Syracuse Orange at North Carolina Tar Heels

Injuries noted

Syracuse Orange: Antoine Deslauriers (probable) — LB #5 listed Probable on the ACC Update 2 report; Darien Williams (out) — WR #7 listed Out on the ACC Update 2 report; Steve Angeli (probable) — QB #9 listed Probable on the ACC Update 2 report; Amari Odom (out) — QB #12 listed Out on the ACC Update 2 report; Malachi Nelson (out) — QB #16 listed Out on the ACC Update 2 report; Tripp Woody (probable) — K #47 listed Probable on the ACC Update 2 report; Jackson Iak (out) — OL #62 listed Out on the ACC Update 2 report; D'Joni Scatliffe (out) — OL #67 listed Out on the ACC Update 2 report; Matthew Hawn (out) — OL #74 listed Out on the ACC Update 2 report

North Carolina Tar Heels: Jordan Shipp (probable) — WR #1 listed Probable on the ACC Update 2 report; Kaleb Cost (probable) — DB #2 listed Probable on the ACC Update 2 report; Mason Humphrey (out) — WR #4 listed Out on the ACC Update 2 report; Tre Miller (out) — DB #6 listed Out on the ACC Update 2 report; Benjamin Hall (probable) — RB #7 listed Probable on the ACC Update 2 report; Peyton Waters (probable) — DB #7 listed Probable on the ACC Update 2 report; Jakob Weatherspoon (out) — DB #17 listed Out on the ACC Update 2 report; Ashton Blatt (out) — LB #35 listed Out on the ACC Update 2 report; Viliami Moala (out) — DL #56 listed Out on the ACC Update 2 report; Jordan Hall (probable) — OL #66 listed Probable on the ACC Update 2 report; Keeyun Chapman (out) — WR #82 listed Out on the ACC Update 2 report; Vodney Cleveland (out) — DL #88 listed Out on the ACC Update 2 report; Jimmy-Phrisco Alo-Suliafu (out) — DL #92 listed Out on the ACC Update 2 report; Aeron Burrell (probable) — K #92 listed Probable on the ACC Update 2 report

QUARTERBACK

• Steve Angeli is SYR's projected starter

  7.09 Y/A

  Steve Angeli is SYR's projected starting quarterback. October 23 reporting attributes an expected start against North Carolina to On3's Pete Nakos. This establishes an expectation, not an explicit team confirmation. 2026 line: 730 passing yards, 55.3% completions, 7.09 yards per attempt, 4-5 TD-INT over 3 games.

• Billy Edwards Jr. is UNC's projected starter

  8.02 Y/A

  Billy Edwards Jr. is UNC's projected starting quarterback. The ACC's October 23 game preview describes Edwards as leading UNC's offense. No explicit team-attributed confirmation that he starts October 24 was retrieved. 2026 line: 1259 passing yards, 59.9% completions, 8.02 yards per attempt, 9-5 TD-INT over 6 games.

PACE & SCRIPT

• SYR: 32:49 time of possession per game to UNC's 26:58

  5:51 TOP

  Syracuse holds the ball nearly six minutes longer per game than North Carolina over 6 games each. Syracuse is up from 30:30 last season, and UNC is down from 28:25. If Syracuse sustains drives on the road, UNC gets fewer chances with the ball. That points to a slower game shaped by Syracuse's pace.

• SYR: 31.7 points per game to UNC's 23.5

  8.2 PPG

  SYR is at 31.7 points per game over 6 games; UNC is at 23.5 over 6 games. Those are this season's games through Oct 23. Last season SYR was at 20.2 over 12 games and UNC at 19.3 over 12 games.

MISMATCH

• SYR: 285.5 pass yards a game to UNC's 213.5

  285.5 VS 213.5

  Syracuse throws for 285.5 yards a game through six games, up from 217.3 last season. North Carolina sits at 213.5, also up from 183.5, but well short of Syracuse. Six games is a fair sample and both offenses are better through the air than last season, with Syracuse further ahead. On the road, Syracuse will likely lean on the pass, so Carolina's best answer is to keep the ball away from that offense and limit possessions.

