On This Day in UNC History: September 7
Posted Sep 7, 2013
September 7, 1996: UNC 27, Syracuse, 10 - On a weekend when Hurricane Fran was battering the Triangle area, Mack Brown's 24th-ranked Tar Heels were in the safe confines of Syracuse's Carrier Dome delivering a battering of their own to the 9th-ranked Orangemen.
The Tar Heels stormed out to a 17-0 lead early in the second quarter while holding Syracuse quarterback Donovan McNabb without a completion until late in the first half. North Carolina quarterback Chris Keldorf finished the game with 22 completions in 32 pass attempts for 218 yards. McNabb, on the other hand, was just 11 for 32 with 125 yards passing.
It was UNC's first road win over a top-10 team in 30 years, and the Tar Heels would finish the 1996 season with a 10-2 record, including a 20-13 Gator Bowl win over West Virginia.
Related: 1996 UNC Football Schedule & Results
Related: Football, Football Recruiting
UNC linebacker Tyler Thompson to enter transfer portalUNC linebacker Tyler Thompson plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal after three seasons with the Tar Heels. Thompson has played in 27 games over...
Wed Dec 17, 2025UNC Football one of five ACC teams to play only eight league games next season
UNC is one of five ACC football teams that will play eight conference games and two power-conference teams in non-conference play as the league transitions...
Wed Dec 17, 2025
North Carolina Football’s 2026 ACC Opponents Announced
The ACC announced UNC Football's eight-game league schedule Tuesday, headlined by four home matchups and four road games. The Tar Heels host Louisville, Miami, NC...
Tue Dec 16, 2025
Chansky’s Notebook: Coaching Cuts
Bill Belichick has fired two assistant football coaches, and UNC has agreed to pay the $2 million remaining on Freddie Kitchens' and Mike Priefer's combined...
Tue Dec 16, 2025