Bill Belichick didn’t exactly break character after North Carolina picked up its first ranked win under his watch.
Following Saturday’s victory over No. 25 Pitt, the Tar Heels moved to 3-2 in their second ACC go-round and posted what was easily their best win of the Belichick era so far. But when the moment came to talk about what was next, Belichick delivered the kind of answer that fit the whole day.
During his on-field interview with the ACC Network, he was asked what comes next after Week 6’s breakthrough. “Yeah, we’ll just get ready for Duke,” the coach awkwardly smirked.
Belichick had a little more to say later in his press conference, where he also reflected on returning to Acrisure Stadium for the first time since his New England days.
“It’s great to come in here and win,” Belichick said (via ESPN.com). “Really proud of our team. We made some great plays and it was just an all-around solid team effort.”
He also acknowledged the memories tied to the venue. “A lot of memories from being back here, mostly good, but we got waxed a couple times,” the coach admitted. “It was great to come in here and win, but most importantly I’m proud for the players and the way they played.”
The win marked North Carolina’s first road victory over a ranked opponent since beating No. 9 Miami in 2020.
Now the Tar Heels turn right around and head to Durham, where they’ll face Duke next week at 3:30 PM ET.
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Pitt's First Loss Put Holden Geriner Under An Early Spotlight
Holden Geriners first career start at quarterback came in a tough spot, and Pitts 21-17 loss to North Carolina put an immediate spotlight on how the Panthers will move forward. Geriner handled a heavy workload, going 27 of 44 for 219 yards while giving Pitt enough moments to stay in the game, but the debut also showed the growing pains that come with a first turn under center.
Pat Narduzzi still sounded encouraged afterward, pointing to Geriners long-term outlook even with the uneven performance. The bigger question now is how Pitt adjusts around a quarterback making his first real run in the lineup, especially with the schedule moving quickly and the Panthers needing steadier execution if they want to turn close games back in their favor. [Read more 🡒]