Week 6 has the feel of a turning point for North Carolina, and not in the flattering sense. The Tar Heels head into Saturday’s game against Pittsburgh on a two-game losing streak, and dropping below .500 after opening 2-0 would be a brutal place for this season to go.
That pressure lands squarely on a North Carolina offense that has been sputtering through the last two weeks. If the Tar Heels are going to steady things against the No.
25 Panthers, they need better production from the players who have carried the load most often. Here’s how the offensive leaders could shake out.
Quarterback Gio Lopez Edwards Jr. has the biggest opportunity to change the mood. The Wisconsin transfer has not been sharp enough so far, and his struggles have played a major role in the losses to Clemson and Notre Dame. In those two games, Edwards Jr. completed 51.7 percent of his passes for 344 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions.
The matchup does give him a path to a better day. Pittsburgh has shown vulnerability against the deep ball, which is an area where Edwards Jr. has not consistently delivered. Still, with Panthers starting quarterback Mason Heintschel out because of a season-ending knee injury, the Tar Heels should have a more manageable game script than they faced last week.
That would help the ground game, and specifically Davion Gause Hall. His workload was squeezed against Notre Dame because North Carolina fell behind by two possessions early in the first half, forcing the Tar Heels to lean heavily on the pass. Hall finished with 10 carries for 36 yards in that game.
This week should look different if North Carolina can keep things tight. Pittsburgh is undefeated at 5-0, but without Heintschel, the Panthers are far more vulnerable than their ranking suggests. That should keep the Tar Heels within range and make the run game a bigger part of the plan.
Wide receiver Kobe Shipp is another name to watch. He has not scored yet this season, though that has more to do with missed chances than anything he has done wrong. Edwards Jr. has left Shipp open for touchdowns multiple times and not found him.
The upside is obvious. Pittsburgh’s pass defense can be attacked, especially downfield, and Shipp already showed what he can do last week by going over 100 receiving yards against Notre Dame. If Edwards Jr. starts connecting on those deeper throws, Shipp has a real chance to put up another big number.
In Other News...
UNCs First Malone Rotation Hint Should Grab Tar Heels Fans Attention
Michael Malone wasted little time using North Carolinas exhibition against USC to see what kind of combinations might actually fit once the games start counting. The Tar Heels cycled through 24 different five-man lineups, a clear sign that the new coach is still probing the edges of his roster and trying to figure out which groups can provide the best balance. The starting five of Terrence Brown, Matt Able, Neo Avdalas, Jarin Stevenson and Sayon Keita saw the most action, with a version that included freshman Maximo Adams close behind.
Even in a night filled with experimentation, Jarin Stevenson stood out as the one constant, logging the most minutes and showing up in the majority of the lineups Malone tried. Isaiah Denis also earned significant run, another clue that the rotation picture is still very much taking shape. For a team in search of early identity under a new coach, the exhibition offered a useful first look, but it also left the most important question hanging: which of these combinations will still matter when the season truly begins? [Read more 🡒]
Tar Heels Showed Off New Depth In Michael Malones First UNC Test
Michael Malones first test on the North Carolina sideline came with a reminder that preseason games can still tell a useful story. In an 88-70 exhibition win over Southern Cal, the Tar Heels got contributions from a deeper group than many expected, with Jarin Stevenson, Isaiah Denis, Maximo Adams and Neo Avdalas all giving Carolina a reason to feel better about its rotation before the games start to count.
The night also had a few of those early-season flashes that tend to stick with a coach, none better than Sayon Keita jumping a passing lane for a steal and finishing with a dunk. Both teams were missing key players because of injury or eligibility, so the real value for Carolina was less about the final score than the way new faces handled a bigger stage, and how much more depth Malone may have to work with than first assumed. [Read more 🡒]
Isaiah Denis Just Gave UNC Fans A Reason To Reconsider Him
Isaiah Denis used an exhibition game to make his case for a bigger role in a Carolina rotation that still has plenty of questions under new coach Michael Malone. In 20 minutes, Denis delivered 14 points, four rebounds and a pair of 3-pointers, a sharp showing from a player whose minutes were limited last season because of injury and who now looks much more like part of the conversation than an afterthought.
Denis said the game felt personal, and his response fit the moment. He pointed to Malones trust and coaching style as part of the reason for the jump, while Malone praised Denis development and his choice to stay with the program through the coaching changes. For Tar Heel fans trying to figure out which returning pieces can matter in this new era, Denis just gave them one name worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]