First look: UNC football heads to Syracuse for Halloween game

If UNC wideout Jordan Shipp had it his way, North Carolina would’ve already played the Syracuse Orange.

“I wish we had Syracuse tomorrow,” Shipp said Saturday after North Carolina’s 17-16 overtime loss to Virginia. “I know we’re all ready to get back out there and just show everybody how good we really are.”

Instead, the Tar Heels (2-5, 0-3 ACC) will have to wait until Friday to get another crack at earning their first conference win — both for the season and for the Bill Belichick era. After another frustrating loss — this one yet again coming down to a late-game missed opportunity at the goal line — some players shed tears in the locker room, said Shipp.

“It means so much, because [of] how much we really pour into it,” Shipp said Saturday, “like you pour so much into it, and you lose a game two weeks in a row by a couple inches… that’s not the way you want to go out.”

Both Syracuse (3-5, 1-4 ACC) and North Carolina are on four-game losing streaks heading into Saturday’s game at JMA Wireless Dome. The Orange have lost all four games they have played since starting quarterback Steve Angeli was hurt.

Angeli tore his Achilles in a win over Clemson in September, causing redshirt sophomore Rickie Collins to take over.

UNC’s Gio Lopez, meanwhile, has been back to full health in recent games. After North Carolina’s 21-18 loss to Cal on Oct. 17, Lopez said “this is actually the best I’ve felt this season.” On Saturday against Virginia, the quarterback finished 23-of-36 for a season-best 208 passing yards.

But red-zone turnovers were an issue for Lopez and the Tar Heels. North Carolina has committed three in its past two games, which Belichick called the team’s “number one problem.”

“That’s something we could have done a little bit better there,” Belichick said. “But they played really competitively.”

Key game matchup: pressure Collins

Collins is not Angeli, but Syracuse coach Fran Brown has contended that Collins gives the Orange the best chance to win.

The backup quarterback has completed 54.5% of his passes this season. He’s recorded more interceptions (8) than touchdowns (6). Collins is a moderate threat on the ground — he’s averaged 47 rushing yards the past three games — but North Carolina should look to build on its recent defensive line success and apply the pressure to the backup QB.

UNC sacked UVA’s Chandler Morris six times on Saturday — a high on the season. Against Collins, the Tar Heels needed to continue to rush the passer and force hurried mistakes.

Syracuse has allowed 20 sacks on the season and ranks sub-100 in that category nationally.

Orange impact players: Cook, Gill

The wideout duo of Darrell Gill Jr. and Johntay Cook could present a problem for the Tar Heels.

Cook leads the Orange with 39 catches — a top-10 mark in the ACC — for 501 yards on the season. The junior is averaging just over 62 yards per game through the air and brings plenty of experience from his time at Texas — where he scored two touchdowns for a Longhorn squad that reached the College Football Playoff semifinal round.

Gill Jr. leads the team in average yards per catch with 17.5 — good for fifth in the conference — coming off a 2024 season that saw him rack up 31 catches for 570 yards.

Vegas betting odds

FanDuel early odds have Syracuse as the 1.5-point favorite and the over/under set at 46.5 points. The moneyline: Syracuse -125 and North Carolina +104.

UNC v. Syracuse game info

Who: North Carolina (2-5, 0-3 ACC) v. Syracuse (3-5, 1-4 ACC)

When: Friday, Oct. 31, 7:30 p.m.

Where: JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse, NY

TV: ESPN

Stream: Fubo TV, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, DIRECTV Stream, Sling TV

Series history: If recent matchups are any indication, as well as the time of this game, the final score could get spooky. North Carolina has won its last two matchups against Syracuse by a combined score of 71-13.

This story was originally published October 27, 2025 at 5:30 AM.