Tar Heels look to end losing streak. How to watch UNC football battle Georgia Tech
North Carolina looks to turn its season around when it hosts Georgia Tech this Saturday at noon.
The Yellow Jackets (4-2, 2-2 ACC) are riding high after an impressive 24-14 win over Duke. Meanwhile, the Tar Heels (3-3, 0-2 ACC) are coming off a 34-24 loss to Pittsburgh, their third straight defeat, and are facing mounting pressure to find consistency on both sides of the ball.
“They’ve had a rough stretch the last couple of weeks,” GT coach Brent Key said this week in a press conference. “Those are the scariest teams to go up against. They really are, man. They’re playing at home, playing early… to know the talent they have and see the glimpses of how they’ve played a lot of times this year — it’ll be a challenge for us on Saturday.”
UNC’s defense, under first-year coordinator Geoff Collins, has struggled to generate turnovers and stop explosive plays.
Despite moments of brilliance, like Kaleb Cost’s 84-yard pick-six against Pitt, the unit has allowed big-yardage plays at critical moments. Quarterback Eli Holstein torched the Tar Heels for a career-high 381 passing yards last week, raising concerns about how UNC will handle Georgia Tech’s dynamic offense.
“They’re a lot like Pittsburgh,” North Carolina coach Mack Brown said of GT in his Monday press conference. “They’re physical. They can run the ball. Haynes King’s a really good quarterback that’s a dual-threat. He can run, and we didn’t stop the running quarterback last week very well. But he’s also got an outstanding arm.”
While last year’s matchup between the Tar Heels and the Yellow Jackets saw 88 total points light up the scoreboard, Brown predicts Saturday will be less of a shootout.
Georgia Tech’s rush defense only allows 87.5 yards per game — good for 11th nationally and first in the ACC. Linebacker Kyle Efford leads the team on that side of the ball with 42 total tackles through six games.
“He’s all over the place,” Brown said. “He’s a really good player and he’s fun to watch.”
With both teams fighting for ACC relevance — albeit in very different senses — this game will be crucial. Georgia Tech has bowl aspirations, while UNC is looking to stop its slide and salvage an already disappointing season.
Betting odds
The Vegas lines have Georgia Tech as a 5.5-point favorite, with the over/under set at 58.5.
How to watch
The game will be televised on The CW Network. Streaming options include fubo TV, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV and DIRECTV Stream.
North Carolina vs. Georgia Tech
When: Saturday, noon
Where: Kenan Stadium, Chapel Hill.
TV: The CW.
Series history: Georgia Tech has won the past three games in the series and five of the last six — including the past two at Kenan Stadium. UNC and Georgia Tech have played 58 times dating to 1915. The Yellow Jackets lead 33-22-3 overall but the Tar Heels lead 14-12-2 at Kenan.
This story was originally published October 10, 2024 at 6:00 AM.