First look: What to know about UNC football’s upcoming road game against UCF

Jordan Shipp still had eye black smeared across his face when he spoke to the media after North Carolina’s 41-6 win over Richmond on Saturday. It was fitting, really. As the sophomore wideout described it, the sting from UNC’s 48-14 loss to TCU — much like his eye black — still hasn’t faded.

The humiliation of that season-opening defeat, even after two straight wins, is still very much present for Shipp and his teammates.

“You get embarrassed on national television, that’s gonna leave a bad taste in your mouth for the rest of the season,” Shipp said. “I [still] don’t feel like we’re over it. I feel like, of course, we flushed it. It’s past us… but that’s something that like, ‘Alright, like, these were two good wins back-to-back, but let’s not forget what happened when we kind of let our guard down.’”

For Shipp, the loss was a wake-up call. He insists it came at the right time. Shipp reasoned Saturday he’d rather get the brakes beat off him early than late in the season. He motioned his arm upward — indicating the direction he expects his team to head.

“Now we can get that confidence going,” he said. “Just keep going up and up every week.”

UNC’s past two games have supported that idea. North Carolina handled Charlotte, and then Richmond, with relative ease: a combined 61-9 margin.

But those steps forward don’t mean much without proof against stiffer competition.

“I feel like we’ve made some improvement,” Belichick said. “But, yeah, we’ll see what happens next week when we play somebody else. I don’t know.”

That somebody else is UCF. The Knights are no tune-up. They’ve started 2-0 and will test whether the Tar Heels have truly moved past the scars of TCU.

It’s clear from talking to Shipp and his teammates that the sting of TCU still serves as a reminder of how the season began. Saturday will say far more about where it’s headed.

Key matchup: Ground game showdown

Saturday’s outcome may hinge on the most traditional element of football: Which team can run the ball more effectively.

On one side is UNC’s breakout running back Demon June, who erupted for 148 yards and a touchdown against Richmond. Just making the field seemed unlikely for June months ago. He began at the very bottom of UNC’s depth chart before working his way up over the course of spring practice and fall camp.

Belichick credited the freshman’s ability to earn yards on his own Saturday. June has shown his ability to turn plays designed for modest gains into chunk runs through two games. He’ll look to do more of that at Orlando against a UCF team that isn’t particularly proficient in its rushing defense — ranking sub-100 in rushing defense in the FBS.

UCF, meanwhile, is trying to replace the production of 2025 NFL Draft pick RJ Harvey. The Knights’ committee is led by Western Michigan transfer Jaden Nixon, who already has a team-best 150 rushing yards on the season and earned a 80.5 PFF rushing grade in 2024. Myles Montgomery, Harvey’s former backup, has chipped in 114 rushing yards.

Indiana transfer Tayven Jackson — who helped guide UCF to a 68-7 blowout win over North Carolina A&T on Sept. 6 after starter Cam Fancher was injured in the season opener — is still finding his footing. The Tar Heels’ Gio Lopez, meanwhile, has yet to find his rhythm.

Whoever controls the ground game will likely control the night.

Impact players: UNC’s Gbayor, UCF’s Jackson

North Carolina’s defense stole the show again on Saturday.

The Tar Heels have now gone two straight games without allowing a touchdown for the first time since 2012, holding Charlotte and Richmond to nine total points.

Linebacker Mikai Gbayor delivered the highlight with a scoop-and-score. His 62-yard fumble recovery to the house was part of an impressive all-around performance on Saturday, as Gbayor also racked up six tackles, including a sack for a loss of eight yards.

He’ll look to bring the pressure against Jackson, who earned his first start in UCF’s last game (the win over NC A&T).

Jackson has thrown for 471 yards in two appearances for the Knights. The former Hoosier has completed 29 of 45 pass attempts on the season and shown his ability to cap scoring drives with his legs and extend plays when needed.

With a week off to prepare ahead of this matchup with the Tar Heels, Jackson and the Knights have had plenty of time to refine their game plan. Still, North Carolina’s dominance against Spider quarterback Kyle Wickersham (also billed as a dual-threat QB) should give the team some confidence as they head down to Orlando.

Vegas betting odds

North Carolina is a 3-point underdog at UCF. The over/under is 48.5 points and the moneyline has UNC has +200 and UCF -250, per Action Network.

UNC vs UCF game info

Teams: UNC (2-1, 0-0 ACC), UCF (2-0, 0-0 Big 12).

When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m.

Where: Acrisure Bounce House, Orlando

TV: FOX.

Stream: fubo TV, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, DIRECTV Stream, Sling TV.

Series history: This is the first matchup between the two programs.

This story was originally published September 15, 2025 at 6:00 AM.