First 3 Games Carried Unusual Footnote To UNC's Schedule
The last season in which North Carolina opened its schedule playing three non-Power 5 programs was in 2014. In fact, prior to August 27, that was the last time UNC didn’t play a P5 team in its opener.
The Tar Heels hosted Liberty to kickoff the campaign winning 56-29, and a week later escaped San Diego State 31-27. In week three, the Heels were obliterated at East Carolina, 70-41, as the Pirates smashed numerous UNC negative defensive records that afternoon in Greenville.
Why has this come up? Because the 2022 Tar Heels also took on three non-P5 teams to begin the current season, and as its enough of an anomaly, it made sense to dive into this a bit more.
UNC kicked off its season three weeks ago with a win over FCS member Florida A&M, then escaped Appalachian State with a 63-61 victory in Boone. This past weekend in Atlanta, the Tar Heels overcame Georgia State for a 35-28 victory.
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In 2009, UNC opened with three teams that today are not considered P5s. The Citadel was the opener followed by a 12-10 win at Connecticut, and a 31-17 home victory over East Carolina. UConn, however, was in the Big East at the time, and was in a period of winning at least eight games over four seasons, including playing in the Fiesta Bowl in 2010.
That is pretty much it for the Tar Heels dating back to 1970, which was the beginning point of this research.
Interestingly, regional ACC teams opening with three games versus non-P5 teams is actually quite unusual. The league has long scheduled conference games over the first few weeks of seasons, but ACC teams have also historically played competitive non-league slates, including the Tar Heels.
In looking at seven regional ACC programs, including NC State, Duke, Wake Forest, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Clemson, and dating back to 1970, only 12 times has one of the seven programs opened with three consecutive games versus non-P5 opponents.
The others aside from UNC's: NC State six times; Virginia Tech three times (twice as a member of the ACC); and Wake Forest once. Virginia, Duke, and Clemson have not done so.
UNC’s game at Appalachian State two weeks ago was just its second road game at a non-P5 since 2004, when the Tar Heels visited, and were thrashed, by a top-10 Utah team that was a member of the Mountain West Conference at the time. Carolina won at Old Dominion, 53-23, in 2017.
Last Saturday's contest Georgia State was the second straight at a non-P5 program.
Some More UNC Scheduling Info:
*This century, UNC has opened a season with an FCS team eight times: 2022 FAMU; 2014 Liberty; 2012 Elon; 2011 JMU; 2009 The Citadel; 2008 McNeese St.; 2007 JMU; 2004 William & Mary.
*Only twice this century has Carolina opened a season versus a non-P5 FBS program: 2002 Miami (OH); 2000 Tulsa.
*Since we were digging, why not look at non-ACC P5 games this century, so here are the home ones:
-2022 Notre Dame
-2021 Wake Forest
-2017 California, Notre Dame
-2015 Illinois
-2011 Rutgers, Louisville
-2008 UConn, Notre Dame
-2007 South Carolina
-2006 Rutgers, South Florida
-2005 Wisconsin
-2003 Arizona State, Syracuse
-2002 Texas
*And now the road non-ACC P5 games this century:
-2021 Notre Dame
-2019 Wake Forest
-2018 California
-2016 Illinois
-2014 Notre Dame
-2013 South Carolina
-2012 Louisville
-2010 Rutgers
-2009 UConn
-2008 Rutgers
-2007 South Florida
-2006 Notre Dame
-2005 Louisville
-2003 Wisconsin
-2002 Syracuse, Arizona State
-2001 Oklahoma, Texas
-2000 Pitt
*Note: UNC has played four regular season games at neutral sites versus non-ACC P5 teams in the 2000s: 2019 vs. South Carolina in Charlotte; 2016 vs. Georgia in Atlanta; 2015 vs. South Carolina in Charlotte; 2010 versus LSU in Atlanta. UNC was supposed to play Auburn in Atlanta in 2020 but the game was cancelled because of COVID.