First look: What to know about UNC football’s game vs. Richmond this Saturday
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- UNC eyes improvement against Richmond after uneven 20-3 win over Charlotte.
- Tar Heels seek consistent offense after showing flashes in scripted drives.
- Richmond's senior defenders Byrd and Glassmyer anchor Spiders' resistance.
Bill Belichick’s debut week as North Carolina’s coach could’ve gone worse.
The six-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots is now in the win column after a 20-3 win over Charlotte on Saturday night. It wasn’t pretty — the Tar Heels managed just 64 yards of total offense in the second half — but it steadied a team that badly needed a reset following a 48-14 collapse against TCU five days earlier.
“I think for us, it was a positive,” UNC starting quarterback Gio Lopez said following the win over Charlotte. “Got the short weekend and, you know, get that taste out of our mouth. We still didn’t play our best ball at all.”
UNC will have a chance to play better ball against FCS opponent Richmond on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at Kenan Stadium, where the Tar Heels are heavy favorites. The Spiders also opened their season 1-1, falling to Lehigh (21-14) before beating Wofford (14-10), and picked up five transfers from the FBS this offseason, including former North Carolina offensive lineman Jason Smith II.
Key game matchup: Gio Lopez v. second-half defense
The Tar Heels’ offense has looked spot-on for exactly two drives this season: the scripted openers against TCU and Charlotte. And after that? UNC has struggled with stalled momentum and long scoring droughts.
Lopez returned from a mild back injury suffered in the season opener to start against Charlotte on Saturday. He opened the game with a 51-yard touchdown pass to Chris Culliver, who later exited the game with a shoulder injury.
The Tar Heels didn’t find the end zone again until late in the first half for what proved to be their last touchdown of the night. It still marked an improvement after the season opener. The bar was pretty low.
“Offensively, we didn’t turn the ball over,” Belichick said Saturday. “We had more production on first down, which led to better production on third down. We were two-for-two in the red area... so just all around [a] more solid effort and fewer mistakes, more positive plays.
What do we need to work on? I mean, everything.”
Richmond impact players: Byrd, Glassmyer
Richmond’s defense is anchored by defensive lineman Camden Byrd and linebacker Carter Glassmyer, both seniors returning after earning second-team conference honors in 2024.
Byrd, at 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds, is a disruptive force up front. He totaled 8.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks last season.
Glassmyer is the heartbeat of the linebacking corps, racking up a team-high 87 tackles last season. That included 53 solo stops, three sacks, 7.0 tackles for loss, three pass breakups, two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble and a quarterback hurry.
The ability for Byrd and Glassmyer to track Lopez will be central to keeping the game competitive.
Vegas betting line
There are no betting odds available at this point.
UNC v. Richmond game info
Teams: UNC (1-1, ACC) vs Richmond (1-1, CAA)
Where: Kenan Stadium, Chapel Hill
Date: Saturday, Sept. 13, 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: ACCN
Stream: fubo TV, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, DIRECTV Stream, Sling TV.
Series history: These programs haven’t played each other since 1978, but North Carolina hasn’t lost to an FCS team since a Furman upset in 1999. The Tar Heels should be able to handle Richmond comfortably to improve to 2-1.
This story was originally published September 8, 2025 at 6:00 AM.