North Carolina’s Week 6 outlook is a lot more complicated than those first two wins made it look.
At the start of the season, the Tar Heels looked like a team ready to build momentum under Bill Belichick. Then came two straight losses, and the shine came off fast.
Now they’re staring at an undefeated, No. 25 Pittsburgh team, and the matchup offers a clearer test of where UNC really stands.
Even with the recent slide, the Tar Heels have not completely unraveled. Given everything Belichick has had to deal with in recent weeks, the team has remained functional.
His son, Steve Belichick, and former general manager Michael Lombardi both resigned from their roles after an investigation, and that’s left the head coach managing more than just game plans. Belichick has also taken over defensive play-calling, and that side of the ball has still looked solid enough overall.
The last two games have produced 32.5 points allowed per contest, but the offense’s inability to stay on the field has put some of that burden on the defense. Even so, confidence in Belichick and Bobby Petrino sits in a decent place.
The offense, though, is the part that needs to clean itself up.
Last week’s game against No. 3 Notre Dame was always going to be a brutal assignment, so the result alone shouldn’t define UNC.
But the performance still left plenty to question. Billy Edwards Jr. had a rough night, throwing two first-half interceptions that dug the Tar Heels into a hole.
To their credit, they clawed back and got within one point in the third quarter, but the early mistakes were costly.
This week, the setup is more favorable. Pittsburgh is dealing with major trouble at quarterback after Mason Heintschel suffered a season-ending torn ACL in last week’s win over Virginia Tech. That leaves the Panthers with Holden Geriner, a fifth-year quarterback who has fewer than 50 career pass attempts.
That kind of situation should give North Carolina a real chance to dictate the pace. Bobby Petrino does not need to lean as heavily on the passing game here, and the Tar Heels should be able to settle into a more comfortable rhythm by leaning on the run.
If that happens, the offense has a much better path to success than it did against Notre Dame. It still starts with Edwards Jr., though.
If he keeps the offense on schedule and puts together a complete game, UNC has a real shot to leave Week 6 with a win.
The defensive front also has an opening to make life miserable for Pittsburgh’s new starter. This is the second time this season North Carolina will face a backup quarterback making his first career start, though the Tar Heels couldn’t fully cash in on that chance against Clemson and Tait Reynolds.
One key difference this time: Melkart Abou Jaoude missed that game, and the 2025 ACC sack leader was not on the injury report this week. That matters.
There is still a catch, though. North Carolina’s defensive line could be short-handed, with Jaylen Harvey listed as doubtful and Isaiah Johnson listed as questionable.
If either one is limited or unavailable, the pass rush takes a hit. Even so, the matchup against a backup quarterback is still a favorable break for the Tar Heels’ defense.
In Other News...
UNCs First Malone Rotation Hint Should Grab Tar Heels Fans Attention
Michael Malone wasted little time using North Carolinas exhibition against USC to see what kind of combinations might actually fit once the games start counting. The Tar Heels cycled through 24 different five-man lineups, a clear sign that the new coach is still probing the edges of his roster and trying to figure out which groups can provide the best balance. The starting five of Terrence Brown, Matt Able, Neo Avdalas, Jarin Stevenson and Sayon Keita saw the most action, with a version that included freshman Maximo Adams close behind.
Even in a night filled with experimentation, Jarin Stevenson stood out as the one constant, logging the most minutes and showing up in the majority of the lineups Malone tried. Isaiah Denis also earned significant run, another clue that the rotation picture is still very much taking shape. For a team in search of early identity under a new coach, the exhibition offered a useful first look, but it also left the most important question hanging: which of these combinations will still matter when the season truly begins? [Read more 🡒]
Tar Heels Showed Off New Depth In Michael Malones First UNC Test
Michael Malones first test on the North Carolina sideline came with a reminder that preseason games can still tell a useful story. In an 88-70 exhibition win over Southern Cal, the Tar Heels got contributions from a deeper group than many expected, with Jarin Stevenson, Isaiah Denis, Maximo Adams and Neo Avdalas all giving Carolina a reason to feel better about its rotation before the games start to count.
The night also had a few of those early-season flashes that tend to stick with a coach, none better than Sayon Keita jumping a passing lane for a steal and finishing with a dunk. Both teams were missing key players because of injury or eligibility, so the real value for Carolina was less about the final score than the way new faces handled a bigger stage, and how much more depth Malone may have to work with than first assumed. [Read more 🡒]
Isaiah Denis Just Gave UNC Fans A Reason To Reconsider Him
Isaiah Denis used an exhibition game to make his case for a bigger role in a Carolina rotation that still has plenty of questions under new coach Michael Malone. In 20 minutes, Denis delivered 14 points, four rebounds and a pair of 3-pointers, a sharp showing from a player whose minutes were limited last season because of injury and who now looks much more like part of the conversation than an afterthought.
Denis said the game felt personal, and his response fit the moment. He pointed to Malones trust and coaching style as part of the reason for the jump, while Malone praised Denis development and his choice to stay with the program through the coaching changes. For Tar Heel fans trying to figure out which returning pieces can matter in this new era, Denis just gave them one name worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]