The bye week has arrived at a useful moment for North Carolina, and not just because the Tar Heels get a breather. This is the second bye in three weeks, and it comes with a brutal run waiting on the other side: a home date with No.
3 Notre Dame, road trips to Pittsburgh and Duke, then home games against Syracuse and No. 6 Miami.
That stretch will tell the story of where this team really stands.
Through three games, second-year head coach Bill Belichick has already steered UNC to a 2-1 start while dealing with plenty of noise away from the field. The Tar Heels have clearly made progress, but they are still a long way from looking like a true conference contender. The task now is simpler to say than to do: stay in games against a loaded slate and keep building.
The defense gives UNC a real chance to do that. It was a major reason the Tar Heels stayed tough against Clemson, and the front has been the standout unit so far.
Defensive tackle Xavier Lewis has turned into one of the best stories in the country, sitting first nationally in tackles for loss with 8.5 and sacks with 6. Melkart Abou Jaoude, who led the team in pass rushing last season, has missed two of the three games, yet Penn State transfer Jaylen Harvey has already shown plenty coming off the edge.
There’s more than just pressure up front. Derek McDonald has steadied the linebacker group, and Greg Smith has emerged as the kind of defensive back who changes games by creating turnovers, with multiple takeaways to start the year.
Offense is where the questions pile up. Billy Edwards Jr. showed encouraging signs in the first two weeks, but the quarterback picture is less settled now. The offensive line also had a rough night against Clemson’s pass rush, and that combination is hard to ignore with Notre Dame, Duke, and Miami still ahead.
Even so, Bobby Petrino has gotten something going on the ground with Benjamin Hall leading the way, and there have been flashes from tight end Jelani Thurman and wide receiver Jordan Shipp.
The problem is obvious: Petrino and Belichick need answers for the quarterback spot and the front in a hurry. If those issues linger, it will be difficult for UNC to hang deep into games against the best teams left on the schedule. That’s why a change up front, and maybe even at quarterback with Miles O’Neill, would not be a surprise.
For North Carolina to stay competitive, the formula is clear. Run the ball.
Defend like hell. Get enough from the quarterback position to avoid falling behind the chains.
If that happens, the Tar Heels can make the next five weeks interesting. The target should still be six wins, and there’s a path to get there before rivalry week against NC State.
If the offense cleans itself up, an upset against one of the ACC’s top teams is not out of the question. In a rebuilding year, that kind of steady competitiveness can carry a team farther than expected.
In Other News...
Tar Heels Open ACC Play With A Road Win Fans Will Notice
Safi Hampton gave Carolina the balanced effort it needed to start ACC play on the right foot, finishing with 16 kills and 13 digs as the No. 24 Tar Heels beat NC State 3-1 in Raleigh. It was Hamptons first double-double of the season, and it came in a match where Carolina also found plenty of support at the net.
The Tar Heels set a season high with 15 blocks, a sign that their front line was dictating stretches of the night and making NC State work for nearly every point. Jackie Taylor and Bridget Malone were among the players who helped turn that into a road win Carolina will want to build on as the league schedule starts to tighten. [Read more 🡒]
UNCs Bye Week Just Made Its Quarterback Decision Feel Urgent
North Carolinas early bye week arrived with a little more intrigue than anyone in Chapel Hill probably wanted. The Tar Heels are 2-1 after opening the season with two wins, but the loss to Clemson has sharpened the conversation around Billy Edwards Jr., whose play has been inconsistent enough to fuel speculation about whether the staff will stick with him or look elsewhere under center.
Miles O'Neill, the Texas A&M transfer, is now part of a decision that feels more immediate than it did a week ago. The staff has to weigh whether continuity gives UNC the best chance to steady itself or whether a change at quarterback could provide the spark it needs heading into the next stretch of games, and the uncertainty alone has made the bye week feel anything but quiet. [Read more 🡒]
Michael Malone May Have Revealed Isaiah Denis UNC Role
Michael Malone has already offered a small glimpse into how Isaiah Denis might fit with North Carolina this season, and it starts with a nickname. The Tar Heels coach has been calling the sophomore guard Bones, a nod to former Denver Nuggets guard Bones Hyland, while also using Denis at point guard in practice. For a player whose freshman year was slowed by injury, that is a meaningful sign of trust and a reminder that the staff sees more than just another guard in the rotation.
The point-guard work matters because it hints at a larger backcourt role, one that could let Denis operate as a versatile perimeter threat rather than a one-position option. If the comparison to Hyland is any indication, North Carolina may be preparing to lean on Denis for shot-making, pace and creativity as he gets healthier and settles in. The exact shape of that role is still unfolding, but the early usage suggests the Tar Heels have a clear plan in mind. [Read more 🡒]