Pivotal Big 4 showdown: How to watch, stream UNC football’s game against Wake Forest

As North Carolina hosts Wake Forest Saturday night, with the school requesting fans to wear Carolina blue to create a “Blue Out” at Kenan Stadium, the Tar Heels are aiming to extend their win streak and become bowl eligible.

It’s traditionally been a high-scoring matchup, but this fall, North Carolina hopes its revamped defense can change this narrative. UNC’s defense, led by coordinator Geoff Collins, has surged recently, leading to back-to-back road wins against Virginia and Florida State.

After ranking last in the ACC in total defense just a month ago, the team used two bye weeks to get back to the basics.

Collins took advantage of the first bye week with a “day one install” refresher to help his defense get its feet set and speed up its play. This move, according to Collins and his players, has sharpened the team’s execution and enabled faster, more cohesive play.

“(We’re) playing fast, playing free, playing confident, playing together — all of those things that we stress,” Collins said on Monday. “It’s nice to see it happen on a game day because it happens regularly out at practice.”

Over the last two games, the Tar Heels’ defense has allowed only 25 total points, recorded 17 sacks and forced four interceptions.

A critical piece of UNC’s defensive success has been sophomore Amare Campbell, who has embraced a leadership role at middle linebacker.

Campbell wears the green-dot helmet, which means he can communicate with the coaches via a mic and relay play calls to his teammates.

The linebacker said, despite his age, the role has come naturally due to his teammates’ trust. Having the support of veterans like Kevin Hester Jr., Kaimon Rucker and Desmond Evans has eased some of the pressure.

“Figuring out the respect they had for me, it’s good to hear it from someone older than you,” he said. “Me being a 19-year-old true sophomore, it’s good to hear a four-year, five-year guy tell me that they trust me with everything.”

Wake Forest, meanwhile, is reeling from a high-scoring loss to Cal last weekend, where the Demon Deacons fell 46-36 despite a late comeback effort.

Wake’s balanced attack, featuring receiver Taylor Morin and versatile running back Demond Claiborne, will test UNC’s defensive resilience. Collins noted the Tar Heels’ defense must be particularly disciplined against Wake’s slow-mesh offense, which uses delayed reads to create mismatches.

This is where the leadership of Campbell, once again, will be crucial.

“He’s in the middle of the defense,” defensive back Will Hardy said. “Having him with that earpiece and getting everybody lined right has been very valuable. He’s done a great job. He plays with confidence, he plays really fast and he’s just fun to be around.”

Betting odds

UNC is an 11.5-point favorite, with the over/under set at 63.5.

How to watch

The game will be televised on ACC Network, which is available on major cable and satellite services like Spectrum, DirecTV and Dish Network. Streaming options include fubo TV, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV and DIRECTV Stream.

North Carolina vs. Wake Forest

When: Saturday, 8 p.m.

Where: Kenan Stadium, Chapel Hill

TV: ACC Network

Series history: UNC leads the all-time series 72-36-2 and has won the past three meetings.

This story was originally published November 14, 2024 at 6:00 AM.