North Carolina’s first two ACC games have delivered the kind of warning signs that get louder by the week. After Saturday’s 37-26 loss to Notre Dame, the Tar Heels have dropped to .500, and the offense still looks stuck between flashes of life and stretches that go nowhere fast.
There have been bright spots, though, and they’re easy to spot when the Tar Heels get rolling early. Offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino’s opening script has done its job, with North Carolina scoring on the opening drive in three games, Notre Dame included. That first series has been one of the few reliable things in the offense’s toolbox.
Against the Fighting Irish, that opening drive had some pop to it. Jordan Shipp caught two passes for 57 yards as North Carolina pieced together a seven-play, 74-yard march. Those kinds of explosive gains have been missing too often, which is part of why that drive stood out.
Billy Edwards Jr. also authored the most complete series of his run as the Tar Heels’ starting quarterback. He guided a 15-play, 97-yard drive and finished it himself with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Jelani Thurman. For North Carolina, that was the template - patient, efficient, and finally finished with points.
But the good moments didn’t last. After the opening-drive touchdown, Edwards Jr. threw interceptions on back-to-back possessions, and the Tar Heels quickly found themselves down 14. That swing told the story of the night as much as anything else.
North Carolina’s offense also ran into trouble because it couldn’t generate chunk plays on the ground, and Edwards Jr. was inconsistent when the easy throws were there. That has become a familiar problem for the Wisconsin transfer. The Tar Heels have enough talent in the backfield and among the pass catchers, but those pieces only matter if the quarterback can keep the operation steady.
At this stage, the issues look less like a one-game hiccup and more like a pattern. Four weeks in, the offense still looks the same, and the only real question now is how well Edwards Jr. can run it. Right now, there’s not much evidence that the problems are going away soon.
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 🡒]