North Carolina snapped its two-game skid in Week 6, edging Pittsburgh 21-17, but the Tar Heels didn’t exactly deliver a clean performance. The win counts, sure. The execution around it left plenty to chew on, and Billy Edwards Jr. was right in the middle of that uneven afternoon.
The Wisconsin transfer finished 18 of 26 for 249 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He also averaged 9.6 yards per attempt, which was his second-best mark of the season.
Even so, the story of his day was less about the raw numbers and more about the stretches where North Carolina seemed stuck in neutral. Edwards Jr. has spent most of the year avoiding deep shots, and that pattern held for much of the first half.
The one exception came on a 49-yard connection to Jordan Shipp, though the ball was underthrown.
The bigger issue was the turnovers. Edwards Jr. threw two interceptions for the second straight game, and North Carolina survived them.
That’s a very different discussion if Pittsburgh had its original starting quarterback available. Holden Geriner was under center for the Panthers, while Mason Heintschel is out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL.
Against a healthier setup, those mistakes could have changed everything.
North Carolina’s passing game has also become increasingly concentrated around a small group of targets with Edwards Jr. at quarterback. That showed up again Saturday, when 12 of his 18 completions went to just two players. Still, the Tar Heels got an important lift from an unexpected source, and one who has now scored in back-to-back games.
Shipp’s first three games didn’t produce much, though that wasn’t really on him. He’s looked much more productive over the last two weeks, catching 13 passes for 202 yards across the last two games.
He still hasn’t scored a touchdown this season, but that’s more a reflection of the quarterback play than anything else. Easter’s 75-yard touchdown ended up being the game-winning score for North Carolina, while Thurman didn’t pile up big yardage but did add another touchdown to his season total.
In Other News...
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 🡒]
Belichicks UNC Offense Still Has One Problem Fans Cant Ignore
North Carolina got back in the win column after back-to-back losses, but the offensive performance still left plenty for Bill Belichick to sort through. The Tar Heels have had trouble creating explosive plays, and the ground game has not given the offense the kind of balance it needs. Even with the win, the overall picture was familiar enough to raise fresh questions about how much ceiling this unit has right now.
Belichick pointed to the issues directly, including Billy Edwards Jr.s interceptions and the ineffective rushing attack that keeps putting extra pressure on the passing game. The tight end group has been one of the brighter spots, but even that strength is being held in check without a more reliable run threat. For a team trying to build momentum, the offense still has one glaring problem it has not really solved. [Read more 🡒]