By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — With a chance to pull off a major upset, Carolina collapsed again on both sides of the ball in a second half that started sensationally and sent hopes soaring.
The Tar Heels had plenty of positives battling the No. 3 team in the country as heavy underdogs, but they also felt plenty of frustration about what could have been.
UNC again couldn’t overcome an opponent’s halftime adjustments as Notre Dame gashed UNC with its running game to win 37–26 on a rainy Saturday afternoon at Kenan Stadium.
Cornerback Jaiden Patterson, who had four tackles, said the Tar Heels never bought into the outside expectations for the game.
“They were supposed to blow us out, do all this stuff, and we were hanging with them and competing with them,” Patterson said. “We just come in and work, and we say we can compete with anybody, and that shows.”
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True freshman Jaden Jefferson, touching the ball for the first time in his career, made it a one-point game by returning the second-half kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. The momentum did not last, though, as the Irish (5–0) moved the ball with ease and the Tar Heels (2–2) sputtered on offense until it was too late.
“That’s probably more yards on that return than we had all last year on all the returns combined, close to it,” Belichick said. He added that the Tar Heels were the worst kickoff return team in the country a year ago, and he said the big play was the kind that can turn a game. “It was an explosive play that got us back in the game.”
Irish running back Jonaz Walton (122 yards) ran for more yards than the entire UNC team (77 yards).
“They’re an inside running team, and they ran it inside better than I’d say they should have,” Belichick said. “So, we’ve got to coach it better and fix it. That’s been one of the strengths for us.”
While Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr (21 of 29, 234 yards, four touchdowns, 185.7 passer rating) was efficient, Billy Edwards Jr. (17 of 28, 208 yards, 144.2 passer rating) had an up-and-down day. Edwards tied his career-high with three touchdown passes, but after tossing only one interception in the first three games, he was picked off twice.
“The passing game is really about team execution. It’s not just the quarterback,” Belichick said. “It’s the receivers. It’s protection. I thought we had some balance in the passing game based on the coverages they were playing.”
UNC wide receiver Jordan Shipp had seven catches for a career-high 109 yards, and tight end Jelani Thurman caught two touchdown passes.
Shipp said his approach was simple.
“Just playing my game, falling back on my fundamentals,” Shipp said.
Belichick said he was proud of how the Tar Heels competed, but the margin between the two teams came down to execution across all three phases. He pointed to missed chances on offense and special teams and to the touchdowns the defense gave up.
“Obviously a hard-fought game. Proud of the way our guys competed,” Belichick said. “We just weren’t able to make enough plays, really in any area. Missed some opportunities on offense. Had too many easy touchdowns on defense.”
The Irish controlled the game after halftime, and Belichick blamed the coaching staff as much as the players, even with defensive lineman Isaiah Johnson getting hurt during the game.
“It didn’t help it any. That’s for sure,” Belichick said of Johnson’s absence. “But he’s a good player.”
Belichick said the Tar Heels were close to getting off the field on several of those plays.
“We had a lot of guys in position, didn’t look like they had much, and then just weren’t able to finish it,” Belichick said. He also explained the lopsided time of possession by pointing to the drive that followed Jefferson’s score. “They had a long drive in the third quarter, and that ate up most of the third quarter after we had cut it to a one-point game.”
UNC went 74 yards in seven plays, highlighted by a 44-yard Shipp reception in the longest UNC gain of the season, to take a 7–0 lead. Edwards dumped a pass to tight end Shamar Easter for a six-yard touchdown play with 9:34 left in the first quarter.
Notre Dame tied it in under three minutes, as Carr lofted a pass to Jordan Faison in the back of the end zone on a 28-yard scoring play in the first of two Irish touchdowns in 15 seconds. Edwards was clobbered after he threw a pass that Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa intercepted. Carr hit Jaden Greathouse for a 12-yard touchdown pass on the next play.
The Irish opened the second quarter with a 39-yard scoring pass from Carr to a wide-open Faison in the end zone.
Belichick said those big plays through the air were the ones Carolina has to clean up.
“We got beat on a blitz, and we got beat on a slot fade,” Belichick said. “We’ve got to defend the deep field better.”
After a goal-line stand by UNC’s defense, the Heels leaned on tight ends Thurman and Easter on a 97-yard, 15-play drive that ended with Edwards connecting with Thurman on a 14-yard pass.
Jefferson’s big kick return then gave UNC hope.
“We worked on it all week, and that was the first opportunity he got to make the play,” Shipp said. “He’s an even better teammate. Even though he wasn’t out there in the previous games, he was always the most energetic on the sideline, even in practice.”
After that, though, the Irish plowed through UNC’s defense on a 75-yard, 17-play drive, converting four times on fourth down, including a three-yard Carr touchdown run.
Belichick said the Tar Heels were in position on several of those fourth downs but could not finish the play.
