Saturday’s loss to Notre Dame didn’t look like a breakthrough on the scoreboard, but it may have changed the conversation around UNC’s season.
The Tar Heels still came out on the wrong end of a 37-26 result, and there were obvious issues. Billy Edwards Jr. threw a few ill-advised passes, and Jordan Faison seemed to have free rein against a secondary that couldn’t keep up.
But the final margin tells a different story than the spread suggested. Notre Dame was rolling toward a cover of its 21-point line - and then some - when it reached first-and-goal with a 21-7 lead in the second quarter.
UNC slammed the brakes there, forcing a turnover on downs, then drove 97 yards to pull within 21-14 before halftime.
Even after the Irish stretched the game out in the fourth quarter, Carolina kept fighting and added a late touchdown to close the gap.
That effort matters when you step back and look at the bigger picture. Based on preseason expectations, I had Bill Belichick’s team at 2-10.
Before Saturday, that outlook would have nudged up to 4-8 at best. Now?
The way UNC competed against the No. 3 team in the country makes a bowl game and a finish around .500 feel much more realistic.
The performance wasn’t sharp enough to beat Notre Dame. But it did look like a level of execution that could be enough against the mid- and lower-tier ACC opponents still ahead.
In Other News...
UNC Suddenly Has A Billy Edwards Problem It Cant Ignore
The night at Notre Dame laid bare a few issues North Carolina can no longer treat as one-off problems. Billy Edwards was under constant pressure, the Tar Heels struggled to protect him, and early turnovers helped tilt the game before it ever settled in. With the rushing attack limited and the defense stretched, it was the kind of performance that can leave a coach sorting through more than one concern at once.
Bill Belichick pointed straight at the passing game and the offensive line afterward, and it was hard to argue with the diagnosis. The Tar Heels need cleaner pockets and a steadier start from their quarterback, but they also need the offense to give the defense some help after a night when both sides were exposed. What happened against a top-three opponent may end up looking less like a bad loss than a warning about what still has to be fixed. [Read more 🡒]
North Carolina Just Lost A Recruiting Battle Fans Were Watching
Jordan Page made his choice after taking official visits to both North Carolina and UConn, and the five-star wing has now given the edge to the Huskies. The 6-foot-5 standout from IMG Academy is ranked No. 10 overall in the 2027 class, which made this one of the more closely watched recruiting battles for Tar Heels fans looking to see how the program stacked up against another national power for an elite perimeter talent.
For North Carolina, the miss lands with extra weight because Page brings the kind of length and two-way profile that fits the modern game and would have been an appealing addition on the wing. The scouting read on him points to a player whose competitiveness meshes well with UConn's style, even as his offensive game still has room to grow, and that combination helped shape a recruitment the Tar Heels were in until the end. [Read more 🡒]
Bill Belichick Is Running Out Of Time At North Carolina
North Carolinas season hit another tough checkpoint with a close loss to Notre Dame, leaving the Tar Heels at 2-2 and still searching for the kind of momentum that can settle a turbulent start. The on-field inconsistency has only added to the pressure around Bill Belichick, whose first stretch in Chapel Hill has been anything but smooth as the program has tried to stabilize around him.
Belichicks overall mark at North Carolina sits at 6-10, and the scrutiny has only sharpened after recent staff departures tied to an investigation. With Pittsburgh up next, the Tar Heels are heading into a game that feels bigger than a midseason matchup, because how they respond now could go a long way toward shaping where this partnership goes from here. [Read more 🡒]