The Carolina Football Hour (97.9 The Hill)

Carolina played another close game Saturday at Kenan Stadium, but again the Tar Heels fell inches short in a 17-16 overtime loss to Virginia. 97.9 The Hill’s Aaron Keck (filling in for Brighton McConnell) and Michael Koh discuss the positives and negatives from the loss and look ahead to the final five weeks of the season. Cade Shoemaker of Inside Carolina joins Michael to break down how the Tar Heels have improved, and he and Michael wonder whether UNC’s issues are more mental than anything. Plus: a familiar voice calls in for What in Tar-Nation?!, Michael Lombardi is definitely not mad about Bill Belichick stories, and UNC alum Drake Maye continues to cook in the NFL.

Listeners can call 919-240-6000 to leave voicemails for the show. However, there will not be a Carolina Football Hour episode next Monday, as 97.9 The Hill will be broadcasting coverage of UNC men’s basketball’s opening game against Central Arkansas that night.

The Carolina Football Hour is your home for football insights from the Tar Heel Sports flagship station! Reactions, analysis, special guests — plus, a space for post-game callers, fans and listeners can share their observations and contribute their own voice to the broadcast. Tune in Monday evenings at 6:00 p.m. on 97.9 The Hill WCHL and listen on-demand afterward on your favorite audio apps, like Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

The post UNC Falls in Another Heartbreaker vs. Virginia. Can They Get Over the Hump? — The Carolina Football Hour (Oct. 27, 2025) appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Carolina’s closest game against a Power 4 opponent provides genuine flashes for UNC football to build upon. 97.9 The Hill’s Brighton McConnell and Michael Koh discuss their takeaways from the 21-18 loss as the Heels return home and prepare for a high-flying Virginia offense this weekend. Former star QB Bryn Renner joins to discuss the play of UNC’s Gio Lopez, how the offense looked vs. Cal, and the opportunity presented against the Cavaliers. Plus: a trio of What In Tar-Nation?! callers share differing perspectives on the state of the program, while the guys share their predictions of possible palindrome scores for Saturday’s game.

Listeners can call 919-240-6000 to leave voicemails for the show after the Tar Heels’ game vs. Virginia. Those who do will be featured in “What In Tar-Nation?!”  on the next edition of “The Carolina Football Hour,” which is Monday, Oct. 27.

The Carolina Football Hour is your home for football insights from the Tar Heel Sports flagship station! Reactions, analysis, special guests — plus, a space for post-game callers, fans and listeners can share their observations and contribute their own voice to the broadcast. Tune in Monday evenings at 6:00 p.m. on 97.9 The Hill WCHL and listen on-demand afterward on your favorite audio apps, like Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

The post UNC Shows Progress at Cal. But Will It Be Enough to Win? — The Carolina Football Hour (Oct. 20, 2025) appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

So…how did everyone spend their very normal, non-eventful bye week? 97.9 The Hill’s Brighton McConnell and Michael Koh dig into how UNC football’s was anything but on the outside, with a variety of reports published about the atmosphere in the locker room and how Bill Belichick’s staff has been conducting business in Chapel Hill. They discuss whether they buy the messaging pivot from the program and welcome on Andrew Jones of TarHeel274 to share some of his reporting about discontent around the program. Plus: a What In Tar-Nation caller who asks for the next head coach, a ticket giveaway, and a preview of *actual* football UNC will play on Friday at Cal — including how the Bears could be unpredictable.

Listeners can call 919-240-6000 to leave voicemails for the show after the Tar Heels’ game vs. Cal. Those who do may be featured in “What In Tar-Nation?!”  on the next edition of “The Carolina Football Hour,” which is Monday, Oct. 20.

The Carolina Football Hour is your home for football insights from the Tar Heel Sports flagship station! Reactions, analysis, special guests — plus, a space for post-game callers, fans and listeners can share their observations and contribute their own voice to the broadcast. Tune in Monday evenings at 6:00 p.m. on 97.9 The Hill WCHL and listen on-demand afterward on your favorite audio apps, like Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

The post After Rumor-Filled Bye Week, UNC Tries to Move On vs. Cal — The Carolina Football Hour (Oct. 13, 2025) appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

UNC football is 2-3 on the season after getting obliterated by Clemson, 38-10, on Saturday. 97.9 The Hill’s Brighton McConnell and Michael Koh react to the poor performance and discuss how the game snowballed out of control. Which poor defensive stat reflects UNC’s struggles in the first half, as Bill Belichick’s team entered the locker room down 32 points? What could be learned from QB Max Johnson’s first full performance as a starter and where does the quarterback conundrum rank in the list of issues this roster faces? The North Carolina Sports Network’s David Glenn joins to share his impressions of the team and where its disastrous start ranks in his years of covering ACC football. “What In Tar-Nation?!” features a viral moment from the game and some grumpy listener texts, while an update on the former Tar Heels in the NFL help bring a little bit of joy to the show.

