UNC to Face Texas A&M in the Orange Bowl

The North Carolina football program has been selected to play in the Capital One Orange Bowl against Texas A&M, the game’s selection committee announced on Sunday. This will be the 35th bowl game in Carolina football’s history and its first appearance in a major bowl since the 1950 Cotton Bowl. 

The Orange Bowl is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 2 with an 8 p.m. kickoff at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Garden, Fla. The game will air on ESPN. This will be Carolina football’s first trip to the Orange Bowl and its first game against Texas A&M.

Ram’s Club members, season ticket holders and UNC students will receive an email later today with the opportunity to request tickets.

Carolina, No. 13 in the CFP Rankings, finished the regular season 8-3 and 7-3 (T-4th) in the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2020. The Tar Heels have been explosive all season on offense, averaging a program-record 556.6 yards per game, fourth most nationally, and scoring 43.0 points per game, tied for sixth in the nation. Sophomore quarterback Sam Howell has thrown 27 touchdowns and averages 304.7 yards per game. Junior wide receiver Dyami Brown leads the ACC with 1,099 receiving yards, while Michael Carter and Javonte Williams make up the best running back duo in college football in 2020. They have combined for 2,385 rushing yards and are the only set of teammates in the country to rush for more than 1,000 yards.

The defense ranks sixth nationally with 33 sacks and sits fifth in the ACC in total defense. Senior linebacker Chazz Surratt leads the team in tackles for the second year running with 91 stops. He also has 7.5 TFL, 6.0 sacks, one interception, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble. Senior linebacker Tomon Fox leads the way with 9.5 TFL and also has six sacks. 

Texas A&M, representing the Southeastern Conference, is No. 5 in the CFP Rankings after a putting together an 8-1 record this season in the SEC. Coached by Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M boasts the 14th best defense in the country, surrendering just 316.6 yards per game. The Aggies offense ranked fifth in the conference, tallying 437.2 yards per game.

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