2015 North Carolina Tar Heels football team

2015 North Carolina Tar Heels football
ACC Coastal Division champion
Conference Atlantic Coast Conference
Division Coastal Division
Ranking
Coaches No. 15
AP No. 15
2015 record 11–3 (8–0 ACC)
Head coach Larry Fedora (4th year)
Co-offensive coordinator Gunter Brewer (2nd as coordinator, 9th overall year)
Co-offensive coordinator Chris Kapolovic (2nd as coordinator, 4th overall year)
Offensive scheme Spread
Defensive coordinator Gene Chizik (1st year)
Base defense 4–3
Home stadium Kenan Memorial Stadium
(Capacity: 63,000)
2015 ACC football standings
Conf     Overall
Team   W   L         W   L  
Atlantic Division
#2 Clemson x$^   8 – 0         14 – 1  
#14 Florida State   6 – 2         10 – 3  
Louisville   5 – 3         8 – 5  
NC State   3 – 5         7 – 6  
Syracuse   2 – 6         4 – 8  
Wake Forest   1 – 7         3 – 9  
Boston College   0 – 8         3 – 9  
Coastal Division
#15 North Carolina x   8 – 0         11 – 3  
Pittsburgh   6 – 2         8 – 5  
Miami   5 – 3         8 – 5  
Duke   4 – 4         8 – 5  
Virginia Tech   4 – 4         7 – 6  
Virginia   3 – 5         4 – 8  
Georgia Tech   1 – 7         3 – 9  
Championship: Clemson 45, North Carolina 37
  • ^ – College Football Playoff participant
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
As of January 12, 2016; Rankings from AP Poll

The 2015 North Carolina Tar Heels football team represented the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was led by fourth-year head coach Larry Fedora and played their home games at Kenan Memorial Stadium. The Tar Heels competed as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference and were the Coastal Division champions. They finished the season 11–3, 8–0 in ACC play to win the ACC Coastal Division Championship. They represented the Coastal Division in the ACC Championship Game where they lost to Atlantic Division champion Clemson. They were invited to the Russell Athletic Bowl where they lost to Baylor.

Recruiting

National Signing Day was on February 4, 2015 and was the first chance for high school seniors to officially declare which university or college they will be attending for their college career. North Carolina had 19 high school seniors sign a National Letter of Intent to play football with them. Of the class, 10 athletes enrolled early to UNC.[1]

Coaching staff

North Carolina head coach Larry Fedora entered his fourth year as the North Carolina's head coach for the 2015 season. After ranking as one of the worst defenses in the country in 2014, Fedora completely revamped the Tar Heel defensive coaching staff. Fedora hired Gene Chizik as the new defensive coordinator.[2] Chizik was most recently the head coach at Auburn, where he led the Tigers to a national championship in 2011. With the coaching change, UNC also switched from a 4-2-5 base defense to a 4–3 defense. Other defensive coaching hires include John Papuchis, former defensive coordinator at Nebraska, as linebackers coach, Tray Scott as defensive line coach, and Charlton Warren as defensive backs coach.[3]

Coaches for the 2015 season[3]
Name Position Seasons at North Carolina
Larry Fedora Head Coach 4th
Gene Chizik Defensive Coordinator 1st
Gunter Brewer Co-Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers 4th (9th overall)
Chris Kapilovic Co-Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line 2nd (4th overall)
Seth Littrell Assistant Head Coach for Offense/Tight Ends 2nd
Keith Heckendorf Quarterbacks 2nd
John Papuchis Linebackers Coach 1st
Tray Scott Defensive Line Coach 1st
Charlton Warren Defensive Backs Coach 1st
Lou Hernandez Strength and Conditioning Coordinator 4th

Schedule

Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result Attendance
September 3 6:00 p.m. vs. South Carolina* Bank of America Stadium • Charlotte, NC (Belk Kickoff Game/Battle of the Carolinas) ESPN L 13–17   51,664
September 12 6:00 p.m. North Carolina A&T* Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, NC ESPN3 W 53–14   44,000
September 19 Noon Illinois* Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, NC (Monogram Day) ESPN2 W 48–14   41,000
September 26 12:30 p.m. Delaware* Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, NC ACCRSN W 41–14   39,000
October 3 3:30 p.m. at Georgia Tech Bobby Dodd Stadium • Atlanta, GA ESPNU W 38–31   50,585
October 17 7:00 p.m. Wake Forest Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, NC (Rivalry) ACCRSN W 50–14   50,500
October 24 3:30 p.m. Virginia Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, NC (South's Oldest Rivalry) ACCRSN W 26–13   52,000
October 29 7:00 p.m. at No. 23 Pittsburgh Heinz Field • Pittsburgh, PA ESPN W 26–19   43,049
November 7 Noon Dukedagger No. 21 Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, NC (Victory Bell) ESPN2 W 66-31   60,500
November 14 3:30 p.m. Miami (FL) No. 17 Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, NC ESPNU W 59–21   61,000
November 21 Noon at Virginia Tech No. 12 Lane Stadium • Blacksburg, VA ESPN W 30–27 OT  65,632
November 28 3:30 p.m. at NC State No. 11 Carter–Finley Stadium • Raleigh, NC (Rivalry) ABC/ESPN2 W 45–34   57,600
December 5 8:00 p.m. vs. No. 1 Clemson No. 8 Bank of America Stadium • Charlotte, NC (ACC Championship Game) ABC L 37–45   74,514
December 29 5:30 p.m. vs. No. 17 Baylor* No. 10 Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium • Orlando, FL (Russell Athletic Bowl) ESPN L 38–49   40,418
*Non-conference game. daggerHomecoming. #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.
Schedule Source:[4]

