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
THT Newsletter: Caleb Wilson Comes Home, Belichick Denied, UNC Women's Tennis Takes Down No. 1Since we last caught up, Caleb Wilson had a happy homecoming in Atlanta, Bill Belichick was denied election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame...
Mon Feb 2, 2026Super Bowl-bound Patriots follow in Mack Hollins' bare footsteps
It's the thick of summer training camp when a glass drops and shatters in the New England Patriots' cafeteria. A record scratch might as well...
Sun Feb 1, 2026
What UNC Football’s Future Schedules Will Look Like Under New ACC Format
With the ever-changing nature of college football, scheduling is just one of branches. UNC's 2026 schedule was announced Monday. The Tar Heels will play eight...
Sat Jan 31, 2026
Video: Carolina Insider - Interview With Kaimon Rucker
Former Tar Heel defensive end, Kaimon Rucker joins Jones Angell and Adam Lucas on the Carolina Insider Podcast to talk more about his close relationship...
Sat Jan 31, 2026