Two marquee names on the sidelines are staring down some uncomfortable truths this weekend as the Clemson Tigers square off with the North Carolina Tar Heels in a Saturday ACC showdown. Both programs are limping into October with far more questions than answers, and make no mistake—this one feels like a must-win for both.
At 2-2, UNC has padded its record against weak opposition, but it still hasn’t proven it can punch above its weight. Beating up on Charlotte and an FCS side like Richmond means nothing when losses to TCU and UCF show this group folds when facing legitimate competition. The Heels need a signature victory just to salvage credibility.
Then there's Clemson, sitting at 1-3 overall and winless in the league. If not for a single narrow escape, Dabo Swinney's crew could easily be staring at 0-4. He isn’t on the hot seat—yet—but dropping another one here would crank the thermostat up faster than anyone around Death Valley would like to admit.
Adding to the intrigue, both teams are coming off bye weeks, meaning rust shouldn't be an excuse. North Carolina, oddly enough, will get its second bye week of the season after this matchup, giving Bill Belichick an early window to take stock in his debut year on the college sidelines. But for now, his biggest concern is simply finding an offense that works.
Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch the North Carolina vs Clemson NCAAF game, plus plenty more.
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North Carolina vs Clemson: Date and kick-off time
The Tar Heels will take on the Tigers in a highly anticipated NCAAF game on Saturday, October 4, 2025, at 12:00 pm ET or 9:00 am PT at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, NC.
| Date | Saturday, October 4, 2025 |
| Kick-off Time | 12:00 pm ET or 9:00 am PT |
| Venue | Kenan Stadium |
| Location | Chapel Hill, NC |
How to watch North Carolina vs Clemson on TV & stream live online
- TV channel: ESPN
- Streaming service: Fubo
Streaming the game with a VPN
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North Carolina vs Clemson team news & key players
North Carolina Tar Heels team news
The Tar Heels' attack is flat-out dreadful. They've been bottom-feeders statistically in almost every meaningful category. Gio Lopez has been Belichick's QB1 from the start, but injuries have turned this into a revolving door. Lopez tweaked his back against TCU, then hurt his leg against UCF, forcing sixth-year journeyman Max Johnson into action. Neither has provided anything resembling stability, and the result is a passing game that ranks dead last in the ACC and 124th nationally.
North Carolina might be itching to justify the $4 million splash they made to bring Lopez in through the transfer portal, and you can see why Belichick is keen to give him the reins. But let's be real: if the Tar Heels want to start stringing together wins, Johnson is the quarterback who gives them a legitimate chance.
On the ground, the Tar Heels have a budding weapon in Demon June, who's already rushed for 250 yards and a touchdown on 33 carries.
Clemson Tigers team news
Clemson's last outing might have been a statistical high point for Cade Klubnik, piling up 363 yards and three touchdowns, but it still feels like a mirage rather than a breakthrough. For someone hyped as a preseason Heisman dark horse, his body of work has been underwhelming. Four games in, Klubnik's sitting on just six touchdown passes against four picks, and his 60.1% completion clip has him buried at 16th in the ACC. Not exactly the stuff of a conference Player of the Year favorite. Coming off the bye, the Tigers desperately need their signal-caller to look like more than just a paper contender.
On the ground, Clemson's offensive line has been slogging along at 3.2 yards per rush, hardly the dominance Tiger fans are used to. But Adam Randall is one player who's managed to break through that sludge. After a quiet opener against LSU, he’s been lights out, ripping off 80-plus yards in three straight games, including a 130-yard, 16-carry clinic against Syracuse.
As for the air attack, Bryan Wesco Jr. has essentially been Klubnik’s security blanket, hauling in all but one of Clemson's six passing touchdowns this season. He’s turned himself into the Tigers' true red-zone hammer. The Tar Heels have only coughed up three passing scores all year, but Wesco's current form screams that he's not only keeping his streak alive — he might just be the guy who cracks UNC's secondary wide open.