UNC Football vs. Appalachian State: Preview, Info, Prediction, and More

The UNC football program is set to play its home opener on Saturday night against an opponent who gave them trouble a season ago.

After an impressive opening weekend victory, the UNC football program returns to Chapel Hill for its season opener against Appalachian State.

Tar Heel fans vividly remember last year’s matchup in Boone, North Carolina, as the Mountaineers scored 40 (yes, 40) points in the final quarter of play. Fortunately, the 40-point outburst wasn’t enough, as Mack Brown and his team returned home with a 63-61 victory.

The Mountaineers will look a bit different heading into this year’s matchup, but it’s important that North Carolina doesn’t overlook this game, especially coming off such a big win against SEC foe South Carolina.

Key to Victory for North Carolina

The Tar Heels defense put together a strong performance in Week One.

However, given the recent history of the unit, it’s not wrong to ask if they can replicate the success.

Of course, no one is expecting them to sack the quarterback 9 times along with having 16 tackles for loss. UNC football fans certainly wouldn’t mind it, but it’s pretty unrealistic to think that the production from a week ago is sustainable.

However, just because they don’t match those numbers doesn’t mean they still can’t be very effective, and in this game, it starts by slowing down the run.

Last season, Nate Noel gave the Tar Heels defense problems, as he rushed for 116 yards and two scores on just 14 carries. Noel returns for this matchup, as it is important that the Tar Heels find a way to slow him down to put even more pressure on the passing game.

Something to Watch

In Appalachian State’s season-opening win against FCS opponent Gardner-Webb, starting quarterback Ryan Burger suffered a finger injury that will sideline him for three to four weeks.

With Burger out, it will be up to JUCO transfer Joey Aguilar to run the offense.

In relief of Burger, Aguilar was fantastic in his Mountaineers debut, completing 11 of his 13 passing attempts for 174 yards. His four touchdown passes set a school record for most in a season opener in program history.

The UNC football program didn’t bode well against backup quarterbacks a year ago, and without much footage on Aguilar, it will be difficult to fully prepare for him and Appalachian State’s offense. It will be interesting to see how the Tar Heels defense plans to attack, especially early on.

On the Tar Heels side, the status of Nate McCollum is still up in the air. Will the UNC football program have McCollum this week, or will his lower-body injury sideline him another game?

If McCollum isn’t ready to go, which of the wide receivers steps up? Will the likes of Kobe Paysour and Gavin Blackwell (who had a tough outing in the team’s win over South Carolina) see more targets, or will Maye elect to continue spreading the ball around efficiently?

What You Need to Know

WHAT? North Carolina Tar Heels (1-0, 0-0 in ACC) vs. Appalachian State Mountaineers (1-0, 0-0 in Sun Belt)
WHEN? Saturday, September 9th, 2023 at 5:15 PM EST
WHERE? Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
TV? ACC Network
RADIO? Tar Heel Sports Network
LINE? UNC -18.0
OVER/UNDER? 58
LAST MEETING?  North Carolina defeated Appalachian State 63-61 on September 3, 2022
ALL-TIME SERIES? North Carolina leads the series 2-1
PREDICTION? North Carolina 38, Appalachian State 21

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