Bill Belichick has already faced plenty of tests in his first two seasons at North Carolina, and Saturday brings another one straight into Chapel Hill.
No. 3 Notre Dame arrives at Kenan Stadium carrying a 4-0 record, and Belichick knows the assignment is less about the opponent’s ranking than about keeping his own team on track.
"It's the same every week," Belichick said. "Our performance is always about us.
We have to be aware of who we're playing and what their tendencies are. I'm sure they'll do some things that present some problems for us.
In the meantime, all we can do is prepare for what they've done and maybe what we think they'll do."
It will be only the second ranked opponent North Carolina has seen during Belichick’s two seasons. The Tar Heels dropped a 17-16 overtime game to then-No. 16 Virginia last October, and they enter this one at 2-1 after a bye week that followed a 28-20 loss at Clemson.
Notre Dame is coming in from a different kind of Saturday, fresh off a 49-10 win over Purdue and now facing a second straight road game. Marcus Freeman said he expects Belichick’s team to be organized and tough to rattle.
"You don't win as much as he's won without being a great coach and leader," Freeman said. "You see it in the way his team plays."
The Irish have been productive enough on the ground to keep defenses honest, but they still haven’t crossed the 180-yard rushing mark in a game. Freeman said the run game has been trending the right way.
"It's improving," Freeman said. "Some of those things are schematic. We're coaching a little bit better based on what we believe the running backs and O-line do well."
Freeman also mentioned that freshman running back Jonaz Walton could see a bigger role.
Notre Dame has been efficient in the situations that matter most, converting 41.5% of its third downs and going 5-for-7 on fourth down. Freeman said that aggressiveness is tied to trust.
"It's the confidence I have in our offense and a punt fake," Freeman said. "If that confidence is there, you have to trust it.
It doesn't always convert, but that doesn't mean you're not willing to do it. You make zero fourth-down conversions that you don't try."
Belichick, for his part, sees a Notre Dame team that doesn’t leave much lying around.
"They're sound all the way across the board," he said. "They score a lot of points and they play fast."
North Carolina is sticking with Billy Edwards Jr. at quarterback despite an uneven start to the season, and the position became a bigger issue in the second half at Clemson. Belichick pushed back on the idea that the Tar Heels are looking for a quick fix under center.
"I don't want to get into a musical-chair game there," Belichick said of the quarterback position. "Offensively, we kind of stalled a little bit in that game.
It's a team execution. It doesn't all come back to one guy even though everyone wants to focus on the quarterback."
The Tar Heels also have an answer back in the kicking game, with Rece Verhoff cleared to play again after what Belichick described as an on-again, off-again situation involving court rulings and his NCAA eligibility.
"He has continued to work hard regardless," Belichick said. "We'll see how it goes. He has done all he can do."
Belichick also addressed the status of receiver C.J. Sadler, who sat out against Clemson after being issued three speeding tickets in less than two months.
"Yeah, we'll see."
Notre Dame owns a 21-2 edge all-time against North Carolina and has not lost to the Tar Heels since 2008 in Chapel Hill, a result later vacated by North Carolina because of NCAA violations.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Just Got A Huge Edge In UNCs Biggest Weakness
Bill Belichick has made it clear Billy Edwards will stay under center for North Carolinas trip to Notre Dame, even as the passing game continues to sputter. The Tar Heels have had their issues throwing the ball this season, and Belichick pointed to the broader challenge of getting the entire offense working more cleanly rather than pinning it all on the quarterback.
For Notre Dame, that leaves a familiar matchup edge against a unit still searching for consistency through the air. Edwards has completed 56.4% of his passes this season, and North Carolina enters the game as a three-touchdown underdog, which only adds to the pressure on an offense that will need sharper execution to keep the Irish from controlling the night. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Could Land A Recruiting Win Oklahoma Fans Would Hate
Recruiting momentum has a way of building quietly, and Notre Dame is at least in the mix for one of the more intriguing names in the 2028 class. Kamieon Compton-Nero, a four-star athlete with nearly 20 scholarship offers, has trimmed his list to five schools, with the Irish alongside Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Alabama and SMU. He is set to be in South Bend on Nov. 7, when Notre Dame hosts Miami, giving the program a chance to make a strong impression in a high-profile setting.
For the Irish, the visit matters because Compton-Nero has already shown a positive view of the coaching staff and the program, which is often the first step in turning a shortlist into real traction. Oklahoma is still squarely in the hunt, and that only raises the stakes for a matchup that could have significance far beyond the field. Notre Dame will be trying to turn a game-day atmosphere into something lasting, with a coveted recruit watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Jeremiyah Love Is Rising Fast And Notre Dame Fans Will Love Why
Jeremiyah Loves recent breakout with the Arizona Cardinals offered a glimpse of the kind of all-around back he is becoming, and Notre Dame fans have every reason to keep an eye on his rise. Against the San Francisco 49ers, he handled a heavy workload on the ground, added work as a receiver and finished with his first career receiving touchdown, showing the versatility that made him such an intriguing young player in the first place.
Even in defeat, Loves approach stood out. He took personal responsibility for not making the most of every chance, which is the kind of accountability coaches and teammates notice quickly. Through the season, he has also emerged as one of the most productive first-year players in the league, leading all rookies in yards and carries, a sign that his role and his confidence are growing fast. [Read more 🡒]