October Tar Heel History

October 1, 2016
Nick Weiler's career long 54-yard field goal with 2 seconds remaining puts the Tar Heels ahead 37-35 and ends No. 12 Florida State's 22-game home winning streak, the longest in the nation at that time.

October 2, 1993
Running back Leon Johnson sets a UNC freshman record with 4 touchdowns in the Tar Heels' 45-39 win over UTEP in Chapel Hill.

October 3, 1903
According to "The Tar Heel" newspaper, "Carolina gained nearly nine hundred yards, while Oak Ridge did not gain a yard" in UNC football's 45-0 win over Oak Ridge Military Academy on October 3, 1903.

October 3, 1936
UNC sets a school record for fewest yards gained in a win (89), beating Tennessee 14-6 in Chapel Hill.

October 3, 2015
UNC completes the largest comeback in school history, overcoming a 21-point deficit to beat Georgia Tech in Atlanta for the first time in 18 years (W 16-13, 1997). QB Marquise Williams has 134 yds passing, 148 yds rushing (2 TDs), and catches a 37-yard TD from WR Quinshad Davis.

October 4, 1997
North Carolina quarterback Chris Keldorf passes for 415 yards as the Tar Heels beat TCU 31-10 in Fort Worth, Texas.

October 4, 2008
UNC linebacker Bruce Carter blocks 3 punts in a 38-12 home win against Connecticut, vaulting UNC into the top 25 (#22) for the first time since the 2001 season.

October 5, 1935
Don Jackson records a UNC single-game record 4 interceptions in UNC's 38-13 win at Tennessee

October 5, 2002
Darian Durant sets a UNC sophomore single-game record 426 total yards; Chesley Borders sets a UNC single-game TD receptions record (4) in a 38-35 win at Arizona State.

October 5, 2019
Sam Howell's 377 yards of total offense are the most ever by a UNC freshman in a 38-22 win at Georgia Tech (Ronald Curry, 370). His 376 passing yards break Darian Durant's freshman record of 361.

October 6, 2012
Giovani Bernard's 262 rushing yards are the 5th most in UNC history as the Tar Heels beat Virginia Tech 48-34 in Chapel Hill.

October 8, 2011
Giovani Bernard becomes the first UNC player in 27 years to rush for 100+ yards in four straight games as the Tar Heels beat Louisville 14-7 in Chapel Hill.

October 9, 1937
Tom Burnette's school record 85-yard punt helps UNC beat New York University 7-0 at NYU.

October 9, 1997
Dean Smith retires after 36 seasons at UNC, leaving the game as the NCAA Division I all-time winningest coach (879 wins). Bill Guthridge, Smith’s assistant for 30 years, is named head coach. Guthridge leads UNC to a 34-4 record, ACC title and Final Four berth, and is named National Coach of the Year.

October 9, 2016
UNC women's soccer coach Anson Dorrance becomes the first D-I soccer coach to reach 800 wins as the Tar Heels defeat Wake Forest 2-1 in Chapel Hill. His record improves to 800-65-35 in 38 seasons, including 22 national titles.

October 10, 1981
Tyrone Anthony's 224 rushing yards lead the Tar Heels to a 48-10 win over Wake Forest in Chapel Hill.

October 11, 1930
Johnny Branch returns a punt 96-yards for a touchdown in UNC's 28-21 win over Maryland in Chapel Hill

October 11, 2008
Hakeem Nicks sets a UNC record with his 8th career 100-yard receiving game in a 29-24 win against Notre Dame in Chapel Hill.

October 11, 2014
UNC loses a shootout with Notre Dame, 50-43, as the teams combine for the most points in the history of Notre Dame Stadium, built in 1930. Marquise Williams becomes the first UNC quarterback to pass for 300 yards and rush for 100 yards in a game (Video).

October 12, 1793
In 1793, William R. Davie laid the cornerstone for UNC’s first building, now known as Old East. It is the oldest state university building in the United States.

October 12, 1985
Running back Derrick Fenner sets a UNC record for most rushing yards in a first career game (109). Quarterback Kevin Anthony sets UNC single-game records for consecutive completions (14) and TD passes (5) in a 34-14 home win against Wake Forest.

October 13, 1979
Mike Chatham sets a UNC single-game record for receptions by a tight end with 10 catches in a 24-19 loss to Wake Forest in Chapel Hill.

October 13, 2001
Defensive end Julius Peppers sets a UNC single-game record with 4 sacks in a 30-24 win over Virginia at Kenan Stadium.

October 13, 2012
Giovani Bernard accounts for 238 all-purpose yards, including 176 rushing and 2 touchdowns, as UNC beats Miami 18-14 in Coral Gables.

October 14, 2022
Erin Matson records a goal and an assist, making her the all-time leading scorer in ACC field hockey history with 308 career points, as the No. 1 Tar Heels trounce No. 11 Syracuse 6-1 in Chapel Hill.

October 15, 1977
UNC freshman running back "Famous" Amos Lawrence rushes for 216 yards in his first career start, leading the Tar Heels to a 27-14 win over NC State in Raleigh.

October 15, 2011
Giovani Bernard posts his fifth straight 100-yard rushing game, becoming the first Tar Heel to do so since Ethan Horton in 1984, as the Tar Heels fall to Miami 30-24 in Chapel Hill.

