North Carolina got the result it needed on Saturday, but that didn’t stop Tar Heel Nation from sounding frustrated along the way.
The Tar Heels entered Week 10 at 4-4 and coming off two straight losses, so the matchup with UConn carried obvious pressure. Instead of a clean reset, UNC opened with a shaky Billy Edwards Jr. performance that had fans immediately on edge. The Wisconsin transfer threw an interception on the first drive, and it looked like he had locked onto his target before linebacker Hayden Pegg stepped into the lane.
“What an awful awful throw and decision from Billy there my god.”
“That was Billy Edwards’ first interception since the Pitt game”
Edwards Jr. didn’t settle in on the next possession, either. He sailed a throw intended for Jordan Shipp that could have been picked off, then came up short on a third-down pass to Jelani Thurman. The ball was behind Thurman, forcing him to stop and get tackled short of the line to gain, and UNC had to punt.
“The accuracy is just not there for Billy Edwards early.Hoping to get last week’s version of the #UNC QB.”
“Billy bad throws lead to a turnover and a punt on the first two possessions. It’s so hard for him to be consistent”
Then came the swing play. UConn was lining up to punt, but an illegal formation on North Carolina kept the offense on the field.
The Huskies paid for it immediately, as Timir Hickman-Collins jumped a pass and returned it 62 yards for a touchdown. That flipped the momentum hard in UNC’s favor.
“UNC got an illegal formation on defense??? Then they got a pick six on the next play 😭😭😭😭”
North Carolina’s offense still wasn’t sharp, but the ground game bailed it out. On third-and-nine from inside UConn’s 40-yard line, the Tar Heels handed the ball to Hall, and he broke free for a 39-yard touchdown down the left sideline. The decision to run there said plenty about the staff’s confidence level in Edwards Jr. at that point.
Jelani Thurman, meanwhile, kept adding to what has been a big season. The Ohio State transfer entered the game with the second-most touchdown receptions among tight ends in the country, and he found the end zone late in the second quarter to push UNC’s lead to 14 heading into halftime.
“Jelani Thurman has been a revelation this season at TE”
“Jelani Thurman bringing out the dance TD celebrations the last two weeksMichael Jackson Thriller dance vs Miami Yung Joc It’s Goin Down dance vs UConn https://t.co/vvs851PHJd”
UNC’s defense added another dagger after Jalon Thompson came up with an interception. The Tar Heels then burned nearly four minutes off the clock before Thurman scored again, stretching the lead to three possessions with less than four minutes left and putting the game out of reach.
“#UNC comes up with a big stop - another interception - this time by Jalon Thompson”
In Other News...
UNC Just Lost A Key Path To Cameron Fens Help
The latest legal turn around college basketball eligibility has put Cameron Fens in a precarious spot, and North Carolina is watching closely. The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed and vacated the nationwide injunction in Wisne v. NCAA, a ruling that had been part of the broader fight over fifth-year players seeking another season of eligibility.
For Fens, the impact is immediate because he is still tied up in a separate Tennessee case, where the state Court of Appeals stayed his injunction and left him ineligible for now. His path back onto the court now hinges entirely on how that Tennessee lawsuit plays out, leaving UNC with one fewer avenue for help and another unresolved eligibility question hanging over the roster. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Just Got A Real Shot At A Five-Star Guard
Brady Pettigrews recruitment is starting to take shape, and North Carolina is firmly in the mix. The five-star guard has trimmed his list to 10 programs, putting the Tar Heels alongside a heavy group that includes Duke, Kentucky, Florida, Illinois, Michigan and others, and he recently wrapped up an official visit to Chapel Hill.
Pettigrew is currently ranked No. 9 overall in the Class of 2028, which already makes him one of the most coveted guards in the country. There is also growing speculation that he could reclassify into an earlier class, a possibility that would only heighten the urgency around his recruitment, even if no decision has been confirmed yet. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Delivered The Response Fans Needed After Early Criticism
After an uneven opener, North Carolina answered with the kind of complete effort fans had been waiting to see, rolling past Wofford 109-70 in its second game of the season. The Tar Heels looked far more connected on both ends, and the box score reflected it, with five players finishing in double figures and Terrence Brown pacing the way with 21 points.
Maximo Adams added a double-double as UNC controlled the glass and showed the depth that had been missing a game earlier. It was the sort of response that does not erase early questions, but it does give the Tar Heels a much better baseline to build from as the schedule starts to tighten. [Read more 🡒]