North Carolina left Pittsburgh with something it didn’t have much of at this point a year ago: a road win the team could actually build on. The Tar Heels beat the Panthers 21-17, and for all the noise around Bill Belichick’s program, this one showed a group that kept hanging around, took advantage when it had to, and found a way to finish.
Jordan Shipp was right in the middle of it again. He still doesn’t have a touchdown this season, which is notable on its own, but defenses know he’s the clear top target and he keeps producing anyway.
Shipp finished with six catches for 93 yards, including one especially impressive grab in which he had to make a major adjustment to haul it in. He also helped set the tone emotionally, celebrating with his quarterback after the game and then handing Belichick the game ball in the locker room.
The Tar Heels also got a strong day from a secondary that did its job against Pitt backup quarterback Holden Geriner in his first start. Geriner had more than enough help around him in terms of preparation time, with Pitt getting an extra day off and four weeks of UNC defensive tape to study, but the Tar Heels still made him uncomfortable.
He completed passes for 219 yards, threw no touchdowns, and was intercepted twice. Greg Smith III and Tre Miller came away with the picks, and by the end, Geriner looked completely out of sync.
North Carolina’s tight ends gave the offense some needed balance, too. Jelani Thurman continued to serve as a useful short-range option and added 29 yards, while Shamar Easter turned his lone catch into the biggest play of the day for the Tar Heels. Easter’s 75-yard score was Carolina’s longest play from scrimmage this season, and he powered through to finish it.
The part of the offense that lagged behind again was the running game. For the second straight week, it didn’t do much to move the total forward.
Once Billy Edwards Jr.’s minus-14 in sack yardage is removed, North Carolina managed only 34 rushing yards. Pitt’s run defense entered the game with a reputation for being stout, but the result still left the Tar Heels leaning heavily on the passing game.
That’s a lot to ask when Edwards is, at best, steady.
Edwards caught a stray from the broadcast booth, too. The ESPN crew compared him to a hotel continental breakfast, and later called him “Perfectly Cromulent.” That may not inspire much confidence, but it did fit the day: he was fine, and fine was enough.
Belichick’s critics are going to have a hard time brushing this one aside. If you’re in the group that wants UNC to move on from him, Saturday wasn’t the day for that argument.
The Tar Heels won in a place where his team had to execute, and the way the players reacted said plenty about the room. Shipp gave Belichick the game ball.
The sideline and locker room were all joy. Whatever else is being debated on the outside, the team on the inside is responding.
There were a few other notes worth mentioning. Rece Verhoff, now eligible and finally in a bigger spot, was perfect on PATs.
Xavier Lewis, the Rolesville product, kept showing up on defense with 12 total tackles and a shared sack. He’s becoming hard to ignore.
And then there’s Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi, who at least earned a mention after a wild setup of his own making. Lauren Brownlow pointed out that his over-the-top interview after Pitt barely beat Virginia Tech - a game decided by a missed field goal that was probably the right call but still debatable - seemed to summon the #GoACC Demons.
North Carolina now heads to Durham for another road game, this one against Duke with the Victory Bell on the line. Duke is coming off its first loss of the year, and Belichick should remember what Manny Diaz did to him last season. It will also be, finally, the Tar Heels’ first game not at noon this season.
In Other News...
UNC's Secondary Suddenly Faces A Big Loss After Pitt Win
North Carolinas secondary took a hit in the win over Pittsburgh, when cornerback Tre Miller went down with a significant lower-body injury in the third quarter and never returned. The injury comes at a tough point in the season for a defense that has leaned on its depth in the back end, and Millers absence immediately changes the way the Tar Heels have to think about their corner rotation moving forward.
Kaleb Cost also left the game injured, adding another layer of uncertainty to a position group that can least afford it. With Miller reportedly doubtful to play again this season and Costs timeline still unclear, UNC is now waiting to see how much more help it can expect from a secondary already bracing for a stretch without key pieces. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Win Over Pitt Revealed Which Tar Heels Are Earning Trust
North Carolinas 21-17 win over Pittsburgh did more than snap a monthlong skid. It also offered a clearer look at which Tar Heels are starting to earn Bill Belichicks trust, with the coaching staffs snap distribution revealing who stayed involved when the game tightened and who faded from the rotation. For a team still sorting itself out, those usage decisions can say as much as the final score.
Sadlers workload stood out on offense, and his two catches came with meaningful playing time attached, while Abou Jaoude was back on a full workload after injury on the defensive side. Meanwhile, players such as Humphrey and McGill saw their roles trimmed, a reminder that the staff is still drawing firm lines as it settles on its preferred pieces. The victory gave North Carolina a needed lift, but it also hinted at a bigger evaluation process still underway. [Read more 🡒]
UNCs Biggest ACC Question Did Not Go Away Against Pitt
North Carolinas 21-17 win over No. 25 Pittsburgh gave the Tar Heels something they badly needed, a conference victory that showed real defensive toughness and enough playmaking to survive a tight finish. At 3-2 overall and 1-1 in ACC play, the record looks solid enough, and the defensive effort against a ranked opponent offered a reminder that this team can still win a grinder when the margin for error is thin.
Even so, the result did not quiet the lingering issue that has followed UNC through the early stretch of the season. Sixth-year senior Billy Edwards Jr. remains at the center of the concern, and the offense has not yet found the steady quarterback play the staff wants. If that does not change soon, the Tar Heels may have to at least consider other options behind center, because the kind of inconsistency they keep living with can only be covered up for so long. [Read more 🡒]