The North Carolina Tar Heels walked out of overtime with a 31-30 loss to Syracuse and a whole lot of wasted chances after a game that never felt far out of reach. It was a tough finish to a night that carried the weight of a team coming off back-to-back wins over ranked Pittsburgh and rival Duke, only to come up short again in a spot where they had plenty of opportunities to close it out.
One of the biggest problems for UNC was the fourth-down battle. The offense did enough to create those situations, but the defense never solved Syracuse on the money downs.
The Orange converted all three of their fourth-down tries, and the Tar Heels also gave up a 25-yard run on fourth down late in the first half. That sequence only ended in a field goal, but it still was another sign that UNC has to tighten up there, especially with the Hurricanes coming up.
Billy Edwards had stretches where he looked steady enough to keep the offense moving. He completed his first 11 passes, distributed the ball to eight different receivers, and finished 27-for-44 for 271 yards and two touchdowns.
Still, there were enough shaky moments to leave questions hanging. Edwards put the ball in harm’s way at times, his footwork led to passes hitting the turf short, and a few open receivers slipped by for bigger plays.
He managed the game well in stretches, but the concerns about how he’ll handle pressure next week are real.
If North Carolina was going to find a consistent difference-maker on offense, Jordan Shipp was the guy again. The Tar Heels’ best offensive player by a wide margin caught eight passes for 102 yards and a touchdown, and he also came through with a crucial grab to get UNC into goal-to-go in the first overtime. When the Tar Heels needed a third-down play or a big catch, Shipp kept answering.
On the defensive side, Derek McDonald delivered one of the strongest outings of the night. Facing his former Syracuse team for the first time after four years with the Orange, the MIKE linebacker was everywhere. He finished with 16 tackles, added a critical tackle for loss in overtime, and gave UNC a steady presence from sideline to sideline.
The backfield also offered a reason for North Carolina to keep leaning into one player. The sophomore running back finished with 12 carries for 62 yards and looked like a real option to become the team’s lead back going forward.
He brought more explosiveness than Benjamin Hall and Demon June, who had nine carries for 53 yards and a touchdown, and he gave the offense a different gear when he had the ball in space. He also proved useful as a receiver out of the backfield, and the offense clearly looked smoother when he was involved.
In Other News...
UNC Landed A Guard Whose Road To Chapel Hill Suddenly Changed
Kevin Thomas path to Chapel Hill took a sharp turn after he first picked LSU, then asked for a release when the Tigers moved on from Matt McMahon and brought in Will Wade. The four-star guard eventually landed at North Carolina, where Michael Malones staff added a prospect whose recruitment changed as fast as the coaching carousel did, and where a familiar face in former high school teammate Matt Able helped make the transition feel a little less new.
Thomas already got his first taste of the college game in an exhibition for UNC, logging four minutes and making his presence felt on the defensive end. It was a small opening night sample, but for a player whose road to campus shifted so suddenly, even a brief debut offered a first glimpse of how he might fit into the Tar Heels backcourt picture. [Read more 🡒]
UNCs NC State Rivalry Just Lost The Coach Heels Fans Hated
Dave Doerens run at NC State is over, ending a 14-year tenure that made him the winningest coach in Wolfpack history and one of the most familiar figures in the Tar Heels biggest in-state rivalry. His teams went 98-74, and for UNC fans the part that will linger most is the 9-4 mark against the Heels, a streak of success that helped define the matchup for more than a decade.
NC State made the move after a loss to Stanford left the Wolfpack at 3-4 overall and 1-3 in ACC play, and running backs coach Todd Goebbel will take over as interim head coach. The university now begins a national search for Doerens replacement, resetting a rivalry that has had the same face across the field for so long. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Womens Soccer Just Sent Another Message To The Top 10
Another top-10 test ended the same way for Carolina women's soccer, with the Tar Heels finding just enough to separate themselves from a heavyweight opponent. No. 1 UNC beat No. 7 Stanford 1-0 in a tight, physical match, and Bella Devey's goal in the 70th minute proved to be the difference in a game where chances were hard to come by.
Peyton Trayer did her part to make the lone strike stand up, finishing with a career-high seven saves to preserve the shutout. It was Carolina's second top-10 win of the season and its ninth shutout overall, another reminder that this group keeps answering big challenges with the kind of edge that travels deep into the postseason conversation. [Read more 🡒]