UNC’s trip to East Hartford had all the ingredients for another frustrating detour, but the Tar Heels found a way to steady themselves and leave with a 38-21 win over UConn.
For stretches, it looked familiar in the wrong way. The offense stalled, the defense had trouble getting off the field, and “Bad Billy” showed up for the first time since Syracuse.
Then the game turned. A defensive score helped swing the momentum, and UNC cashed in after another turnover, questionable or not, to build a 28-14 lead.
The second half brought more of the same uneven feel for a while, but Carolina’s defense tightened up and forced the Huskies into a third turnover of the day. That set up the Tar Heels to finish the job and keep building on a stretch that has now seen them score at least 30 points in three straight weeks.
The offense’s latest surge was a notable shift from the first 19 games of the Belichick era, when UNC didn’t reach 30 against FBS competition. This time, the Tar Heels paired that scoring with three sacks, another tackle for loss and three forced turnovers.
Here’s how the UConn game breaks down in the Good, Bad and Ugly Report:
Good
Jelani Thurman
The Ohio State transfer kept delivering as Billy Edwards’ favorite target, finishing with seven catches for 64 yards and two touchdowns. He also tied the UNC single-season record for touchdown receptions by a tight end.
Benjamin Hall
Hall was back in the lead-back role for most of the game and made it count, running nine times for 81 yards and a touchdown before leaving with an injury. His work helped jump-start a ground game that had been near the bottom of FBS in rushing yards per game, as UNC finished with 164 rushing yards.
Peyton Seelmann
The Richmond transfer came through with the kind of impact day UNC was hoping for, piling up nine tackles and two sacks.
Timir Hickman-Collins
The sophomore linebacker turned a tipped ball into a 62-yard pick-six after executing the tip drill.
Penalties
UNC is usually one of the cleaner teams in the conference, but this one came with six penalties for 50 yards. That included pass interference, two drive-killing holds on the offensive line and an unusual defensive illegal formation penalty on a punt.
Ugly
Big plays
Even with control of the clock, three turnovers forced and three more turnovers on downs, the Tar Heels still gave up 13 plays of more than 15 yards. Missed tackles and blown coverages showed up too often, though the damage didn’t end up costing them.
UNC now has five wins and needs one more in its final three games to become bowl eligible. Louisville comes to Chapel Hill next week for Homecoming, and that test will offer another chance to see whether the Tar Heels can keep moving forward.
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 🡒]