North Carolina plays its 1st game under Bill Belichick when the Tar Heels host TCU on Labor Day
TCU head coach Sonny Dykes, center, waits with the team to run out of the tunnel before the game against Central Florida in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Fort Worth, Texas. Credit: AP/Richard W. Rodriguez
TCU at North Carolina, Monday, 8 p.m. EDT.
BetMGM College Football Odds: TCU by 3 1/2.
How to watch: ESPN
Key stats
TCU (2024)
Overall offense: 426.8 yards per game (31st in FBS)
Passing: 312.9 yards per game (8th)
Rushing: 113.9 yards per game (113th)
South Alabama quarterback Gio Lopez (7) throws during an NCAA football game against LSU on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Baton Rouge, La. Credit: AP/Matthew Hinton
Scoring: 33.5 points per game (23rd)
Overall defense: 345.6 yards allowed per game (45th in FBS)
Passing: 185.2 yards allowed per game (23rd)
Rushing: 160.4 yards allowed per game (83rd)
Scoring: 24.6 points allowed per game (62nd)
UNC (2024)
Overall offense: 406.7 yards per game (48th in FBS)
Passing: 224.4 yards per game (72nd)
Rushing: 182.3 yards per game (38th)
Scoring: 30.9 points per game (44th)
Overall defense: 375.8 yards allowed per game (72nd in FBS)
Passing: 226.3 yards allowed per game (80th)
Rushing: 149.5 yards allowed per game (66th)
Scoring: 28.1 points allowed per game (89th)
Team leaders
TCU (2024)
Passing: Josh Hoover, 3,949 yards, 27 TDs, 11 INTs, 66.5 completion percentage
Rushing: Jeremy Payne, 239 yards, 3 TDs
Receiving: Eric McAlister 762 yards on 39 catches, 5 TDs
UNC (2024)
Passing: Gio Lopez, 2,559 yards, 18 TDs, 5 INTs, 66.0 completion percentage (at South Alabama)
Rushing: Davion Gause, 326 yards, 4 TDs.
Receiving: Kobe Paysour, 365 yards on 21 catches, 0 TDs.
Last game
TCU beat Louisiana 34-3 in the New Mexico Bowl in December, capping a 9-4 season.
UNC lost 27-14 to UConn in the Fenway Bowl in December to cap a 6-7 season.
Next game
TCU gets a week off before playing its home opener against Abilene Christian on Sept. 13.
UNC travels for an instate game at Charlotte on Sept. 6.
