Nearly 25 years have passed since UNC last walked out of Death Valley with a win, but Bill Belichick’s Tar Heels get another shot at ending that run on Saturday when they meet Clemson in the ACC opener at Memorial Stadium.
UNC enters at 2-0, Clemson at 1-1, and the Tar Heels are trying to snap a seven-game losing streak in the series. The numbers behind that slide are ugly: UNC has been beaten by an average of 16.7 points during the streak, including a 28-point loss in Chapel Hill last season. The Heels haven’t won at Clemson since October 2001, and their last five trips to Death Valley have gone the Tigers’ way by an average of 20 points.
This matchup also marks the second meeting between Belichick and Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, with kickoff set for Saturday, Sept. 19 at Noon ET on ESPN.
One of the biggest reasons UNC has a real chance is Jelani Thurman. Through two games, only Memphis tight end Hunter Tipton has more receiving yards than Thurman, who has quickly emerged as one of the ACC’s top newcomers.
The Ohio State transfer has given the Tar Heels a real weapon at tight end after that position was limited last season. At 6-foot-6 and 245 pounds, Thurman has caught eight passes for 165 yards and a touchdown, averaging 20.6 yards per catch.
Clemson has done a decent job against primary tight ends so far, allowing nine catches for 81 yards across two games, including four catches for 58 yards to LSU’s Trey’Dez Green. Even so, this is the kind of stage where Thurman can make his case as one of the country’s best at the position.
UNC’s defense will have its hands full with Clemson’s receivers, especially TJ Moore and Bryant Wesco Jr. Belichick brought them up repeatedly in his weekly press conference for a reason.
Moore and Wesco Jr. both have the kind of upside that points toward being at least second-round picks in the 2027 NFL Draft, and UNC will need to keep them in check to have any shot at pulling the upset. Moore burned the Tar Heels last season with five catches for 108 yards and a touchdown, scoring on Clemson’s first offensive play.
Wesco was quieter in that game with two catches for 42 yards, but the talent is obvious. Through two games, UNC has posted a 77.5 coverage grade and a 77.3 pass rush grade, according to Pro Football Focus, with the coverage number tied for 41st nationally and the pass rush mark 21st.
The Tar Heels will need both of those strengths, plus better tackling, to slow Clemson’s top targets.
Up front, Xavier Lewis has been one of UNC’s biggest bright spots. With Melkart Abou Jaoude listed as questionable on the initial ACC availability report, Lewis’ production becomes even more important.
He’s second nationally with 4 ½ tackles for loss through two games, and Clemson’s offensive line has been vulnerable, already allowing 11 tackles for loss. That total is tied with Auburn for second-worst in the country, and it’s the sort of weakness UNC can exploit if it wants to end the drought in Death Valley.
Prediction: UNC 22, Clemson 19. Dabo Swinney’s latest team has been shaky, Clemson is starting a true freshman quarterback, and UNC has looked much more defined on the field.
The streak has to break sometime, and Saturday feels like the moment. With a veteran quarterback and a strong defensive effort, the Tar Heels leave Clemson with a win to open ACC play.
In Other News...
Bill Belichicks UNC Staff Suddenly Faces A Serious Off-Field Shakeup
North Carolinas football program is dealing with an abrupt off-field jolt as Steve Belichick has resigned after taking medical leave and becoming part of an internal investigation into the program. Belichick, who served as the Tar Heels defensive coordinator and is the son of head coach Bill Belichick, was in place as part of a staff that has now been forced to confront issues well beyond the field.
The school said the investigation turned up isolated actions that did not reflect the universitys values, but it stopped short of finding broader problems inside the program. The timing only adds to the unease in Chapel Hill, where wide receiver Keeyun Chapman was also suspended indefinitely after an arrest tied to carrying a concealed handgun, leaving the Tar Heels to manage a sudden wave of disruption around the program. [Read more 🡒]
Tar Heels Suddenly Face Tough Questions Around Promising Freshman WR
Keeyun Chapman arrived at North Carolina with the kind of upside that can make a true freshman wide receiver easy to notice in a crowded room, but his first few weeks in Chapel Hill have now been overshadowed by an arrest during a traffic stop. He was charged with carrying a concealed weapon, and the situation quickly shifted from offseason curiosity to a much more serious issue for a player the Tar Heels had hoped to develop within the program.
UNC responded by suspending Chapman indefinitely, a move the school confirmed in a statement that stressed accountability and the well-being of student-athletes. For a team always balancing future promise with present expectations, the development leaves a promising young receiver in limbo and adds another off-field question the Tar Heels will have to manage before anyone can think about football again. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Faces Its First Real ACC Test Under Bill Belichick
North Carolina is about to find out a lot more about itself in ACC play, and Clemson is the kind of opponent that has a way of exposing every soft spot. For Bill Belichicks Tar Heels, the spotlight falls on a few critical battlegrounds, starting up front where UNCs offensive line has to deal with Clemsons pass rush and keep the offense on schedule.
The other major test comes on the back end, where North Carolinas secondary will be challenged by Clemsons receivers and the timing of the Tigers passing game. There is still some uncertainty on Clemsons side, including the status of edge rusher Melkart Abou Jaoude, but the larger question for UNC is simple enough: can it hold up in the kind of game that quickly turns good intentions into hard answers? [Read more 🡒]