Key Things to Know Before UNC vs. Cal

Berkeley, Calif. - The North Carolina Tar Heels will travel exactly 2,805 miles to the San Francisco Bay Area to take on the California Golden Bears under the lights on a Friday night at Memorial Stadium.

The Tar Heels are 2-3 this season with a 0-1 record in the ACC. UNC has been outscored by Power Four opponents, 120-33. Most recently, the Heels were overwhelmed by Clemson, 38-10, after falling behind 28-3 in the first quarter.

Cal, on the other hand, is 4-2 this season with a 1-1 record in the ACC. The Bears are coming off a 45-21 loss to Duke—a game they led 21-7 early in the second quarter.

Cal is currently favored to win by 9.5 points, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Here are some things to know ahead of tonight's matchup.

Where to Watch or Listen

UNC — Dec 27, 2023; Charlotte, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels white helmet during pregame warm ups against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Bank of America Stadium. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The game will be broadcast on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. PT/10:30 p.m. ET. Anish Shroff (play-by-play), Andre Ware (analyst) and Paul Carcaterra (sideline) will be on the call.
To listen to the game, the Tar Heels Sports Network will broadcast on 97.9 The Hill WCHL. Jones Angell (play-by-play), former UNC quarterback Bryn Renner (analyst) and Lee Pace (sideline) will be on the call.

Gio Lopez is Likely to Start

UNC — Sep 20, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Gio Lopez (7) warms up before the game against the UCF Knights at the Bounce House Stadium. | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

After missing the Clemson game due to an injury, Lopez is expected to start after he was listed as the starting quarterback according to UNC’s unofficial depth chart in its game notes.
Lopez has completed 62.7% of his passes for 430 yards, with three touchdowns and three interceptions.
He is averaging 107.5 yards per game, ranking 127th among Division I quarterbacks.

Tar Heels Out West

Max Johnson | UNC Atheltic Communications

This weekend will be the fifth game in program history the Tar Heels have played in the state of California:

Friday, Oct 17: North Carolina at California
Dec. 28, 2022: North Carolina vs. No. 15 Oregon (Holiday Bowl): Loss, 28-17
Sept. 1, 2018: North Carolina at California: Loss, 24-17
Sept. 19, 1998: North Carolina at Stanford: Loss, 37-34
Aug. 29, 1993: North Carolina vs. No. 18 USC (Disneyland Pigskin Classic): Win, 31-9

Nine different Tar Heels on the 2025 roster return home this weekend to the state of California:

No. 1 Thaddeus Dixon: Los Angeles
No. 2 Andrew Simpson: Wilder Ave
No. 5 Jason Robinson Jr.: Long Beach
No. 7 Khmori House: Pasadena
No. 17 Peyton Waters: Northridge
No. 23 Khristian Dunbar-Hawkins: Inland Empire
No. 28 Chinedu Onyeagoro: Los Angeles
No. 87 Cort Halsey: Atherton
No. 89 Paul Barton: Palo Alto

Friday Night Lights

Running back Demon June; Sept. 13, 2025 | Jackson McCurdy, North Carolina Tar Heels On SI

Since 1995, the Tar Heels have played 10 games (regular season and bowl games) on Fridays, posting a 2-8 record in that stretch:

2022: NC State: Loss, 30-27 (2OT)
2021: at No. 24 NC State: Loss, 34-30
2021: at Virginia Tech: Loss, 17-10
2020: No. 2 Notre Dame: Loss, 31-17
2019: Temple (Military Bowl): Win, 55-13
2019: at Wake Forest: Loss, 24-18
2016: No. 16 Stanford (Sun Bowl): 25-23
2016: NC State: Loss, 28-21
2014: Rutgers (Quick Lane Bowl): Loss, 40-21
1995: at NC State: Win, 30-28

Cal Boasts One of the ACC’s Most Underrated Receiving Corps

Sep 6, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears wide receiver Trond Grizzell (7) runs after a catch against Texas Southern Tigers safety Joel Williams (48) during the fourth quarter at California Memorial Stadium. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Its leading receiver is former walk-on Trond Grizzell. He has been big-time receiver for Cal and has a good frame for a receiver at 6-foot-4, 205 pounds. He has 24 catches for a team-high 400 yards and a touchdown.
Jacob De Jesus has a team-high 34 catches for 301 yards and two touchdowns. He is also Cal’s main return specialist.
Tight end Mason Mini is one of the best tight ends in the country, hauling in 26 catches for 279 yards and three touchdowns, which is a team-high three touchdowns. The most impressive thing about Mini is that he has not dropped a pass all year.