North Carolina’s football program might have dropped their recent game 37-26 to Notre Dame inside Kenan Stadium, but don’t let that score fool you. The Tar Heels absolutely exceeded expectations, going toe-to-toe with a National Championship contender for three quarters. Get this: UNC (2-2, 0-1 ACC) hung up more points than any other Fighting Irish (5-0) opponent all season, dropping a touchdown in every single quarter. They even jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the opening frame, then added two more passing touchdowns and a kick-six. That’s serious firepower, even in a loss.
Turnovers Are the Killer, and UNC Can’t Afford Them
Quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. showed some real guts against Notre Dame’s tough defense, throwing three touchdowns. But let’s be real, his pair of early interceptions against the Fighting Irish were brutal, directly leading to Notre Dame scores. You take those mistakes away, and North Carolina is staring at a massive upset last weekend in Chapel Hill. Now they’re heading to face a ranked Pitt squad (5-0, 2-0 ACC) on Saturday, a team that just forced four turnovers against Virginia Tech. If Edwards and the rest of the Tar Heels minimize their mistakes and play turnover-free football in Acrisure Stadium, they’ve got a much better shot at leaving with a victory. It’s that simple: protect the ball!
Pitt’s Run Defense is Nasty, But UNC Needs to Get Going
The Tar Heels’ offense is a legit improvement from 2025, packing new big-play ability and more weapons across the roster. Benjamin Hall and Demon June are a tough running back duo that can give opponents fits. Jordan Shipp and Jelani Thurman lead a deeper receiving corps, and Edwards flashes real strength at quarterback. But despite having a deep running back room, North Carolina only ran for a measly 77 yards on 23 carries against Notre Dame. They couldn’t generate any explosive runs, and that’s a problem, especially with Pitt up next. The Panthers allow only 55.6 opponent rushing yards per game, which is the second-best mark in the entire country. UNC’s ball carriers are facing an uphill battle here, and the offensive line, while only allowing one sack versus Notre Dame, has to deal with a Panther pass rush that’s already racked up 12 sacks in five games. If North Carolina can find even the smallest ways to get Hall and June going on the ground, a second upset win in five games becomes way more likely.
On Saturday at 12 p.m., North Carolina will test their improved offense against Pitt. It’s a huge road test for the Tar Heels, who need to find those small ways to get their run game rolling and ensure Edwards plays clean football if they want to pull off a much-needed victory.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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