North Carolina’s offense looked far more comfortable in Saturday’s 35-3 win over East Tennessee State at Kenan Stadium, and the biggest difference showed up when the Tar Heels got close to the goal line.
The Tar Heels were sharper across the board, but especially in the red zone. That came down to a cleaner offensive structure and a better rhythm on the field.
Billy Edwards Jr. ran Bobby Petrino’s offense efficiently, and North Carolina’s third-down work helped keep the whole operation on schedule. The Tar Heels finished 5-of-9 on third downs, a key reason the playbook stayed open and the drives kept moving.
That efficiency mattered because North Carolina avoided the kind of long-yardage situations that can kill scoring chances. The offense stayed ahead of the chains, kept penalties out of the way, managed the game well, and got enough out of the run game to prevent the drive from stalling.
Once the Tar Heels were in striking distance, they finished. Demon June handled the heavy lifting near the goal line, scoring three touchdowns from inside the 10-yard line.
North Carolina’s other two touchdowns came from 24 and 26 yards out, another sign that Petrino’s play-calling kept East Tennessee State from locking onto any one area of the field. The route combinations created enough stress to make coverage difficult.
That was a noticeable step forward after the TCU game, when North Carolina moved the ball early but faded badly after the first quarter. The Tar Heels scored on the opening drive and got off to a strong start in their first two possessions, but after that the offense went quiet. This time, the staff clearly adjusted.
One of the clearest changes was how the backfield was used. Benjamin Hall, Demon June, and Jaylen McGill all mixed into the game plan, and that rotation kept East Tennessee State guessing because the Tar Heels varied the personnel and the touches.
North Carolina also showed a willingness to push the ball downfield. Petrino called several deep shots for Edwards Jr., and while the former Wisconsin quarterback missed on a few of them, those attempts still mattered.
They helped open up the middle of the field and created quicker opportunities underneath. That kind of fast-strike offense can be a big part of red-zone success.
The next step comes this upcoming weekend, when North Carolina opens conference play on the road against Clemson and Dabo Swinney.
In Other News...
UNC's New Coach Just Reignited Something Tar Heels Fans Value Most
Nearly 200 former North Carolina mens basketball players came back for an alumni reunion weekend that mixed social events with a dinner at the Dean Smith Center, a reminder of how much the programs history still matters in Chapel Hill. The gathering was organized by coach Malone, who has no prior UNC ties beyond his daughter playing volleyball there, but quickly made it clear he intends to lean into one of the biggest selling points of the job: the sense of a Carolina family that stretches across generations.
Malone plans to turn the reunion into an annual event and keep finding ways to bring former players closer to the program moving forward. For a fan base that prizes continuity, tradition and connection as much as wins, the weekend offered an early signal that the new coach understands what makes the Tar Heels unique. The next question is how far that renewed alumni involvement can reach once the season starts and the demands of the job settle in. [Read more 🡒]
UNC May Have Found One Edge That Could Carry Them Through The ACC
North Carolinas opening win over TCU offered more than a clean start, it hinted at a roster that might be built to hold up over the long haul. Bill Belichick came away encouraged by what he saw in training camp, pointing to the way competition has pushed multiple players into position to contribute as the Tar Heels try to make their way through a demanding ACC schedule.
Belichicks bigger point was about survival as much as performance. Depth can look like a luxury in September, but it tends to become a necessity once injuries start piling up and the available pool shrinks fast, and UNC seems to believe it has at least given itself a better chance to keep functioning when the season gets rough. [Read more 🡒]
Bill Belichicks Defensive Role At UNC Just Got A Lot Clearer
Preparing for Clemson is always a test of poise as much as scheme, and North Carolinas outside linebackers room is feeling that buildup under Ty Nichols. Speaking before the trip, Nichols talked about getting his players ready for the environment they are about to walk into, praised colleague Jamie Collins for the work he is doing with the defense and pointed to transfer defensive lineman Isaiah Johnson as one of the newcomers helping deepen the unit.
Nichols also offered a clearer window into how Bill Belichick has fit into the defensive side during Steve Belichicks medical leave. The head coach has been actively involved in the coaching process, adding another layer to a staff that is already adjusting in real time while trying to keep the focus on a difficult conference road game. How that extra voice shows up on game day will be something worth watching once the Tar Heels get to Clemson. [Read more 🡒]