REPLACEMENT

• Darien Williams (WR) is out for SYR

  OUT

  WR #7 listed Out on the ACC Update 2 report ACC availability report (Update 2, published 2026-10-23 20:00:00 ET) (2026-10-23)

• Amari Odom (QB) is out for SYR

  OUT

  QB #12 listed Out on the ACC Update 2 report ACC availability report (Update 2, published 2026-10-23 20:00:00 ET) (2026-10-23)

• Malachi Nelson (QB) is out for SYR

  OUT

  QB #16 listed Out on the ACC Update 2 report ACC availability report (Update 2, published 2026-10-23 20:00:00 ET) (2026-10-23)

• Jackson Iak (OL) is out for SYR

  OUT

  OL #62 listed Out on the ACC Update 2 report ACC availability report (Update 2, published 2026-10-23 20:00:00 ET) (2026-10-23)

• D'Joni Scatliffe (OL) is out for SYR

  OUT

  OL #67 listed Out on the ACC Update 2 report ACC availability report (Update 2, published 2026-10-23 20:00:00 ET) (2026-10-23)

• Matthew Hawn (OL) is out for SYR

  OUT

  OL #74 listed Out on the ACC Update 2 report ACC availability report (Update 2, published 2026-10-23 20:00:00 ET) (2026-10-23)

• Mason Humphrey (WR) is out for UNC

  OUT

  WR #4 listed Out on the ACC Update 2 report ACC availability report (Update 2, published 2026-10-23 20:00:00 ET) (2026-10-23)

• Tre Miller (DB) is out for UNC

  OUT

  DB #6 listed Out on the ACC Update 2 report ACC availability report (Update 2, published 2026-10-23 20:00:00 ET) (2026-10-23)

• Jakob Weatherspoon (DB) is out for UNC

  OUT

  DB #17 listed Out on the ACC Update 2 report ACC availability report (Update 2, published 2026-10-23 20:00:00 ET) (2026-10-23)

• Ashton Blatt (LB) is out for UNC

  OUT

  LB #35 listed Out on the ACC Update 2 report ACC availability report (Update 2, published 2026-10-23 20:00:00 ET) (2026-10-23)

• Viliami Moala (DL) is out for UNC

  OUT

  DL #56 listed Out on the ACC Update 2 report ACC availability report (Update 2, published 2026-10-23 20:00:00 ET) (2026-10-23)

• Keeyun Chapman (WR) is out for UNC

  OUT

  WR #82 listed Out on the ACC Update 2 report ACC availability report (Update 2, published 2026-10-23 20:00:00 ET) (2026-10-23)

• Vodney Cleveland (DL) is out for UNC

  OUT

  DL #88 listed Out on the ACC Update 2 report ACC availability report (Update 2, published 2026-10-23 20:00:00 ET) (2026-10-23)

• Jimmy-Phrisco Alo-Suliafu (DL) is out for UNC

  OUT

  DL #92 listed Out on the ACC Update 2 report ACC availability report (Update 2, published 2026-10-23 20:00:00 ET) (2026-10-23)

SITUATIONAL

• UNC: 33.7 penalty yards per game to SYR's 98

  64.3 YDS

  Syracuse is giving up 98 penalty yards a game through 6 games, up from 54.8 last season, while North Carolina is at 33.7, down from 62.6. Penalty numbers bounce around, so both are likely to move toward last season. For now, Syracuse is handing opponents free yards, and that matters most in close games.

• SYR: 285.5 team passing yards per game to UNC's 213.5

  72 YPG

  Syracuse throws for 285.5 a game against North Carolina's 213.5, each over 6 games. Both are up from last season, Syracuse from 217.3 and North Carolina from 183.5, with Syracuse's jump the bigger one. On the road, Syracuse will likely keep throwing, and that volume is the more dependable piece than the size of the gap.

• SYR: 26.2 first downs per game to UNC's 19.3

  6.8 FD

  SYR is at 26.2 first downs per game over 6 games; UNC is at 19.3 over 6 games. Those are this season's games through Oct 23. Last season SYR was at 19.4 over 12 games and UNC at 16.6 over 12 games.

TEAM RECORD

• ACC game: SYR 0-4, UNC 2-1 in conference

  CONFERENCE

  Syracuse has lost all four of its ACC games, and North Carolina is 2-1 in the league. Syracuse has yet to beat a conference opponent, while UNC has won more than it has lost in three tries. These are small samples, but 0-4 is a clear pattern so far. With the game in Chapel Hill, both the conference records and the site point toward UNC.