Another lengthy Irish drive, eight plays and 68 yards, ended with a 6-yard touchdown reception by Nolan James Jr. off a pick play Patterson said they knew was coming as the fourth quarter began.
An 11-play, 52-yard Notre Dame drive netted a 31-yard Spencer Porath field goal with 7:05 left.
UNC couldn’t muster any offense in the second half until an 11-play, 75-yard fourth-quarter drive produced a 10-yard touchdown reception by Thurman with 2:36 left. An onside kick failed.
Shipp said the team will not dwell on what happened Saturday.
“We’re not worried about the past. We’re not worried about the future. Just worried about what we can do right now,” Shipp said.
Notes
— Carolina plays the first of two consecutive road games at noon Saturday, facing Pittsburgh (5–0, 2–0), which won 35–33 Friday night at Virginia Tech.
— It was UNC’s first kickoff return for a touchdown since Chris Culliver went 95 yards against UConn in 2024. It was the sixth-longest in program history.
— Notre Dame’s third-quarter drive was its longest this season in terms of plays at 17.
— Players playing after missing time were Melkart Abou Jaoude, who missed two games with a hand injury; CJ Sadler, who missed the Clemson game after getting a speeding ticket; and kicker Rece Verhoff, newly eligible. Usual left tackle Jordan Hall missed the game, leading to a shuffle on the offensive line.
— There were press box seats reserved for the Orange Bowl (2), Citrus Bowl (2), Gator Bowl, Sugar Bowl (2), Senior Bowl, Chiefs, Giants, Browns, Vikings, Steelers, Chargers, Dolphins, Lions, Jets and Saints.
— The 7-minute, 13-second, 15-play scoring drive at the end of the first half was the longest on both numbers by UNC this season.
— Notre Dame’s sixth consecutive victory over Carolina boosted its lead in the all-time series 22–2 (although the UNC 2008 win was vacated), including 8–2 in Chapel Hill.
— The Irish have won 15 straight games, all by double digits.
— UNC is 1-43-1 all-time against top-5 opponents, beating No. 4 Miami in 2004.
No. 3 Notre Dame 37, UNC 26
| Team | ACC | All |
|---|---|---|
| No. 4 Miami | 2–0 | 4–0 |
| Clemson | 2–0 | 3–1 |
| Duke | 1–0 | 4–0 |
| Pittsburgh | 2–0 | 5–0 |
| Virginia | 1–0 | 3–1 |
| No. 21 SMU | 2–1 | 4–1 |
| Wake Forest | 2–1 | 4–1 |
| Virginia Tech | 1–1 | 4–1 |
| California | 1–1 | 2–2 |
| Louisville | 1–1 | 2–2 |
| Stanford | 1–3 | 2–3 |
| North Carolina | 0–1 | 2–2 |
| Florida State | 0–1 | 2–2 |
| N.C. State | 0–1 | 2–2 |
| Georgia Tech | 0–1 | 1–3 |
| Syracuse | 0–2 | 2–2 |
| Boston College | 0–2 | 2–3 |
Friday’s result
Pittsburgh 35, Virginia Tech 33
Saturday’s games
No. 3 Notre Dame 37, North Carolina 26
Wake Forest 57, Stanford 3
No. 21 SMU 25, Boston College 16
Syracuse 42, UConn 41, OT
Virginia at Florida State, 3:30, ESPN2
Louisville at N.C. State, 3:30, ACCN
California at UNLV, 3:30, CBSSN
Friday, Oct. 9, game
Florida State at Louisville, 7 p.m., ESPN
Saturday, Oct. 10, games
North Carolina at Pittsburgh, noon, ESPN or ESPN2
Wake Forest at N.C. State, noon, The CW
Virginia Tech at California, 3:30, ESPN or ACCN
Duke at Georgia Tech, 3:30, ESPN2 or ACCN
Stanford at No. 3 Notre Dame, 3:30, NBC/Peacock
Syracuse at Virginia, 7:30, ACCN
| Month/ date | Score/ time | Opponent (current ranking) | Record/TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| August | |||
| 29 | W, 15–10 | vs.TCU in Dublin | 1–0 |
| September | |||
| 12 | W, 35–3 | vs. ETSU | 2–0 |
| 19 | L, 28–20 | at Clemson | 2–1, 0–1 ACC |
| October | |||
| 3 | L, 37–26 | vs. No. 3 Notre Dame | 2–2 |
| 10 | Noon | at Pittsburgh | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 17 | TBA | at Duke | TBA |
| 24 | TBA | vs. Syracuse | TBA |
| 31 | TBA | vs. No. 4 Miami | TBA |
| November | |||
| 7 | Noon | at UConn | CBSSN |
| 14 | TBA | vs. Louisville | TBA |
| 21 | TBA | at Virginia | TBA |
| 28 | TBA | vs. N.C. State | TBA |
| December | |||
| 5 | noon, ABC | ACC championship game in Charlotte | ESPN |
Photos by Smith Hardy
