Bill Belichick didn’t pretend North Carolina’s win at Duke was just another box to check off. The Tar Heels had already spent the weekend celebrating the Victory Bell, and that made the usual Sunday reset a little less automatic.
“It took a little longer,” Belichick said Monday at his weekly press conference at the Kenan Football Center.
UNC painted the bell light blue at the Bell Tower on Sunday, a celebration Belichick called “a great moment.” He said the players were quicker than the coaches to turn the page, repeatedly making it clear the Duke game was over and Syracuse was next.
“It’s great to beat Duke, but we’re done with them, and it’s on to Syracuse,” he said in classic Belichick fashion.
That next step comes Saturday night, when Syracuse visits Chapel Hill at 7:30 on ACC Network. The Orange are 2-4 overall and 0-4 in the ACC, but Belichick pushed back hard on the idea that the record tells the full story.
“They’re only a couple plays away from having six wins, honestly,” Belichick said. “I don’t think their record is indicative of the talent that they have, or the way that they’re coached, or the way they play.”
Belichick also praised Syracuse coach Fran Brown and said the Orange have been competitive in every game. He pointed out their quarterback situation as one of the more unusual things UNC has seen.
“I don’t think I’ve ever coached against a team that’s had four quarterbacks that are all legitimate players,” Belichick said. “They’ve all played well. These guys can move the ball.”
Syracuse has had to mix and match at the position. Fifth-year quarterback Steve Angeli has thrown for 730 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions, but he missed Saturday’s 34-26 loss to Louisville with an Achilles-related issue. Junior Amari Odom, who has 391 passing yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions, also sat out the Louisville game because of injury.
Junior Malachi Nelson made his second start last week and now has 532 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. The Orange also have junior Danny Lauter, who has 74 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions.
Belichick noted that the quarterback churn hasn’t kept Syracuse from moving the ball. He said the Orange put up 300 yards in the first half against Louisville and usually throw for around that much.
There’s size to deal with up front, too. Belichick called Syracuse’s offensive line the biggest UNC has faced this season and joked that the group is massive even by college football standards.
“The biggest offensive line we’ve seen, probably got to be one of the biggest in college football,” he said. “I don’t know if you can get on that line if you’re under 350, but these guys are big.”
He also said Syracuse brings pressure on defense, forces turnovers and can flip field position in the return game. That, he said, makes ball security a priority for UNC, which has not been clean enough lately.
The Tar Heels need to take care of the ball “better than we have been,” Belichick said.
For him, the formula doesn’t change much: recover from Saturday, reload, and get ready to empty the tank again.
“We try to go out there and empty the tank on the field on Saturdays and put everything we have into the game,” Belichick said. “Then you got to fill it back up.”
And if a team tries to rush that process, he warned, it will show up eventually.
“If you try to shortcut the process, it’s going to catch up with you,” Belichick said.
UNC enters the Syracuse game 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the ACC. The Tar Heels’ schedule after that includes No.
1 Miami on Oct. 31, plus road games at UConn and Virginia and home dates with Louisville and N.C. State later in the season.
In Other News...
Tar Heels Just Got An Early Warning About This Roster
An exhibition is supposed to help reveal where a roster stands before the games count, and Carolina got a blunt early read in Indianapolis. Indiana rolled to a 76-58 win by owning the glass and controlling the paint, while the Tar Heels never found much rhythm on offense and were forced to navigate the kind of interior issues that can show up quickly when post depth is thin and players are unavailable.
There were still a few encouraging signs in the loss, especially from freshman Sayon Keita, who gave Carolina energy with 12 points, nine rebounds and five blocks. Even so, Indianas Bryce Lindsay came off the bench and poured in 26 points, a reminder that the Tar Heels were chasing the game for most of the night and may have some lineup questions to answer before the real season begins. [Read more 🡒]
UNC's Preseason Loss Exposed An Early Problem Hubert Davis Can't Ignore
A preseason trip to Gainbridge Fieldhouse gave North Carolina an early reminder that the margins can be thin long before the games start counting. Indiana handled the Tar Heels 76-58, and the most telling part of the afternoon was not just the final score but the way the Hoosiers controlled the glass. Bryce Lindsays 26 points led the way for Indiana, while North Carolina struggled to match the physical edge that showed up possession after possession.
For Hubert Davis, the rebounding numbers are the kind of issue that can linger if they are not addressed quickly. Indiana won the battle on the boards 53-31 and turned that advantage into a steady stream of second-chance opportunities, leaving North Carolina looking for answers on both ends. The Tar Heels were also without Isaiah Denis, who missed the game and is day-to-day, adding another layer of uncertainty to a roster that already has a clear early problem to sort out. [Read more 🡒]
UNCs New-Look Roster Already Has An Early Concern
North Carolinas early exhibition slate has already offered a little of everything, from the encouraging to the worrisome. After a win over USC, the Tar Heels ran into a much tougher night against Indiana, falling 76-58 in a game that exposed some of the growing pains that come with a new look roster. Sayon Keita was a bright spot, finishing with a career-high 12 points and 9 rebounds, but the bigger picture was less flattering as Indianas Bryce Lindsay led all scorers with 26.
The issues were easy to spot. North Carolina needed more from its bench, had trouble on the perimeter and got beat on the glass, three areas that tend to matter even more once the games start counting for real. The Tar Heels also played without sophomore guard Isaiah Denis, which only added another layer to an already thin rotation look, and left plenty for the staff to sort through before the opener arrives. [Read more 🡒]