It’s been nine years since UNC welcomed Louisville to Kenan Stadium for a football game. But Tar Heel fans likely still get nightmares thinking about the last time their team entertained the Cardinals in Chapel Hill.
Louisville’s Heisman trophy quarterback Lamar Jackson torched the Heels on a beautiful September afternoon, throwing for 393 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for another 132 yards and three scores as the Cardinals won 47-35.
North Carolina’s defeat that day was just the beginning of a long season that resulted in a 3-9 record – the first of two-straight nine-loss campaigns.
Things are a lot less bleak for UNC these days. North Carolina finds itself needing just one more win to get to bowl eligibility, and both the Heels and Louisville still have a chance to make waves in the upper tier of the ACC.
The two teams collide again at Kenan Stadium on Saturday. The game kicks off at 7 p.m. and will be shown on ESPN2. Here is everything you need to know about the matchup, including latest odds, injury updates, stat comparisons and more.
🔄 Last Updated: November 11, 2026 8:33 pm
🏟️ Game Information: UNC-Louisville
Matchup: Louisville Cardinals (6-3, 5-2 ACC) at North Carolina Tar Heels (5-4, 2-3 ACC)
Date: Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Location: Kenan Stadium (Chapel Hill, NC)
TV Network: ESPN2
Broadcast Crew: Mike Couzens (play-by-play), Tom Luginbill (analyst), Lauren Sisler (sideline)
📊 What are the betting odds for Louisville at North Carolina Football
Spread: Louisville -3.5
Over/Under Total: 59.5 points
Moneyline: Louisville -170 | North Carolina +140
Lines courtesy FanDuel Sportsbook. Odds will be refreshed periodically during the week. All lines are subject to change.
What to Know about UNC-Louisville
- Bowl eligibility within reach: North Carolina (5-4) needs one more victory to become bowl eligible in Bill Belichick’s second season. The Tar Heels beat Connecticut 38-31 this past Saturday but have lost the last two games against conference foes (Syracuse and Miami).
- Louisville’s offense presents a challenge: The Cardinals average 40.8 points and 488.1 yards per game. Quarterback Lincoln Kienholz has thrown for 2,276 yards and 14 touchdowns while adding 11 rushing scores. Louisville has scored at least 34 points in five consecutive games, though UNC has found more juice offensively in recent weeks as well.
- Something has to give on the ground: Louisville averages 228 rushing yards per game, nearly double UNC’s 114.2. The Tar Heels have allowed 149.8 rushing yards per contest, making the Cardinals’ ground attack a significant matchup to watch.
🩹 Who is on the UNC-Louisville Injury Report
The ACC released its initial injury and availability report for the UNC-Louisville game on Wednesday night, Nov. 11.
UNC
OUT
- DB #6 Tre Miller
- LB #8 Jonathan Agumadu
- DL #25 Joseph Mupoyi
- DL #56 Viliami Moala
- WR #82 Keeyun Chapman
- DL #88 Vodney Cleveland
QUESTIONABLE
- DB #7 Peyton Waters
- LB #35 Ashton Blatt
- TE #45 Jelani Thurman
- DL #92 Jimmy-Phrisco Alo-Suliafu
Louisville
OUT
- DB #9 Antonio Watts
- P #48 Jacob Baker
- OT #63 Bryten Close
- OL #70 Anwar O’neal
- WR #84 Payton Cook
- TE #90 Hamilton Atkins
- DL #98 Sam Dawson
QUESTIONABLE
- OL #78 Charlie Edgeworth
PROBABLE
- RB #1 Isaac Brown
- DL #2 Demeco Kennedy
- WR #7 Lawayne McCoy
- LB #23 Benjamin Perry
- DB #27 Myles Norwood
- OL #67 James Glover-Tyson
- OL #71 Cason Henry
⏪ 2026 Season Rewind
UNC Tar Heels (5-4, 2-3 ACC)