October 15, 2016
UNC beats No. 16 Miami 20-13, marking the first time Carolina has beaten two ranked teams on the road in the same season (also No. 12 Florida State on 10/1/2016). It's UNC's 8th consecutive true road victory, the longest streak since 1947-1949. In addition, Ryan Switzer becomes UNC's all-time leading receiver with 206 career catches.

October 15, 2022
Kamari Morales sets the UNC all-time record for TD receptions by a tight end with 10, and the Tar Heels score the game-winning TD with 16 seconds remaining off a pass from Drake Maye to Antoine Green to beat Duke in Durham, 38-35.

October 16, 2010
UNC's 44-10 win at Virginia is the Tar Heels' first win in Charlottesville since 1981 (29 years).

October 17, 1992
Natrone Means rushes for 216 yards, helping UNC to a 27-7 triumph over No. 16 Virginia. Means carried 31 times as the Tar Heels recorded their first win over a ranked team in 10 years.

October 17, 2013
Eric Ebron sets UNC's single-game tight end receiving yardage record with 199 yards and a touchdown, but the Tar Heels fall to Miami 27-23 on "Zero Dark Thursday" in Chapel Hill.

October 18, 1888
The University of North Carolina plays its first ever football game, losing to Wake Forest 6-4 in a game held at the North Carolina State Fair.

October 18, 2014
Marquise Williams passes for 390 yards, 4 touchdowns, and a UNC-record 38 completions in a 48-43 win over Georgia Tech. The game produces the most combined yardage between two teams in Kenan Stadium History (1,190).

October 18, 2015
Hall of Fame coach Karen Shelton records her 600th career victory (600-151-9) in her 35th season as UNC's Field Hockey coach in a 5-1 win at VCU.

October 19, 2019
UNC falls to Virginia Tech 43-41 in an ACC record 6 overtimes. Sam Howell's 5 TD passes ties a UNC record and gives him 20 TD passes on the season, breaking Darian Durant's 2001 freshman record of 17 TD passes.

October 22, 2009
UNC falls to Florida State 30-27 in the Tar Heels' first ever Thursday night game in Kenan Stadium

October 22, 2011
T.J. Thorpe's 100-yard kickoff return for a TD is the longest in Kenan Stadium history, but the Tar Heels fall to Clemson 59-38, giving up the second most points ever scored against UNC in an ACC game.

October 22, 2016
UNC football wins its 700th game in program history as the Tar Heels beat Virginia 35-14 behind Mitch Trubisky's 310 passing yards and 3 TDs. It's the Tar Heels' 7th straight win over the Cavaliers and their 9th consecutive win on the road.

October 24, 1992
North Carolina defeats heavily favored national power Georgia Tech 26-14 in Chapel Hill. Fans celebrate by tearing down the goal posts for the first time ever in Kenan Stadium.

October 24, 2019
Vince Carter of the Atlanta Hawks checks into the game against the Detroit Pistons for the first time in the 2019 season, making it officially 22 seasons in the NBA, the most of any player in history.

October 24, 2021
Anson Dorrance claims career victory No. 900 as UNC Women's Soccer coach, an NCAA record, as the Tar Heels down No. 15 Notre Dame in double overtime, 2-1.

October 25, 2014
Marquise Williams sets the UNC quarterback career rushing touchdown record with 14, breaking Ronald Curry's record of 13. Mack Hollins has a career-high 120 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns as the Tar Heels beat Virginia 28-27 in Charlottesville.

October 26, 1895
On October 26, 1895, UNC fullback Joel Whitaker threw the first forward pass in football to his teammate George Stephens. The history-making throw happened in Atlanta where the Tar Heels were playing the Georgia Bulldogs. Whitaker was punting from the Carolina end zone and, to avoid the Georgia players charging him, tossed the ball forward.

October 26, 1984
On Oct. 26, 1984, a young basketball player named Michael Jordan stepped onto an NBA court for the first time. Jordan's first game with the Chicago Bulls was a win over the Washington Bullets. The final score of the game was 109-93, and Jordan scored 16 points, with six rebounds and seven assists.

October 26, 2019
UNC football coach Mack Brown wins his 73rd game at Carolina to pass Dick Crum for most wins in school history in a 20-17 victory over Duke in Chapel Hill.

October 27, 2012
Giovani Bernard returns a punt 74 yards for a game-winning touchdown with 13 seconds remaining, giving the Tar Heels a 43-35 win over NC State at Kenan Stadium and snapping a 5-game losing streak to the Wolfpack. Video | Box Score

October 29, 2015
Quinshad Davis breaks Hakeem Nicks' UNC career receptions record with his 182nd catch to help UNC beat 23rd ranked Pitt 26-19 at Heinz Field and move to 7-1 (4-0 ACC) in the Tar Heels' best start to the season since 1997. Video

October 30, 1997
North Carolina quarterback Oscar Davenport passes for 360 yards in a 16-13 win over Georgia Tech in Atlanta.

October 30, 2004
Connor Barth kicks a 42-yard field goal on the final play of the game, giving North Carolina a shocking 31-28 upset of the Miami Hurricanes in Chapel Hill. Video

October 30, 2021
Sam Howell sets UNC's career passing yardage record with 9,419 yards in just 33 games in a 44-34 loss to No. 11 Notre Dame in South Bend. The previous record was held by T.J. Yates with 9,377 yards in 45 games.

October 31, 1992
UNC running back Natrone Means rushes 31 times for 259 yards, leading the Tar Heels to a 31-24 win over Maryland in College Park.