The No. 3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish just stamped their ticket as serious national championship contenders this past Saturday, knocking off the North Carolina Tar Heels 37-26 at Kenan Stadium. Yeah, the Irish were favored by 19.5 points, but after falling behind 7-0 early in the first quarter, they had to fight for it, showing they can absolutely roll when it counts.
Carr and Faison Just Ran Wild on Belichick’s D
Let’s be real, North Carolina’s defense, led by head coach Bill Belichick, had absolutely no answers for Notre Dame’s offense, specifically quarterback CJ Carr and wide receiver Jordan Faison. Carr was lights out, slinging it for 21 completions on 29 attempts, hitting 234 yards with a ridiculous four touchdowns and zero picks. And if that wasn’t enough, he tacked on 15 rushing yards and another score on the ground, accounting for five total touchdowns! Faison was his main target, hauling in 8 catches for 132 yards and two spectacular touchdowns, averaging a sick 16.5 yards per catch. The Irish wasted no time showing who was boss after that early deficit, dropping 21 unanswered points with Carr throwing a pair of those incredible TD passes to Faison, plus a 12-yard scoring toss to Jaden Greathouse. Notre Dame running backs Jonaz Walton (23 carries for 120 yards) and Nolan James Jr. (9 carries for 65 yards, plus a 6-yard receiving TD) kept the ground game humming, too. That’s how you dominate.
Momentum Swings, Botched Snaps, and a Grinding Drive
Even with Notre Dame pouring it on, UNC showed some fight. Quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. kept them in it with 17 completions for 208 yards, 3 touchdowns, but did throw 2 interceptions. He hit tight end Jelani Thurman for a 14-yard score with only 21 seconds left in the second quarter, clawing back some momentum before halftime. And oh man, UNC’s Jaden Jefferson kicked off the third quarter with an absolute BANGER, returning the kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown! Wild. But then, classic football chaos: UNC fumbled the snap on the extra point, leaving Notre Dame with a one-point lead. The Irish responded with an emphatic, monster 17-play, 75-yard drive that ate up over nine minutes off the clock, converting three fourth downs, including a gutsy three-yard touchdown run by Carr on fourth-and-goal. Of course, Notre Dame then botched their own extra-point snap, leaving the lead at seven. Eventually, Carr hooked up with Nolan James Jr. for his fifth total touchdown of the day, a six-yard pass, and a field goal made it 37-20, putting the game out of reach. Thurman did get a second touchdown late, but with only 2:36 left, it was just cosmetic.
What’s Next for These Squads
Head coach Marcus Freeman’s Irish improved to a perfect 5-0 on the season. They looked unstoppable at times, and honestly, they’re a popular pick to absolutely run the table and make a serious run in the College Football Playoff. As for Bill Belichick’s Tar Heels, they’re now 2-2 after starting 2-0, and you can feel that early season optimism starting to fade. UNC’s gonna try and bounce back next week when they hit the road to face Pittsburgh. Notre Dame, meanwhile, gets to host Stanford next Saturday. Don’t miss it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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