The North Carolina Tar Heels snapped their two-game skid Saturday, knocking off UConn 38-21 and moving one step closer to bowl eligibility.
That mattered on its own. It also mattered because North Carolina has already let a couple of chances slip away this season, and now sits one win from punching its ticket to a bowl game. At minimum, the Tar Heels need to get there if Belichick wants any shot at keeping his job in 2027.
One of the biggest reasons UNC got out of Week 10 with a win was the way the offense finally settled in behind Davion Hall. Billy Edwards Jr. got off to a rough start and the offense had trouble stringing together drives, but Hall’s 39-yard touchdown run in the second quarter on third down may have been the turning point.
Jaylen McGill and Demon June both got on the field before Hall, which stood out, but once Hall started getting more work, the Tar Heels leaned on him on the ground and as a check-down option. He became the safety blanket they needed.
Jelani Thurman kept doing what he’s done all season. The tight end was a major weapon again, scoring twice to reach seven and eight touchdowns on the year. His ability to slip into the flat and win in the intermediate game has been on display all season, and Saturday was another reminder of how important he’s been to this offense.
The game still had a tense feel early, and a key fourth-down sequence swung things hard in North Carolina’s favor. After an illegal formation on the Tar Heels’ defense, UConn sent its offense back out. That decision backfired immediately when Kalieb Osborne’s pass was intercepted and taken back 62 yards for a touchdown by Hickman-Collins.
Not everything was clean for North Carolina, though. The front four continued to be a problem, failing to create much pressure and allowing UConn to run effectively. The Huskies became the latest team to clear 100 rushing yards against the Tar Heels.
McGill’s day never really got going. He was the first back to see the field for North Carolina, but the sophomore averaged fewer than 2.5 yards per carry. Over the last two games, he’s totaled 12 carries for 27 yards, and his workload could shrink in the final stretch of the season.
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 🡒]