The Tar Heels took care of business in Kenan Stadium on Saturday, rolling past East Tennessee State 35-3 to move to 2-0 and keep building momentum after the win over TCU in Dublin. The offense looked like it was taking another step under Bobby Petrino, while the defense, with Jaylen Harvey leading the way, kept ETSU off the board deep into the second half. Through two games, Carolina is allowing just 6.5 points per game, and now the focus shifts to this weekend’s ACC opener at Clemson, a matchup that suddenly feels more manageable than it did before the season.
PFF’s numbers back up what showed up on the field, starting with a huge day from tight end Jelani Thurman. In his first home game in front of the UNC crowd, Thurman looked like a problem the Buccaneers never solved.
He caught 4 passes for 71 yards and a touchdown on just 34 snaps, and PFF rewarded him with a 94.2 overall grade. His passing-down grade came in at 91.7, and he also posted an 83.5 as a run blocker.
CJ Sadler was right there behind him among the offensive standouts. He finished with 3 catches for 66 yards, both second on the team, while playing only 23 snaps. Even with the lighter workload, PFF gave him an 80.2 overall grade, including a 76.8 on passing plays and a 76.1 as a run blocker.
Billy Edwards Jr. kept the offense on schedule, continuing to look like the right choice at quarterback. The Wisconsin transfer completed 15 of 20 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns, and he once again protected the ball. PFF graded him at 78.1 overall, with a 79.3 in the passing game, a 57.8 as a runner, and a 60.0 as a run blocker.
The line deserves its share of credit too, and PFF finally gave it some. Left guard Andrew Threatt logged 42 snaps and earned a 75.6 grade overall, splitting his work between 25 passing snaps and 17 run plays. He was graded at 67.4 in pass protection and 77.6 in the run game.
Trey Blue also made his limited time count. The left tackle played just 13 snaps, but still turned in a 75.3 overall grade. His pass-blocking mark was a rough 31.0, but he was excellent in the run game with an 80.9.
On the other side of the ball, Jaylen Harvey answered the call with Melkart About-Joude out. The Penn State transfer posted 3 tackles, including two sacks, over 36 snaps and finished with the top defensive grade on the team at 89.5. He earned a 70.0 in run defense, a 76.2 tackling grade, an 89.2 mark as a pass rusher, and a 70.8 in coverage.
The defensive front kept stacking strong performances around him. Isaiah Johnson was productive in 28 snaps, collecting 4 tackles and earning an 87.2 overall grade. His best work came against the run, where he posted a 90.0, along with a 75.5 tackling grade and a 58.5 as a pass rusher.
Xavier Lewis followed up his breakout against TCU with another disruptive outing. He had 5 tackles, 2 sacks, and 2 tackles for loss, which helped him to an 87.1 grade. PFF gave him a 79.8 against the run, a 77.3 for tackling, and a 79.8 as a pass rusher.
Leroy Jackson kept adding steady production up front as well. He led Carolina defensive linemen with 42 snaps, finished with 5 tackles, and posted a 79.0 overall grade. His run-defense grade was 81.4, his tackling grade was 76.2, and he checked in at 63.9 as a pass rusher.
Peyton Seelmann also earned a place among the defensive grades after his work against ETSU.
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 🡒]