Previously undefeated, No. 25 Pitt just got knocked off 21-17 on Saturday, and it was Bill Belichick’s North Carolina squad that did the deed, snagging their first ranked victory of his era. This isn’t some small potatoes win either; it came on the road in Acrisure Stadium, and it completely changed the conversation around UNC’s season.
This UNC Squad Is NOT The Same As Last Year
The second iteration of Belichick’s North Carolina Tar Heels is looking way more dangerous, no doubt about it. We saw glimmers of this earlier in the season, right? They opened with a win over TCU way back in August, even in rainy Dublin, Ireland. Then, they went on the road in Week 3 and jumped to a 17-3 lead against Clemson. And who could forget Week 5, when they came within a single point of then-No. 3 Notre Dame early in the second half? Yeah, they dropped both of those games, but the program progress was absolutely undeniable. This win against the Panthers? That’s the payoff for all that development, and it means Belichick’s squad is now 3-2 on the season, jumping to 1-1 in ACC play. After a tumultuous 4-8 first year that included five multi-score defeats, this is a massive step.
Pitt’s QB Nightmare And Geriner’s Struggles
Okay, let’s be real: Pitt was playing without its starting quarterback. Mason Heintschel, who was largely responsible for their 5-0 start, went down last week with a season-ending ACL tear. Brutal. His replacement, Holden Geriner, just plain struggled. The fifth-year signal-caller, who’d bounced around from Auburn (2022-24) to Texas State (2025) and came into the weekend with a grand total of 47 career passes, nearly doubled that workload against UNC. Yet, he averaged a mere 5 yards per attempt. Geriner went 27 of 44 for 219 passing yards, but he threw two picks and misfired time and time again when it mattered most in the final frame. Still, a ranked win is a ranked win, no matter the circumstances of the opponent.
This victory is a statement. Belichick has been building something in North Carolina, and now we’re starting to see the true benefits. It’s got to feel good for those Tar Heel fans, finally getting that signature win under their new coach.
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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