS Sports App
Odds
The Panthers are a solid 6.5-point favorite against the Tar Heels, according to the latest college football odds.
Over/Under: -109
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Series History
North Carolina have won four out of their last five games against Pittsburgh.
- Nov 14, 2019 – Pittsburgh 34 vs. North Carolina 27
- Sep 22, 2018 – North Carolina 38 vs. Pittsburgh 35
- Nov 09, 2017 – North Carolina 34 vs. Pittsburgh 31
- Sep 24, 2016 – North Carolina 37 vs. Pittsburgh 36
- Oct 29, 2015 – North Carolina 26 vs. Pittsburgh 19
