Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images Junior QB Sam Howell will be suiting up for the Tar Heels for the final time on Thursday
The North Carolina Tar Heels and South Carolina Gamecocks face-off in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Thursday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The game (11:30 a.m. ET start time) will be televised on ESPN. But if you don’t have cable, here are some different ways you can watch a live stream of North Carolina vs South Carolina online:
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FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of ESPN and 100-plus other live TV channels on FuboTV, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch UNC vs USC live on the FuboTV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the FuboTV website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your Fubo credentials to log in and watch.
Sling TV
You can watch a live stream of ESPN and 30-plus other live TV channels via Sling TV’s “Sling Orange” package. This option doesn’t include a free trial, but it’s the cheapest long-term streaming service with ESPN, and you can get your first month for just $10:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch UNC vs USC live on the Sling TV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), airTV Mini, Oculus, Portal, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Sling TV website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your Sling credentials to log in and watch.
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream (formerly AT&T TV) has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” ESPN is included in every one, but you can pick any package and any add-on you want with your free 14-day trial.
Note that the free trial isn’t advertised as such, but your “due today” amount will be $0 when signing up. If you watch on your computer, phone or tablet, you won’t be charged for 14 days. If you watch on a streaming device on your TV (Roku, Fire Stick, Apple TV, etc.), you will be charged for the first month, but you can get still get a full refund if you cancel before 14 days:
Once signed up for DirecTV Stream, you can watch UNC vs USC live on the DirecTV Stream app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the DirecTV Stream website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your DirecTV Stream credentials (may still be listed as AT&T on the list of cable providers) to log in and watch.
Vidgo
You can watch a live stream of ESPN and 90+ other TV channels on Vidgo, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for Vidgo, you can watch UNC vs USC live on the Vidgo app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Vidgo website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your Vidgo credentials to log in and watch.
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of ESPN and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which now also includes both ESPN+ and Disney+ as part of their special bundle:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch UNC vs USC live on the Hulu app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, Nintendo Switch, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Hulu website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your Hulu credentials to log in and watch.
Mayo Bowl 2021 Preview
The 2021 Duke’s Mayo Bowl will feature the battle of the Carolinas when the North Carolina Tar Heels (6-6, 3-5 ACC) take on the South Carolina Gamecocks (6-6, 3-5 SEC) in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday.
The border rivals come into the matchup with identical records, but the programs will have different emotions about ending up at this year’s Mayo Bowl.
North Carolina began the season ranked in the top 10 but had a disappointing campaign, losing as many contests as they won, and falling far from a marquee bowl game.
The Tar Heels had the third-ranked total offense and top rushing attack in the ACC but were 101st nationally in scoring defense.
Junior quarterback Sam Howell declared for the NFL draft but surprisingly elected to play in the bowl game, which will be the last time he suits up for UNC. Howell passed for 2,851 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions this season, while rushing for 824 yards and 11 scores on the ground.
Fittingly, Howell’s first game as a Tar Heel came against South Carolina in 2019 in the same stadium he’ll be slinging passes for the last time on the collegiate level Thursday. In that game, Howell, who was a true freshman at the time, rallied the Tar Heels back from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Gamecocks, 24-20.
The Tar Heels will also have the services of Howell’s two most potent weapons in wide receiver Josh Downs and running back Ty Chandler. Downs was second in the ACC this season with 1,273 receiving yards and brought in eight TDs, while Chandler rushed for 1,063 yards and 13 TDs.
UNC finished the regular season with a 34-30 loss on the road to intrastate rival NC State on Nov. 26. The Wolfpack shocked the Tarheels with a late rally that included two TD passes from QB Devin Leary to WR Emeka Emezie with under two minutes to go in the fourth quarter.
Howell passed for a TD and rushed for two more scores and the offense tallied a total of 297 yards on the ground in what turned out to be one of the best games of this year’s Rivalry Week.
South Carolina went 6-6 and qualified for their first bowl since 2018 in head coach Shane Beamer’s first year calling the shots.
The Gamecocks’ strength lies on the defensive side of the ball, where they rank seventh in the country in passing defense (allowing only 179 yards per game) and tied for 10th with 15 interceptions.
With quarterback Jason Brown entering the transfer portal, South Carolina will turn to Zeb Noland to lead the offensive charge in the Mayo Bowl. Noland’s story is a remarkable one, in that he was a graduate assistant coach to start the year and had eligibility remaining in his collegiate career, so he stepped in at QB when injuries accumulated on the roster and led the Gamecocks to multiple wins.
South Carolina’s leading rusher ZaQuandre White also entered the transfer portal and won’t be available for Thursday’s game.
The Gamecocks’ All-American safety Jaylan Foster, who leads the team with 91 tackles and five interceptions, will suit up for the contest.
South Carolina will be looking to bounce back from a rough regular-season finale, in which they were shut out by Clemson, 30-0, at home on Nov. 27. The Gamecocks were held to their second-lowest output of yards (206) this season.
The Tarheels lead the all-time series with the Gamecocks, 33-23. The two programs will meet again in 2023 to open the season in Charlotte.