Listeners can call 919-240-6000 to leave voicemails for the show. Those who do may be featured in “What In Tar-Nation?!”  on the next edition of “The Carolina Football Hour,” which is Monday, Oct. 13.

The Carolina Football Hour is your home for football insights from the Tar Heel Sports flagship station! Reactions, analysis, special guests — plus, a space for post-game callers, fans and listeners can share their observations and contribute their own voice to the broadcast. Tune in Monday evenings at 6:00 p.m. on 97.9 The Hill WCHL and listen on-demand afterward on your favorite audio apps, like Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

The post Clemson Crushes Carolina. Where Do The Heels Go From Here? — The Carolina Football Hour (Oct. 6, 2025) appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

UNC football returns from its first bye week this season with plenty of questions still surrounding their potential and how they’ll fare against ACC competition. 97.9 The Hill’s Brighton McConnell and Michael Koh discuss the Tar Heels’ chances against the Clemson Tigers in a matchup that is more lackluster than anticipated thanks to both team’s early struggles. Which quarterback will take the field for Carolina on Saturday? Will a healthier offensive line help UNC’s issues? Would more consistent offensive play give the defense more breaks? The pair react to comments from GM Michael Lombardi and welcome The State’s Clemson beat reporter, Chapel Fowler, to discuss where the Tigers’ start has gone off the rails. Plus: how does UNC’s conference schedule look a few games into the season?

After the game vs. Clemson, listeners can call 919-240-6000 to leave voicemails for the show. Those who do may be featured in “What In Tar-Nation?!”  on the next edition of “The Carolina Football Hour,” which is Monday, Oct. 6.

The Carolina Football Hour is your home for football insights from the Tar Heel Sports flagship station! Reactions, analysis, special guests — plus, a space for post-game callers, fans and listeners can share their observations and contribute their own voice to the broadcast. Tune in Monday evenings at 6:00 p.m. on 97.9 The Hill WCHL and listen on-demand afterward on your favorite audio apps, like Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

The post Questions Remain as Clemson Comes to Town — The Carolina Football Hour (Sep. 29, 2025) appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

A trip to the Sunshine State leaves UNC frozen out of quality nonconference wins, as the UCF Knights handled the Tar Heels 34-9 on Saturday. 97.9 The Hill’s Brighton McConnell and Michael Koh discuss the team’s performance, including another underwhelming offensive performance that saw a QB change forced by injury. The metrics reflect Carolina’s lack of explosiveness and Gio Lopez’s injury adds a new layer to the challenge of creating offense. Michael and Brighton hand out their grades to each unit before previewing the road ahead in ACC play. Shelby Swanson of the News & Observer joins to share her observations from Orlando and which of UNC’s problems are fixable in the short-term. Plus, in “What In Tar-Nation,” a caller hits the panic button on the Bill Belichick coaching experience — is that justified at this point? And what are the Way-Too-Early Predictions for how Belichick will spend his first bye week.

Ahead of the game vs. Clemson, listeners can call 919-240-6000 to leave voicemails for the show. Those who do may be featured in “What In Tar-Nation?!”  on the next edition of “The Carolina Football Hour,” which is Monday, Sep. 29.

The Carolina Football Hour is your home for football insights from the Tar Heel Sports flagship station! Reactions, analysis, special guests — plus, a space for post-game callers, fans and listeners can share their observations and contribute their own voice to the broadcast. Tune in Monday evenings at 6:00 p.m. on 97.9 The Hill WCHL and listen on-demand afterward on your favorite audio apps, like Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

The post UNC Football Falls Flat in Orlando. What’s Next for the Tar Heels? — The Carolina Football Hour (Sep. 22, 2025) appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

UNC football moves to 2-1 after blowing out Richmond at home, and 97.9 The Hill’s Brighton McConnell and Michael Koh discuss takeaways from Saturday’s win. The team played arguably its most complete game yet — but against an inferior level of opponent, how much can be gleaned from the performance? What successes can carry over as Bill Belichick and the Tar Heels prepare to face Power 4 opponents from here on out? A listener shares concerns in “What In Tar-Nation?!” about offensive execution, and for “The Hand-Off,” Inside Carolina’s Jeremiah Holloway joins to discuss the break-out of freshman running back Demon June and where UNC’s offense stands after three games. Plus: a scouting report on a UCF team undergoing their own changes and way-too-early predictions on what the most Florida thing will be during Saturday’s matchup.

