North Carolina got the result it needed on Saturday, but the offense still left plenty on the table in Week 6.
After dropping two straight, the Tar Heels were desperate to get back in the win column. They did that, yet the attack sputtered for long stretches, and head coach Bill Belichick addressed that in his postgame session with the media.
The biggest issue has been hard to miss all season: explosive plays have been tough to come by. A few did show up this time, with Billy Edwards Jr. finding Jordan Shipp on a 49-yard pass and Shamar Easter breaking loose for a 75-yard touchdown. Even so, Belichick pointed out that North Carolina let several other chances slip away.
Edwards Jr. also turned it over twice for the second game in a row. This time, it didn’t derail the Tar Heels, but the margin was thin enough that those mistakes could have been costly if Mason Heintschel had been healthy. North Carolina caught a break with Pittsburgh forced to start Holden Geriner, and Edwards Jr. couldn’t take full advantage of the Panthers’ extra chances near midfield and beyond.
The ground game was another quiet problem. North Carolina’s rushing attack has now gone two straight games without making much of a dent, and while Notre Dame and Pittsburgh are both among the nation’s better run defenses, 36 yards on 19 carries from the backs simply won’t cut it.
That matters even more because the tight end group has been one of the brighter spots for this team. But that production depends in part on the run game doing its job.
When North Carolina can threaten on the ground, play-action and screen looks open up, and that’s where Jelani Thurman has been able to shine. Without that balance, the offense gets stuck playing a straight-up game, and that’s a tough ask with Edwards Jr. at quarterback.
In Other News...
Billy Edwards Jr. Still Left UNC With One Big Offensive Concern
North Carolina got back in the win column with a 21-17 victory over Pittsburgh, snapping a two-game skid and giving the Tar Heels a much-needed reset. Billy Edwards Jr. was central to it, completing 18 of 26 passes for 249 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, a line that reflected both the upside and the unevenness that has followed him at times this season.
Edwards connected with Jordan Shipp and Easter to help keep the offense moving, but the larger concern lingered in how often UNC seemed willing to play it safe. His reluctance to consistently challenge defenses vertically left the Tar Heels with some unanswered questions even in a win, and the two interceptions only added to the sense that the passing game still has another level to find. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Suddenly Has A Depth Story Fans Can Believe In
A handful of injuries against Pitt could have unraveled North Carolinas night, but instead they exposed something the Tar Heels have been waiting to see all season: actual depth. With several starters forced out, backups and freshmen were pushed into larger roles, and the game became a real-time test of how ready the next wave of players could be. It also fit neatly with Bill Belichicks long-standing emphasis on preparation and being ready when opportunity arrives.
North Carolina still walked away with a 21-17 win over a ranked opponent, and the most encouraging part was how many less experienced players were able to help steady it. Some of those contributors had limited practice reps before being thrown into meaningful snaps, yet they managed to make the kind of plays that kept the Tar Heels afloat when the game tightened. For a program that has spent plenty of time wondering what happens if the starters get thin, this was the kind of night that made the answer a little easier to believe. [Read more 🡒]
No. 1 UNC Puts Its ACC Run To The Test At Clemson
North Carolinas womens soccer team heads to Clemson for an ACC road match that carries a little extra weight simply because of the setting. It has been eight seasons since Carolina last played in Clemson, and the No. 1 Tar Heels arrive with the kind of profile that usually travels well, from a deep attack to a defense that has been steady all fall. They also bring the sort of momentum that comes from leading the ACC in multiple statistical categories and collecting plenty of individual recognition along the way.
Clemson has not been much of a stumbling block for Carolina in recent years, with the Tar Heels owning the series and carrying an eight-game winning streak into this one. Still, road games in the ACC tend to reveal something a little different about a team, especially against a conference opponent eager to challenge the top-ranked group in the league. For Carolina, this is another chance to reinforce the standard it has set all season, and for Clemson it is the kind of test that can tell you plenty about where you stand. [Read more 🡒]