UNC 15, TCU 10
UNC 35, East Tennessee 3
Clemson 28, UNC 20
Notre Dame 37, UNC 26
UNC 21, Pittsburgh 17
UNC 24, Duke 20
Syracuse 31, UNC 30
Miami 38, UNC 35
UNC 38, Connecticut 21
Louisville Cardinals (6-3, 5-2 ACC)
Ole Miss 41, Louisville 38
Louisville 59, Villanova 13
Louisville 41, SMU 31
Wake Forest 30, Louisville 27
NC State 31, Louisville 28
Louisville 44, Florida State 20
Louisville 34, Syracuse 26
Louisville 52, Stanford 24
Louisville 44, Georgia Tech 17
📊 UNC vs. Louisville Stat Comparisons
UNC Team Highlights
- Points For: 27.1 points per game
- Points Against: 22.8 points per game
- Rushing Offense: 114.2 yards per game
- Passing Offense: 238.8 yards per game
- Rushing Defense: 149.8 yards per game
- Passing Defense: 227.2 yards per game
- Total Offense: 353.0 yards per game
- Total Defense: 377.0 yards per game
UNC Individual Leaders
- Passing: Billy Edwards Jr. – 178-of-273, 2,127 yards, 18 TDs, 6 INTs
- Rushing: Benjamin Hall – 69 carries, 377 yards, 1 TD
- Receiving: Jordan Shipp – 50 catches, 642 yards, 4 TDs
- Tackles: Derek McDonald – 90 tackles (32 solo)
- Interceptions: Greg Smith III – 3 INTs
- Scoring: Demon June – 54 points (9 TDs)
Louisville Team Highlights
- Points For: 40.8 points per game
- Points Against: 25.9 points per game
- Rushing Offense: 228.0 yards per game
- Passing Offense: 260.1 yards per game
- Rushing Defense: 138.6 yards per game
- Passing Defense: 265.9 yards per game
- Total Offense: 488.1 yards per game
- Total Defense: 404.4 yards per game
Louisville Individual Leaders
- Passing: Lincoln Kienholz – 158-of-233, 2,276 yards, 14 TDs, 3 INTs
- Rushing: Isaac Brown – 99 carries, 745 yards, 8 TDs
- Receiving: Tre Richardson – 44 receptions, 685 yards, 3 TDs
- Tackles: Stanquan Clark – 64 tackles (19 solo)
- Interceptions: Kaleb Beasley – 5 INTs
- Scoring: Carson Hilbert – 74 points (11-14 FGs, 41-44 PATs)
Notes & Numbers
- UNC is outscoring opponents 190-127 in the first three quarters but has been outpaced 70-47 in the fourth and 8-7 in overtime.
- North Carolina is the fifth-least penalized team in FBS football. The Tar Heels have been flagged just 40 times for 309 yards (34.33 yards per game).
- Clev Lubin leads Louisville with 7.0 sacks and 8.0 tackles-for-loss. UNC’s top backfield disrupter has been Xavier Lewis with 7.0 sacks and 10.0 TFLs.
- As a team, Louisville has picked off 10 passes and recorded 40 pass breakups.
- Lincoln Kienholz is a true dual-threat quarterback for Louisville. Kienholz has rushed for 11 touchdowns and 394 net yards. Keyjuan Brown has added 521 yards and five rushing TDs to the ground game.
- Louisville is still looking for its first fourth-down conversion. The Cardinals are 0-of-5. UNC, meanwhile, is 10-of-13 on fourth down plays.
- While Benjamin Hall leads North Carolina in rushing yards with 377, Demon June has more carries (87 total) and rushing TDs (8) to go with his 349 yards.
📚 Series History: UNC vs. Louisville
- Louisville leads the all-time series 5-3
- Last meeting: Louisville 47, UNC 35 (Sept. 9, 2017)
- First meeting: Louisville 38, UNC 34 (Sept. 24, 1988)
- Louisville joined the ACC in 2014, but the Tar Heels and Cardinals have only faced off once since then, the 2017 meeting in Chapel Hill.
- North Carolina’s last win came 14-7 on Oct. 8, 2011. The Tar Heels are 2-3 at home.
🔗 More North Carolina College Football Coverage
- North Carolina Football Schedule
- ACC Standings
- 2026 week-by-week schedule
- North Carolina college football scores