In a piece of scheduling trivia, North Carolina is the only FBS team that will play all of its 2015 regular-season games, both home and away, on grass fields.[5]

Game summaries

vs. South Carolina

1 2 3 4 Total
Gamecocks 0 10 0 7 17
Tar Heels 7 6 0 0 13
Overall record Last meeting Result
34–19–4 2015 SC, 17–13

North Carolina A&T

1 2 3 4 Total
Aggies 0 0 7 7 14
Tar Heels 22 14 17 0 53
Overall record Last meeting Result
1-0 2015 UNC, 53–14

Illinois

1 2 3 4 Total
Fighting Illini 0 7 0 7 14
Tar Heels 10 10 7 21 48
Overall record Last meeting Result
3–0 2015 UNC, 48-14

Delaware

1 2 3 4 Total
Fightin' Blue Hens 7 0 7 0 14
Tar Heels 7 6 14 14 41
Overall record Last meeting Result
1-0 2015 UNC, 41–14

at Georgia Tech

1 2 3 4 Total
Tar Heels 0 14 10 14 38
Yellow Jackets 7 14 7 3 31
Overall record Last meeting Result
19–28–3 2015 UNC, 38–31

Wake Forest

1 2 3 4 Total
Demon Deacons 7 7 0 0 14
Tar Heels 0 29 7 14 50
Overall record Last meeting Result
69–35–2 2015 UNC, 50–14

Virginia

1 2 3 4 Total
Cavaliers 10 3 0 0 13
Tar Heels 7 6 3 10 26
Overall record Last meeting Result
62–54–4 2015 UNC, 26–13

at Pittsburgh

1 2 3 4 Total
Tar Heels 3 17 3 3 26
#23 Panthers 3 0 10 6 19
Overall record Last meeting Result
7–3 2015 UNC, 26–19

Duke

1 2 3 4 Total
Blue Devils 3 7 14 7 31
#21 Tar Heels 21 17 21 7 66
Overall record Last meeting Result
58–37–5 2015 UNC, 66–31

Miami (FL)

1 2 3 4 Total
Hurricanes 0 0 7 14 21
#17 Tar Heels 7 24 21 7 59
Overall record Last meeting Result
8–9 2015 UNC, 59–21

at Virginia Tech

1 2 3 4OT Total
#12 Tar Heels 7 0 3 146 30
Hokies 0 3 7 143 27
Overall record Last meeting Result
11–20–6 2015 UNC, 30–27 (OT)

at NC State

1 2 3 4 Total
#11 Tar Heels 35 0 0 10 45
Wolfpack 7 7 9 11 34
Overall record Last meeting Result
66–33–6 2015 UNC, 45–34

vs Clemson

#1 Clemson Tigers vs #8 North Carolina Tar Heels – Game summary
1 2 34Total
#1 Tigers 7 14 141045
#8 Tar Heels 9 7 71437

at Bank of America Stadium • Charlotte, NC

vs Baylor

#17 Baylor Bears vs #10 North Carolina Tar Heels – Game summary
1 2 34Total
#10 North Carolina 7 10 14738
#17 Baylor 14 14 14749

at Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium • Orlando, FL

  • Date: December 29, 2015
  • Game time: 5:30 p.m.
  • Game attendance: 40,418
  • TV: ESPN
  • Sources:

Rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
NR = Not ranked. RV = Received votes. ( ) = First place votes.
Week
Poll Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Final 
AP NR NR NR NR NR NR RV RV RV 21 17 12 11 8 10 15 
Coaches RV NR NR NR NR RV RV RV RV 21 17 12 11 8 11 15 
CFP Not released NR 23 17 14 10 10 Not released

Postseason

All-Conference Selections[6]

First Team

• Elijah Hood - Running Back

• Landon Turner - Guard
Second Team

• Marquise Williams - Quarterback

• Mack Hollins - Wide Receiver

• Jon Heck - Offensive Tackle

• Caleb Peterson - Guard

• M.J. Stewart - Cornerback

• Ryan Switzer - Specialist
Third Team

• Ryan Switzer - Wide Receiver

• Quinshad Davis - Wide Receiver

• Lucas Crowley - Center

• Nazair Jones - Defensive Tackle

• Shakeel Rashad - Linebacker

• Des Lawrence - Cornerback

All-American Selections

NFL Draft

For the second year in a row, North Carolina did not have any players selected in the NFL Draft.[7]

The following players signed as undrafted free agents:[8]

Name Position Team
Quinshad Davis Wide Receiver Detroit Lions
Romar Morris Running Back New York Jets
Shakeel Rashad Linebacker Houston Texans
Jeff Schoettmer Linebacker New Orleans Saints
Landon Turner Guard New Orleans Saints
Marquise Williams Quarterback Minnesota Vikings

References

  1. ↑ Barbour, Brian (January 7, 2015). "UNC Announces Ten Early Enrollees in Football". SB Nation. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
  2. ↑ Fornelli, Tom (January 19, 2015). "North Carolina Officially Hires Gene Chizik as Defensive Coordinator". CBS Sports. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  3. 1 2 "UNC Football Coaching Staff". University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill Department of Athletics. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  4. ↑ "2015 North Carolina Tar Heels Football Schedule". FB Schedules. Retrieved April 11, 2015.
  5. ↑ Forde, Pat (July 6, 2015). "40 Schedule Observations for This College Football Season". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
  6. ↑ "ACSMA Announces 2015 All-ACC Teams". theacc.com. 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  7. ↑ Jaouhari, Khaled. "North Carolina Football: NFL draft shutout and free-agent signings". ISportsWeb. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  8. ↑ "Six Tar Heels Earn NFL Opportunity". GoHeels.com. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
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