First look: What to know about UNC football’s game at Charlotte
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- UNC suffered a 48-14 home loss to TCU in Bill Belichick's coaching debut.
- Charlotte allowed 586 yards in a 34-11 loss to App State to open its season.
- Quarterback decision looms as UNC faces Charlotte on Saturday as 21-point favorite.
Bill Belichick’s highly anticipated debut as North Carolina’s head coach ended in disaster: a 48-14 blowout loss to TCU in Chapel Hill on Labor Day. But, if it’s any consolation, Charlotte “came off a disappointing game themselves,” as Belichick put it in his postgame press conference Monday night.
“We’re both in a little bit of the same boat here,” Belichick said.
Sure, if the 49ers’ boat is gold-plated and filled with treasure chests or whatever other luxury accessories would, in this theoretical scenario, equal UNC’s football budget of roughly $40 million this year.
“They just out-played us, they out-coached us,” Belichick said of TCU Monday. “They were just better than we were tonight. That’s all it was.”
UNC faces an easier test next, traveling to Charlotte to take on the 49ers on Saturday at 7 p.m.
Charlotte, 5-7 last season, floundered in a 34-11 season-opening loss to Appalachian State on Aug. 29. The Mountaineers racked up 586 yards of offense, at one point scoring on five consecutive possessions in the win over Charlotte.
UNC, similarly, mustered a lopsided performance against TCU Monday. The Horned Frogs racked up 542 yards of total offense, to just 222 for the Tar Heels.
North Carolina starting quarterback Gio Lopez struggled before exiting the game late in the third quarter due to a back injury. He appeared to have sustained it after being tackled and fumbling a ball that was returned for a TCU touchdown with roughly seven minutes remaining in the third.
Veteran quarterback Max Johnson, returning from a season-ending leg injury last year, took over for Lopez. He led a 10-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a touchdown pass to his younger brother, Jake.
“Give Max a lot of credit,” Belichick said. “He really came in there after being out for a long time and hung in there and made some plays [in] a tough situation.”
Belichick said the team will need to further evaluate things, namely Lopez’s health, before deciding who will start at quarterback Saturday.
Key game matchup: UNC QB vs. Charlotte secondary
The Tar Heels failed to find their offensive rhythm Monday, but may find greater success against Charlotte.
Charlotte ranks 116th in the FBS in total defense — out of 133 teams.
App State quarterback AJ Swann took advantage of that in the season opener. He tore up the 49ers’ secondary on Aug. 29, throwing three touchdown passes and completing 67% of his pass attempts.
If all goes well, Saturday’s matchup at Charlotte will serve as a blank canvas for North Carolina — and Lopez or Johnson, pending who starts — to reset and find success outside of a scripted opening drive.
Charlotte impact players: Conley, Boyd
Jacksonville, N.C. native Ja’Qurious Conley entered his redshirt senior year at Charlotte as a preseason favorite for all-conference recognition, albeit on the third team.
Conley wasted no time in adding to his highlight reel in the 49ers’ season opener. In the first quarter of the eventual loss, Conley ripped the ball from App State wideout Jaden Barnes’ grip as he waltzed into the end zone, a crucial play that kept the game scoreless in the first quarter.
Liam Boyd — another UNC-to-Charlotte transfer alongside Conley and quarterback Conner Harrell — could be a difference-maker for the 49ers should they fail to extend drives on Saturday.
The kicker scored Charlotte’s first points of the season with his 42-yard field goal on Aug. 29 — giving the 49ers a much-needed early boost and showing off his range in the process.
Vegas betting line
The Tar Heels opened as a 21.5-point favorite over the 49ers. The moneyline for UNC: -110. For Charlotte: +110.
UNC at Charlotte game info
Teams: UNC (0-1, ACC) v. Charlotte (0-1, American)
Where: Jerry Richardson Stadium
Date: Saturday, Sept. 6
Time: 7 p.m.
TV: ESPN+
Stream: fubo TV, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, DIRECTV Stream, Sling TV.
Series history: This isn’t exactly a storied matchup. The Tar Heels beat the 49ers, 38-20, last season in the first-ever meeting between the programs.
This story was originally published September 2, 2025 at 5:30 AM.