Top 20 UNC Football Teams: No. 3 - 1981
Posted May 16, 2020
Sitting at 6-0 and ranked No. 3 in the nation in 1981, the Tar Heels hosted a solid South Carolina team at Kenan Stadium. North Carolina started the season on fire, routing nonconference foes while racking up huge numbers, including by tailback Kelvin Bryant, who was on his way to serious Heisman Trophy contention when he went down with a knee injury.
(Tar Heel Illustrated)
Related: Football, Football Recruiting
James Spurling, Longtime UNC Athletics Staff Member, Passes AwayJames Spurling, whose selfless nature, honesty, commitment to teamwork, and dedication to all things Tar Heels wove him through the tapestry of Carolina for more...
Thu Feb 5, 2026Chansky’s Notebook: Super Bowl History
Before Drake Maye takes the field Sunday, sixteen other Tar Heels have played in more than 20 Super Bowls and won. Receiver Mack Hollins played...
Thu Feb 5, 2026
The key to Super Bowl quarterback Drake Maye's success? Being a little brother
In sports, some siblings are so accomplished they can be recognized only by their surnames. The Manning brothers. The Williams sisters. In North Carolina they...
Thu Feb 5, 2026
Young Drake Maye: How a future Super Bowl QB shredded an NC youth football league
They still remember it today. Everyone who saw Drake Maye on a football field on Saturday mornings in Huntersville, N.C., from age 6 to 12,...
Wed Feb 4, 2026