| Clemson Tigers | 28 |
 North Carolina Tar Heels |
3 |
| ESPN | 2nd – 09:37 | |
CHAPEL HILL – Clemson started fast Saturday in Chapel Hill.
The Tigers scored on their first play from scrimmage, added a three-play touchdown drive on its second possession and tacked on a 45-yard touchdown on its third drive.
Clemson led 21-3 late in the first quarter.
Clemson’s first play was a double pass from wide receiver Antonio Williams to T.J. Moore, who got behind the UNC defense for a 75-yard score. UNC responded with a field goal, but Clemson answered quickly. The Tigers went 75 yards in three plays.
On its next drive, Clemson converted on fourth-and-4 and then scored on a 45-yard catch-and-run on the next play.
North Carolina is without starting quarterback Gio Lopez. Lopez was been ruled for the game. Max Johnson, who started last year’s season opener for UNC and has extensive experience at LSU and Texas A&M, started for the Tar Heels (2-2) against the Tigers (1-3, 0-2 in the ACC).
Both teams were off last week.
Lopez, who left the UCF game with a leg injury, didn’t practice during the Tar Heels’ bye week. He had been listed as questionable earlier in the week WRAL reported Friday that Johnson would get the start. Johnson has played well in relief of Lopez late in losses to TCU and UCF.
The Tar Heels’ offense is in need of a boost, ranking among the nation’s worst in yards per game and first downs gained.
Defensive end Pryce Yates, a transfer from UConn who has missed the first four games of the season, is off the injured list.
It is the first meeting between UNC head coach Bill Belichick, a six-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots, and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, who has won two college football national championships. It is just the second meeting between a coach with multiple Super Bowl titles and one with multiple national titles in college.
Rapper and actor Ludacris performed on campus before the noon kickoff as part of the school’s new “Chapel Thrill” concert series. He said 10 a.m. was the earliest he’s ever performed.
.@Ludacris says it’s the earliest concert he’s ever had. Wearing a No. 49 Julius Peppers jersey. pic.twitter.com/ORdJDaSV2m
— Brian Murphy (@murphsturph) October 4, 2025
Scoring summary
First quarter
CLEM – T.J. Moore 75 pass from Antonio Williams (Nolan Hauser kick), 14:49. Drive: 1 play, 75 yards, 0:11. Key play: Clemson’s first play from scrimmage was a double pass, and Moore snuck behind the defense for a catch and run.
UNC – Rece Verhoff 35 field goal, 10:02. Drive: 10 plays, 58 yards, 4:39. Key play: QB Max Johnson was hit as he threw it and the ball popped up in the air, but WR Jordan Shipp snagged it and gained 21 yards on the play.
CLEM – Adam Randall 35 pass from Cade Klubnik (Hauser kick), 8:54. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:08. Key play: Klubnik hit Bryant Wesco Jr. for a 36-yard gain and then Randall took a short pass 35 yards down the sideline for the score.
CLEM – Christian Bentancur 45 pass from Klubnik (Hauser kick), 4:15. Drive: 5 plays, 57 yards, 2:48. Key play: Clemson converted on fourth-and-4 to extend the drive. The Tigers had third-and-18, gained 14 yards and then converted on the fourth-down try.
CLEM – Randall 23 pass from Klubnik (Hauser kick), 0:01. Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 2:54. Key play: Clemson converted on fourth-and-1 and the next play Klubnik found Randall behind the UNC defense.