After two straight weeks of late-game joy, North Carolina got the other side of that script Saturday night.
Syracuse left Kenan Stadium with a 31-30 overtime win after the Orange cashed in on 4th-and-goal and then barely crossed the line on the game-winning 2-point conversion. UNC had led by 10 in both the first and second halves and even grabbed a seven-point edge in overtime, but the final play turned the night upside down.
Bill Belichick summed up the feeling in plain terms.
"They made a couple more plays than we did today, and that was the difference in the game," UNC head coach Bill Belichick said. "It was a hard-fought game, just like all the other ones we've seen Syracuse play, and we just came up a little bit short."
Derek McDonald watched the deciding moment unfold with the rest of the defense while officials checked the play.
"Praying to God he didn't get into the end zone," McDonald said when asked about what he was thinking in that moment. "It's a tough one."
The Tar Heels had this one within reach for most of the night. Their defense kept Syracuse to 10 points and 83 passing yards through three quarters, but the Orange flipped the momentum in the fourth quarter, helped by a 76-yard touchdown pass.
McDonald, who finished with a game-high 16 tackles, said the breakdowns were basic and costly.
"It all comes back to fundamentals. We preached that all week," said McDonald, who finished with a game-high 16 tackles.
"We could've tackled better. We had a lot of leaky yardage we let them get.
Could've covered better and had better eyes."
UNC also had chances to separate on offense and couldn’t turn enough of them into touchdowns. The Tar Heels opened with an 83-yard drive in seven plays, capped by a 5-yard touchdown pass from Billy Edwards Jr. to Jordan Shipp.
From there, though, the red zone became a problem. Rece Verhoff connected on all three of his field goal attempts, but North Carolina kept settling for three instead of six, and that loomed large. Midway through the fourth quarter, with UNC ahead 20-17, the Tar Heels reached 2nd-and-goal at the Syracuse 4 but came away with another field goal rather than a two-score cushion.
Shipp, who caught eight passes for 102 yards and posted his second 100-yard game of the season, pointed straight to that issue.
"Offensively, we played a good game, but it's not good enough if we're just constantly getting three," said Shipp, who had eight catches for 102 yards, his second 100-yard game of the season. "We've got to push it in the end zone.
Got to get some touchdowns. I know that's going to be a big emphasis."
The missed chances brought back some familiar frustration. The last time UNC watched a late lead slip away in the fourth quarter was the Sept. 19 loss to Clemson, and the Tar Heels answered that one with a strong showing against No. 3 Notre Dame before wins at Pittsburgh and Duke.
McDonald said this latest defeat can still matter if it leads to improvement.
"You can look at is as a really good learning opportunity, right?" he said.
"Obviously there's things we need to improve on. They exposed some things we need to get better at."
Shipp said he sees it the same way as UNC turns its attention to No. 1 Miami.
In Other News...
UNC Has A Fascinating Frontcourt Question With Alex Samodurov
Alex Samodurov has arrived in Chapel Hill with a rsum that already looks different from most first-year frontcourt pieces. The 6-foot-11 forward from Greece comes to North Carolina after playing professionally for Panathinaikos, and his background includes international seasoning as well as a bronze medal at the 2025 senior EuroBasket. In the exhibition against USC, he gave a glimpse of what he might add, with rebounds and a three-pointer hinting at a skill set that could fit in more than one way.
Now the real question for UNC is how quickly that experience translates to the college game and where Samodurov fits in the frontcourt mix. The staff is still sorting out his role, which makes him one of the more intriguing variables on the roster as the Tar Heels look for reliable minutes inside and around the basket. His ceiling is easy to see, but the timeline for getting there is still part of the story. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Let A Needed Win Slip Away In Brutal Fashion
UNC had a chance to put a much-needed win in the books and spent most of the afternoon in position to do it, only to watch the game tilt late and turn into an overtime gut punch. The Tar Heels led for much of the contest, got a touchdown from Jordan Shipp, and seemed to have enough to finish the job before Syracuse surged with 13 points in the fourth quarter and forced the extra session after a missed extra point.
What made it sting even more was how many openings were there to close it out. Syracuse answered with a long catch-and-run from Umari Hatcher, UNC could not fully cash in on chances to regain control, and a game that had leaned the Tar Heels' way slipped into a 31-30 loss. For a team trying to steady itself, it was the kind of defeat that lingers because the win was there to be taken. [Read more 🡒]
Terrence Brown Is Giving UNC Fans An Early Reason To Worry
Terrence Browns first two exhibition games in Chapel Hill have given North Carolina a glimpse of what life looks like with the Utah transfer in Michael Malones new system, and it has not been especially smooth. Brown arrived with a track record that suggested he could help immediately, but his scoring and shooting efficiency have both dipped from last seasons levels, leaving the Tar Heels still waiting for the version of him that made him such an appealing addition in the first place.
The concern is less about one rough night than the pattern those exhibitions hinted at, especially around his perimeter shooting and overall effectiveness. It is still early, and players often need time to settle in when they are learning new teammates and a new scheme, but Browns start has been enough to make UNC fans keep an eye on his next few outings a little more closely. [Read more 🡒]