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by ERIN PARROTT
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Following an abysmal start to its season, Clemson will travel to Chapel Hill this Saturday (October 4, 2025) for a pivotal clash against the North Carolina Tar Heels – marking the first-ever meeting between head coaches Dabo Swinney and Bill Belichick as both programs return from their bye week.
Saturday’s matchup not only marks the first meeting between Swinney and Belichick, but also only the second time in college football history that a coach with multiple FBS national championships has faced one with multiple Super Bowl titles – a rarity last seen in the 1993 Blockbuster Bowl, when Bill Walsh’s Stanford Cardinal thrashed Joe Paterno’s Penn State Nittany Lions.
Swinney guided Clemson to national championships in 2016 and 2018, while Belichick captured six Super Bowl titles with the New England Patriots – winning after the 2001, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2016 and 2018 seasons. After leaving New England in 2023, Belichick replaced Mack Brown as North Carolina’s head coach this year.
Heading into this weekend’s ACC matchup, Clemson remains winless in league play at 0-2 with a 1-3 overall mark (its worst start ever under Swinney), while North Carolina enters its conference opener with a 2-2 record – including a pair of blowout losses against unranked foes.
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The Tigers dropped their first ACC meeting to Georgia Tech nearly three weeks ago, then suffered another league loss to Syracuse the following weekend. Quarterback Cade Klubnik – a preseason favorite to win the Heisman Trophy – continued his inconsistent play, completing 37 of 60 passes for 363 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.
The Tigers made good on just three of 13 third down conversions (23.1%) and only one of five fourth down conversations against Syracuse. In addition to Klubnik’s fourth quarter interception, tailback Adam Randall committed a key fumble late in the third quarter which led to Syracuse’s final touchdown.
Despite the fumble, Randall still remains as Clemson’s top running back – with 338 rushing yards and three touchdowns so far this season. Meanwhile, wideout Bryant Wesco Jr. is pacing the receiving game with 389 yards and five touchdowns.
Clemson rates as one of the nation’s worst scoring offenses, though – ranking No. 117 out of 136 FBS programs with only 19.8 points per game.
North Carolina isn’t faring much better – averaging 21 points per game. The Tar Heels are led by quarterback Gio Lopez, who has completed 42 of 67 passes (62.7%) for 430 yards and three touchdowns with three interceptions in his three starts under center. He’s added 74 yards on the ground.
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Running back Demon June currently leads the Tar Heel’s offense with 250 rushing yards and a touchdown, while wide receiver Jordan Shipp has amassed 193 receiving yards and two touchdowns through the air.
North Carolina is coming off an anemic offensive performance on September 20 against unranked Central Florida – one in which the Tar Heels amassed only 154 total yards. Neither Lopez nor backup quarterback Max Johnson was effective moving the football against the Golden Knights.
Johnson has completed 20 of 30 passes (66.6%) for 170 yards and a pair of touchdowns in relief of Lopez, who is listed as questionable for Saturday’s game.
On defense, Clemson leans on linebacker Wade Woodaz – the team’s leading tackler with 22 solo and 35 total stops – along with defensive end Will Heldt, who has recorded 16 tackles and a team-high three sacks.
As for the Tar Heel’s defense, it is anchored by line backer Andrew Simpson, who has been credited with 28 tackles (16 solo) and a sack, with support from fellow line backer Khmori House, who has logged 22 tackles (including 13 solo).
Saturday’s ACC matchup between Clemson and North Carolina will be held at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C. Kickoff is set for 12:00 p.m. EDT with ESPN providing national coverage. Mark Jones is handling the play-by-play, Roddy Jones will serve as the analyst and Quint Kessenich is reporting from the sidelines.
Oddsmakers have Clemson pegged as a consensus 14.5-point favorite, with ESPN’s matchup predictor giving the Tigers a 77.5% chance of victory over the Tar Heels.
Clemson began the season ranked as high as No. 4 nationally – and was seen as a legitimate national title contender. Now every game for Swinney’s squad is a must-win if it hopes to have even an outside chance at making the expanded College Football Playoff (CFP).
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Erin Parrott is a Greenville, S.C. native who graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2025 with a bachelor degree in broadcast journalism. Got feedback or a tip for Erin? Email her here.
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