UNC’s 11-point loss to No. 3 Notre Dame didn’t come with any moral victory attached, but it did leave enough behind to make the night worth sorting through.
The Irish were better in just about every phase, and yet the Tar Heels managed to stay in the fight from start to finish in a way that felt a lot different from last season. That alone doesn’t erase the pressure on Bill Belichick, but it does leave room to wonder whether this team might still be capable of reaching a bowl game.
Maybe.
The biggest reason Carolina could hang around was Billy Edwards Jr., who looked far more settled than he did two weeks ago against Clemson. He still had his rough spots, but his day was a clear step forward: 17-of-28 passing for 208 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.
One pick came because he wouldn’t just eat the sack, and the other was the result of a bad read. Even so, he found ways to move the ball, especially by connecting with Jordan Shipp and Jelani Thurman throughout the afternoon.
Against Notre Dame, that was never going to be easy, and the fact that he did it without any real help from the ground game makes the performance stand out even more.
That run game, or lack of one, was part of the larger problem. Notre Dame controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides and never really let UNC dictate anything.
The Irish piled up 241 rushing yards, while Carolina could only manage 77 on 23 carries. On defense, the Tar Heels also couldn’t get enough pressure on C.J.
Carr, which mattered even more given that Xavier Lewis had been averaging two sacks a game and Melkart Abou Jaoude was back in the lineup. Notre Dame’s work in the trenches ended up being the separator, plain and simple.
And then there was the weather, which has become its own strange subplot for UNC this season. Every game the Heels have played in the United States has come with rain, and that streak continued against Notre Dame.
The ETSU and Clemson games both dealt with rain and lightning delays, and it rained throughout yesterday’s matchup. It’s hard not to notice how constant it’s been.
The next stop is Pitt, where the forecast currently calls for sun, though that could still change. If it does, UNC may have to start asking a few more questions about why the skies keep opening up on them.
In Other News...
UNC Has A Bigger Problem Than Just Losing To Notre Dame
Jordan Shipp gave North Carolina a reason to keep watching, and Billy Edwards Jr. found ways to keep the offense moving, but the larger picture from the Notre Dame game was hard to ignore. The Tar Heels showed a few flashes from key players, and Jordan Faisons work stood out on the other side, yet the game kept circling back to the same concerns that have shadowed UNC for stretches this season.
The rushing attack never found much traction, which put even more weight on the passing game, and the defense had its own trouble handling the Irish. For a team trying to sort out what it really is, the loss looked less like one bad afternoon than another reminder that the issues run deeper than the final score. [Read more 🡒]
Clemson Just Made Miamis Poll Rise Even Harder To Ignore
Miamis rise in the polls got another push after a convincing win over Clemson, while Notre Dame also climbed following its 37-26 victory over North Carolina. For a Tar Heels team trying to keep pace in a difficult stretch, the loss to the Fighting Irish fit into a larger picture of how much every result is being magnified in the rankings race.
The updated AP Top 25 and AFCA Coaches Polls reflect that ripple effect, with both Miami and Notre Dame picking up points as the seasons weekly pressure keeps building. Their upcoming games and strength of schedule figures only add another layer to the conversation, because for North Carolina and the rest of the ACC, every matchup now carries the kind of weight that can reshape what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Billy Edwards Jr. Is Putting UNC In A Tough Spot
Billy Edwards Jr. gave North Carolina enough to keep things moving against Notre Dame, but not enough to steady the offense. He finished 17 of 28 for 208 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions, a line that captured both the promise and the frustration around his play as the Tar Heels fell 37-26.
The turnovers were costly, and they also underscored a bigger issue for UNC: the passing game has not found the consistency it needs with Edwards at the controls. With the next week looming, he is already under pressure to clean things up and protect his role as the starter. [Read more 🡒]