Number 1 Miami just barely squeaked by Bill Belichick’s North Carolina Tar Heels this weekend, pulling out a 38-35 win that came down to the wire. What an absolute thriller, where the Tar Heels proved they can hang with anyone, even the top-ranked team in the nation.
The Onside Kick Heartbreak That Almost Wasn’t
Talk about drama. UNC cut the margin to three points with less than two minutes on the clock, needing a miracle, and they almost got it. Not once, but *twice*, the Tar Heels recovered an onside kick! The first, an absolute stunner, was immediately wiped out by an offside penalty. Brutal. Then, they tried again, executing another clutch recovery. But no, the flags flew again, this time for an illegal block, nullifying the second one. To have possession of the ball, with a chance to win against the number one team, *twice* in the final moments, only for both to be taken away by penalties? That’s the kind of heartbreak that sticks with you.
Belichick’s Tar Heels Show Grit
This wasn’t some blowout where UNC made a late run. This game was a back-and-forth slugfest all night. The Tar Heels actually led No. 1 Miami 28-24 in the fourth quarter. Miami had to claw their way back, scoring a pair of touchdowns to go up by ten. One of those scores, a gut punch, came right after a UNC turnover. That forced the Tar Heels to score seven and then attempt those incredible, yet ultimately fruitless, onside kicks. It’s a tough pill to swallow, seeing a potential upset of this magnitude slip away like that.
For Belichick, now in his second season in college football, his record sits at 8-12 after this loss. The team started the season 4-2, so falling to 4-4 hurts. But you can’t ignore the progress. Earlier this month, they grabbed a huge signature win against previously-unbeaten Pitt. Taking the number one team in the country right down to the wire, with that kind of fourth-quarter drama, shows exactly what Belichick is building. UNC fans have to be feeling a mix of pride and pure agony after watching their team battle like that. How do they bounce back after nearly pulling off the upset of the year? We’re all watching to see what this team does next.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.
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