CHAPEL HILL - North Carolina may have stumbled into a useful silver lining on Saturday night.
A 79-minute lightning delay hit at the end of the third quarter of UNC’s 35-3 win over East Tennessee State at Kenan Stadium, and by then Bill Belichick had already made the call to pull his starters and let the backups handle the finish. With a 35-point cushion and a long weather stoppage looming, the Tar Heels opted against sending everyone back out cold.
"It was the decision of [whether] we want to re-warm everybody up and put them back out there with a 35-point lead, or try to get those guys out and put some guys in who haven't played as much to give them an opportunity to warm up, play and be ready to go," Belichick said postgame.
"You're always concerned in a situation like that with a player who has played a lot and then has cooled down for an hour and a half and then put him back out there. You wouldn't wanna see that player get injured, so we tried to avoid that."
That decision turned the delay into more than just a pause in the action. It gave UNC a chance to get real snaps for players who may be called on later, and that matters in a season where depth can disappear fast. In all, 67 different Tar Heels saw the field in the home opener.
Running back Demon June said that kind of exposure matters for the guys who don’t usually get the spotlight.
"Just to get their feet wet," June said of the importance for the reserves to get into the game. "People who might not have played much before, it's super important to get a feel for the game so later down the stretch, when, God forbid, guys go down, or we need guys to step up, it's not new to them."
The night also gave quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. a chance to spread the ball around in a way that showed off the group UNC has been building behind him. For the first time, he completed passes to four different pass catchers: wide receiver Zamaurious Robertson, running backs Crew Davis and Jaylen McGill and tight end Carson Sneed. In total, Edwards hit eight Tar Heels who each caught a pass for at least 10 yards.
Edwards said those connections aren’t accidental. He’s been working with those players in practice, building routes, timing and trust so the transition feels natural when their numbers are called.
"It was very important to build that depth," Edwards said. "Chemistry between the quarterback and the receiver, whoever is out there, but really to get confidence with all these guys.
You never know with college football, we're playing 12-plus games. At some point you're gonna need to be able to tap into that depth a little bit."
Miles O'Neill took over at quarterback right before the delay and finished the fourth quarter, going three of six for 22 yards.
Saturday may end up being one of the rare chances UNC gets to use that much of its roster on its own terms. The rest of the schedule figures to be tougher, and if those reserves are needed again, it may come in far more demanding moments than a comfortable September night at home.
In Other News...
UNCs ACC Opener Just Took A Sudden Turn At Quarterback
Clemsons quarterback picture changed quickly this week after Christopher Vizzina suffered an elbow injury against Georgia Southern and was labeled week-to-week. For North Carolina, that means the ACC opener has picked up an extra layer of uncertainty before the Tar Heels even take the field, with freshman Tait Reynolds now expected to make his first career start.
Dabo Swinney said Reynolds showed promise in relief, but he also made it clear Clemson plans to lean on both quarterbacks moving forward. For UNC, the adjustment is less about the name on the depth chart than the timing of the change, because preparing for a first-time starter in a conference game can alter everything from pressure plans to coverage looks. [Read more 🡒]
UNC May Have A New Passing Weapon Before Clemson
UNC has spent the first two weeks grinding through ugly weather and finding out a lot about itself in the process. The Tar Heels have won both games in rain-soaked conditions, given up only 13 points across eight quarters and shown a defense that has looked sharper on third downs, while the offense has had to make the most of limited possessions and has still managed to stay efficient.
One of the quieter developments has been the emergence of freshman CJ Sadler in the passing game. He has already started to carve out a real role, sharing targets with the rest of the receiver group and giving the Tar Heels another option to feature as the schedule stiffens. With Clemson next, UNC may be looking at a new kind of threat to keep defenses honest, even if the full extent of that role is still unfolding. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Just Got An Opening It Cannot Waste Against Clemson
Clemsons offense is headed into its next meeting with North Carolina with a different face under center, after starting quarterback Christopher Vizzina suffered an elbow injury and is expected to miss the game. Freshman Tait Reynolds is projected to make the start in his place, giving the Tar Heels a chance to line up against a much less familiar look than the one Clemson had planned to feature.
For UNC, the timing matters because Clemson has already spent much of the early season looking out of sync, and a quarterback switch only adds to the uncertainty. The Tar Heels do not need to solve every issue for the Tigers to gain an edge here, but they do need to treat this as an opportunity to pressure a young passer and make Clemson play from behind the curve. [Read more 🡒]