North Carolina came out swinging against Notre Dame, then spent the rest of a rainy afternoon trying to hang on to the rope.
The Tar Heels opened with the kind of drive that has become a calling card in the Bill Belichick era, taking a 7-0 lead after forcing the Irish to punt on their first possession. But the game turned fast. Two turnovers later, UNC was down 21-7 and Notre Dame was threatening to turn things into a blowout.
And still, Carolina kept finding answers.
The Heels answered with a fourth-down stop and a 97-yard touchdown drive. They went into halftime down just 21-14.
Then they delivered a jolt to start the second half, taking the kickoff back for a score to cut it to 21-20 and make it feel like anybody’s game. Notre Dame, though, was too much from there, outscoring UNC 16-6 the rest of the way in a 37-26 win at Kenan Stadium.
Billy Edwards Jr. was the biggest example of how uneven the day could be. On Carolina’s three touchdown drives, he was sharp, going 15 of 19 for 196 yards and adding 20 rushing yards. He threw all three touchdown passes on those drives and looked in control when things were going right.
But on the other five drives that didn’t end in points, Edwards was 2 of 9 for 12 yards and threw two interceptions. Both picks directly led to Notre Dame scores. In the first half, the frustration in the stadium was loud enough that UNC fans were yelling for Miles O’Neill, but Belichick and Bobby Petrino stayed with Edwards.
Jelani Thurman gave the offense a real lift at tight end, finishing with five catches for 50 yards and two touchdowns. One score came on a diving grab in the corner of the end zone, and Thurman also showed the kind of strength that makes him hard to bring down.
Jordan Shipp kept doing what he’s been doing all season, quietly stacking productive games. Against Notre Dame, he had seven catches for a career-best 109 yards.
The problems were just as clear on the other side of the ball. Carolina got Melkart Abou-Jaoude back, but the front seven never touched C.J.
Carr in any meaningful way. Notre Dame’s quarterback had a clean day, throwing for 234 yards and four touchdowns.
Special teams also had a rough afternoon. Rece Verhoff returned, and Carolina still missed two extra points, one on a bad snap and one that was blocked.
The ground game never got moving either. Benjamin Hall, Demon June, and Jaylen McGill combined for only 64 rushing yards, leaving too much on Edwards’ shoulders.
And every mistake seemed to cost UNC. Notre Dame scored after Edwards’ first interception on a short field.
The Irish scored again after the second pick. They cashed in on the blown coverage when Carolina had trimmed the lead to one point.
They also scored after the Heels jumped offsides on fourth down.
Carolina’s offense did enough to put up 26 points against a Notre Dame defense that had allowed only 33 coming into the game, and UNC covered the 21-point spread. The Tar Heels are now 2-1 against the spread this season.
The result still leaves a lot of room for frustration, especially with what happened against Clemson two weeks ago. Now UNC heads to undefeated Pitt, where the schedule only gets tougher. Three of Carolina’s next four opponents are unbeaten, so the margin for error is about to get even thinner.
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 🡒]