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
Saints tackle Asim Richards was ready for the moment in win over RavensFormer UNC offensive lineman Asim Richards didn't have extensive work with the Saints' starters in the offseason, but he said the totality of preparation put...
Tue Sep 22, 2026UNC Football's collapse at Clemson looms larger with difficult schedule ahead
The loss to Clemson on Saturday was a critical blow as North Carolina (2-1, 0-1 ACC Standings) missed a prime opportunity to enter October undefeated...
Tue Sep 22, 2026
Audio: 100 Years of Kenan Stadium - Let There Be Light!
As hard as it is to believe now, Kenan Stadium existed for more than a half-century without permanent light fixtures. As UNC football historian Lee...
Tue Sep 22, 2026
North Carolina Safety Greg Smith's Playmaking Earns National Recognition
Three games into the season, Greg Smith is developing a habit of finding the football. And now his play is earning national recognition. PFF named...
Mon Sep 21, 2026