Christo Kelly sees it as a reflection of the whole program.
“It’s a testament to the culture of this team.”
That was the feeling around UNC after the Tar Heels went into Saturday’s 21-17 win at No. 25 Pitt without several key pieces and still found enough answers to pull it off.
The test started before kickoff, with starting left tackle Jordan Hall, defensive tackle Isaiah Johnson and edge rusher Jaylen Harvey already out. Then the secondary took hits of its own when starting nickelback Kaleb Cost and starting cornerback Tre Miller left with injuries.
Bill Belichick’s message to his team afterward was simple: the next wave had to be ready.
“Couple guys came off the bench who hadn't practiced much, hadn't worked much and came in there and gave us some big snaps,” Belichick told his team after the win, UNC's first against a ranked opponent since 2023.
That next-man-up mindset has become a necessity for the Tar Heels. Belichick’s old reminder about being a play away from the spotlight still fits the moment.
“Everybody’s one play away from being out there,” Belichick said.
UNC has had to live that reality on both sides of the ball. On offense, true freshman Cristian Alvarez has stepped into consecutive starts at guard since Hall went down, while Andrew Threatt shifted over to left tackle. Tar Heels center and second-year graduate student Christo Kelly said Alvarez earned trust the old-fashioned way.
“When you see guys who practice well - who are playing hard; who are doing the right things - get their opportunities, it’s always a cool thing,” Kelly said.
Kelly also put it plainly when talking about what happens once those opportunities arrive.
When you're the next man up, Kelly said, "you're either revealed or exposed."
For UNC, Saturday showed both the strain of the injuries and the response to them. Kelly said, “You saw a lot of guys get revealed in terms of playing well and doing the right things, even though they may not get the same amount of practice reps,” said Kelly, one of the Tar Heels' seven captains.
The defense had to dig in the same way. Redshirt freshmen defensive linemen Nicco Maggio and Emmanuel Nwaiwu saw their roles grow, while true freshman linebacker Calvin Thomas kept earning meaningful snaps.
“Like I always tell everyone, 'Stay ready so you don't have to get ready,'” said redshirt sophomore safety Greg Smith III. “Because you don't know when your name is going to get called.”
That warning has felt especially real in the secondary. Cost’s injury was the frustrating kind, with the senior tripping over a photographer beyond the end zone and crashing into the wall.
Miller’s setback came at the worst possible time, while he was in the middle of his best Tar Heel game and returning his first career interception. Miller, the ACC's defensive back of the week, exited while trying to turn that pick into even more.
In their place, UNC got steady work from redshirt senior Ade Willie, junior Jalon Thompson and true freshman Kenton Dopson III, who helped keep Pitt’s passing game from sustaining its early momentum.
Willie brought experience from his time at Michigan State, where he made seven starts across 30 games before arriving at UNC. Thompson, who had mostly been a special teams contributor, made the most of his chances and nearly flipped the game with a 70-yard fumble return for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter before the play was overruled.
Dopson, a four-star prospect from Miami, finished with four tackles in the win and has now played double-digit defensive snaps in UNC’s last four games, including 44 over the last two.
“He's been putting in the work off the field and has earned coach's trust to get in,” Smith said of Dopson. “So when it’s time to get in, he gets in and makes plays.”
For Kelly, that kind of response says as much about the coaches as it does about the players. The Tar Heels had bodies missing, but they also had enough depth, preparation and buy-in to survive it.
In Other News...
Billy Edwards Jr. Still Left UNC With One Big Offensive Concern
North Carolina got back in the win column with a 21-17 victory over Pittsburgh, snapping a two-game skid and giving the Tar Heels a much-needed reset. Billy Edwards Jr. was central to it, completing 18 of 26 passes for 249 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, a line that reflected both the upside and the unevenness that has followed him at times this season.
Edwards connected with Jordan Shipp and Easter to help keep the offense moving, but the larger concern lingered in how often UNC seemed willing to play it safe. His reluctance to consistently challenge defenses vertically left the Tar Heels with some unanswered questions even in a win, and the two interceptions only added to the sense that the passing game still has another level to find. [Read more 🡒]
No. 1 UNC Puts Its ACC Run To The Test At Clemson
North Carolinas womens soccer team heads to Clemson for an ACC road match that carries a little extra weight simply because of the setting. It has been eight seasons since Carolina last played in Clemson, and the No. 1 Tar Heels arrive with the kind of profile that usually travels well, from a deep attack to a defense that has been steady all fall. They also bring the sort of momentum that comes from leading the ACC in multiple statistical categories and collecting plenty of individual recognition along the way.
Clemson has not been much of a stumbling block for Carolina in recent years, with the Tar Heels owning the series and carrying an eight-game winning streak into this one. Still, road games in the ACC tend to reveal something a little different about a team, especially against a conference opponent eager to challenge the top-ranked group in the league. For Carolina, this is another chance to reinforce the standard it has set all season, and for Clemson it is the kind of test that can tell you plenty about where you stand. [Read more 🡒]
Belichicks UNC Offense Still Has One Problem Fans Cant Ignore
North Carolina got back in the win column after back-to-back losses, but the offensive performance still left plenty for Bill Belichick to sort through. The Tar Heels have had trouble creating explosive plays, and the ground game has not given the offense the kind of balance it needs. Even with the win, the overall picture was familiar enough to raise fresh questions about how much ceiling this unit has right now.
Belichick pointed to the issues directly, including Billy Edwards Jr.s interceptions and the ineffective rushing attack that keeps putting extra pressure on the passing game. The tight end group has been one of the brighter spots, but even that strength is being held in check without a more reliable run threat. For a team trying to build momentum, the offense still has one glaring problem it has not really solved. [Read more 🡒]