After the game vs. UCF, listeners can call 919-240-6000 to leave voicemails for the show. Those who do may be featured in “What In Tar-Nation?!”  on the next edition of “The Carolina Football,” which is Monday, Sep. 22.

The Carolina Football Hour is your home for football insights from the Tar Heel Sports flagship station! Reactions, analysis, special guests — plus, a space for post-game callers, fans and listeners can share their observations and contribute their own voice to the broadcast. Tune in Monday evenings at 6:00 p.m. on 97.9 The Hill WCHL and listen on-demand afterward on your favorite audio apps, like Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

The post UNC Rolls vs. Richmond, But Are The Improvements Real? — The Carolina Football Hour (Sep. 15, 2025) appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Following UNC football’s two opening games of the 2025 season — a blowout loss to TCU and a road win vs. Charlotte — 97.9 The Hill’s Brighton McConnell and Michael Koh discuss how the Tar Heels are shaping up. Carolina’s offense has shown moments of surgical execution alongside sputtering drives, while the defense elevated its performance against the Niners. How much does UNC’s success come down to the players’ cohesion vs. coaching, and does another game against a lower-tier program help the program smooth out its rough edges? Tommy Ashley of “Inside Carolina Live” joins to share his perspective, a passionate out-of-state caller shares their thoughts after the TCU game on “What In Tar-Nation?!” and Michael does a dramatic reading of a poem submitted in UNC’s honor.

After the game vs. Richmond, listeners can call 919-240-6000 to leave voicemails for the show. Those who do may be featured in “What In Tar-Nation?!”  on the next edition of “The Carolina Football,” which is Monday, Sep. 15.

The Carolina Football Hour is your home for football insights from the Tar Heel Sports flagship station! Reactions, analysis, special guests — plus, a space for post-game callers, fans and listeners can share their observations and contribute their own voice to the broadcast. Tune in Monday evenings at 6:00 p.m. on 97.9 The Hill WCHL and listen on-demand afterward on your favorite audio apps, like Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

The post An Underwhelming Win and An Overwhelming Loss — The Carolina Football Hour (Sep. 8, 2025) appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

97.9 The Hill’s Brighton McConnell and Michael Koh launch “The Carolina Football Hour” on Wednesday, Aug. 27! Ahead of UNC football’s much-anticipated home opener vs. TCU, the pair discuss what is different around the program under head coach Bill Belichick and what expectations are around the Tar Heels with so much change from last fall. The show debuts its “What in Tar-Nation?!” segment that features caller’s voicemails and thoughts about the team, as well as other segments like “Most Belichick Moment” and “Way-Too-Early Predictions.” Plus: the guys welcome former UNC quarterback and Tar Heel Sports Network analyst Bryn Renner to discuss how UNC’s players have built their chemistry between the spring and fall camps, his expectations for QB Gio Lopez and Monday’s matchup against the Horned Frogs.

After the game vs. TCU, listeners can call 919-240-6000 to leave voicemails for the show. Those who do may be featured in the next edition of “What In Tar-Nation?!”

The Carolina Football Hour is your home for football insights from the Tar Heel Sports flagship station! Reactions, analysis, special guests — plus, a space for post-game callers, fans and listeners can share their observations and contribute their own voice to the broadcast. Tune in Monday evenings at 6:00 p.m. on 97.9 The Hill WCHL and listen on-demand afterward on your favorite audio apps, like Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

The post UNC’s Offseason Recap and Preparation for Week 1 — The Carolina Football Hour (Aug. 27, 2025) appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

97.9 The Hill WCHL is the flagship station for Tar Heel Sports, and this football season you’ll hear something new on the air: The Carolina Football Hour! Hosted by Brighton McConnell and Michael Koh, join the broadcast every Monday evening at 6:00 p.m. for analysis, insights, interviews and comments from fans broadcasted from Franklin Street in Chapel Hill!

The first edition drops on Wednesday, Aug. 27, ahead of the launch of the Tar Heel Sports Network’s “Carolina Football Live!”

The Carolina Football Hour is your home for football insights from the Tar Heel Sports flagship station! Reactions, analysis, special guests — plus, a space for post-game callers, fans and listeners can share their observations and contribute their own voice to the broadcast. Tune in every Monday evening at 6:00 p.m. on 97.9 The Hill WCHL and listen on-demand afterward on your favorite audio apps.

The post Introducing: The Carolina Football Hour! appeared first on Chapelboro.com.