North Carolina got exactly what it needed on Saturday: a break in the skid and a 21-17 win over Pittsburgh.
The Tar Heels had dropped two straight before finally getting back in the win column, and while the performance wasn’t polished, it was enough for Bill Belichick’s group to knock off the No. 25 team in the country. Pittsburgh was also dealing with a major blow at quarterback, with Mason Heintschel out for the season after tearing his ACL in Week 5 against Virginia Tech.
For North Carolina, the night came with a few clear bright spots.
One of the biggest was the continued rise of Shipp as a go-to receiver. Early in the season, tight end Jelani Thurman looked like Billy Edwards Jr.’s most reliable option, but Shipp took over that role on Saturday. He finished with six catches for 93 yards and led the offense in receptions and production.
The Tar Heels also got a huge defensive moment from Smith, who has already made a habit of turning games with takeaways. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound defensive back picked off his third pass of the season on a key fourth-down play. Then, just two plays later, Holden Geriner forced a throw into double coverage, and the junior defensive back came away with his first interception of the year.
Easter delivered the swing play in the fourth quarter. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound tight end, who scored his first touchdown of the season last week against Notre Dame, broke loose for a 75-yard catch-and-run touchdown that put North Carolina ahead early in the fourth. It came right after Pittsburgh had scored, and it flipped the momentum immediately.
Not everything clicked, though, and the rushing game remains a problem. For the second week in a row, North Carolina’s ground attack was basically taken out of the equation.
Against Notre Dame, Bobby Petrino had to lean heavily on the pass because the Tar Heels were already chasing a 14-point deficit early in the first half. Against Pittsburgh, the issue was different: North Carolina simply didn’t have the ball enough to settle into any kind of rhythm, especially before halftime.
Benjamin Hall, Demon June, and Jaylen McGill combined for just 36 yards on 19 carries.
The defense also had another rough afternoon against the run. Pittsburgh finished with 150 yards on 41 carries, continuing a trend that has shown up too often for North Carolina this season. If the Tar Heels want to keep winning consistently, that’s a weakness they’ll have to keep surviving.
In Other News...
Kaleb Cost Injury Overshadowed UNC Win For One Scary Reason
UNCs 21-17 win at Pittsburgh came with an unsettling scene late in the game when defensive back Kaleb Cost went down after colliding with a concrete wall behind the end zone. The impact sent his helmet flying into the crowd, turning a routine football play into a scary moment for everyone nearby and briefly overshadowing what should have been a hard-earned road victory for the Tar Heels.
Cost had to leave with trainers and was ruled out after the injury, but the concern did not stop with the player on the field. Medical personnel also assisted a fan who appeared to be struck by the helmet, adding another layer of worry to an already alarming sequence that left UNC with a win, and a lot of unease, to sort through afterward. [Read more 🡒]
Isaiah Denis Just Gave UNC Fans A Reason To Reconsider Him
Isaiah Denis spent much of last season on the margins because of injury, but his showing in UNCs exhibition win offered a reminder of why the staff has kept investing in him. In 20 minutes under new coach Michael Malone, Denis scored 14 points, grabbed four rebounds and knocked down two 3-pointers, giving the Tar Heels a burst of production from a player whose role has been far from settled.
Denis said the game carried extra weight for him, and his performance seemed to reflect a player trying to answer questions about where he fits in the programs future. Malones trust and coaching style were part of the equation, and he also praised Denis for his development and for sticking with the team through coaching changes, a small but meaningful sign of buy-in as UNC settles into a new era. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Needs More From Edwards Jr. Before This Season Slips Away
The Tar Heels head into their Week 6 matchup with Pittsburgh carrying a two-game losing streak, and the margin for error is shrinking fast as they try to avoid dipping below .500. With Bill Belichick already facing scrutiny after a 4-8 season in 2025, the pressure around this program has only grown louder, and the offensive issues have become impossible to ignore.
A lot of that attention has landed on Edwards Jr., whose play has become a central question as North Carolina tries to stabilize its season. Pittsburgh may be dealing with its own uncertainty if injured starting quarterback Mason Heintschel cannot go, but the bigger issue for UNC is whether Edwards Jr. can give the offense enough to keep this from becoming a season that slips further out of reach. [Read more 🡒]