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
Mitch Trubisky calls joining Titans to reunite with Brian Daboll a ‘no-brainer’Mitch Trubisky had so much fun working with Brian Daboll in Buffalo that his decision on where to go this offseason in free agency was...
Sat Jun 13, 2026Former UNC Running Back Elijah Green Building Mental Health Blueprint for College Athletics
"Everybody talks about mental health," Elijah Green said. "You see the awareness campaigns. But we’re not giving athletes the tools they need. We’re not making...
Fri Jun 12, 2026
UNC Football icon and philanthropist Don Stallings passes away at 87
Don Stallings, a former NFL player who turned towards business, has passed away at age 87. Fondly known as “Big D” and “Coal Bucket,” he...
Thu Jun 11, 2026
Aer Lingus College Football Classic 2026: Much More Than A Game
The University of North Carolina will host or participate in business, cultural, academic, athletic, and arts events in Dublin, Ireland, the week leading up to...
Thu Jun 11, 2026