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CHAPEL HILL — On a day that started with Carolina’s defense looking like it had finally gotten its act together, the Tar Heels quickly helped a previously inept Notre Dame offense have its best game of the season. UNC was manhandled on the line after holding the Irish to 40 first-quarter yards, and the number of blown coverage by the defense easily outnumbered the big plays it made.
While there is growing frustration among Pittsburgh Steelers fans with the team’s offense under the direction of Mitch Trubisky after a second consecutive defeat, Coach Mike Tomlin is sticking with the former UNC quarterback. Trubisky didn’t throw a touchdown pass for the first time in three games, and the Pittsburgh Steelers lost at Cleveland 29–17 Thursday night. Otherwise, though, Trubisky had his best statistical game as a Steeler with season-highs of an 81.1 passer rating and 207 passing yards. He completed 20 of 32 passes with no interceptions and ran 1 yard for a second-quarter touchdown.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers placed reserve running back Giovani Bernard on injured reserve Wednesday with an ankle injury, meaning he will miss at least the next four weeks. Bernard, 30, left Sunday’s victory over New Orleans in the third quarter and didn’t return. He didn’t get an offensive snap in the first two Bucs game, playing 11 special-teams snaps, including returning a kickoff 14 yards against the Saints.
There was a lot of buzz during the preseason about how good Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Mack Hollins looked. Although it wasn’t evident in the Raiders’ opener, Hollins showed his ability in their 29–23 overtime home loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Hollins, in his first season with Las Vegas, pulled down five catches on eight targets for a career-high-tying 66 yards.
When Javonte Williams got the ball, he took advantage of it with 108 total yards in Denver’s 17–16 loss Monday night in Seattle. But did the Broncos’ coaching staff notice?
Carolina’s Sept. 24 home game with Notre Dame has been set for 3:30 p.m. and will air on ESPN or ABC. It will be Notre Dame’s ninth game at Kenan Stadium, and both of UNC’s wins (although one vacated) have come in Chapel Hill.
Quarterback Mitch Trubisky may not have been dazzling in his first start for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he came up with two big throws in their game-winning overtime drive to make it a successful day. Trubisky, who said winning his first game with his new team “means a lot,” completed 21 of 38 passes for 194 yards and a touchdown and didn’t throw an interception in Pittsburgh’s wild 23–20 overtime victory Sunday in Cincinnati.
Imagine a Carolina offense with both Koby Paysour and Josh Downs as potential passing targets for Drake Maye and a defense that plays consistently well. The Tar Heels may get the former in two weeks against No. 8 Notre Dame, and while the latter didn’t happen in their 35–28 Saturday victory over Georgia State at Petit Field in Atlanta, the defense had its moments and showed some improvement by forcing seven three-and-outs.
Queen Elizabeth watched a Carolina football game in 1957 during her first visit to the United States as a monarch. As The Washington Post reported in 2017, Queen Elizabeth, who died Wednesday at age 96, requested to see her first American football game during her first visit to the United States as a monarch.
After running into the NFL spotlight during his rookie season, Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams takes on a greater role with heightened expectations. The power back and Pittsburgh quarterback Mitch Trubisky will probably be the Tar Heels who will have the brightest spotlight on them as the NFL season starts this weekend. After 29 UNC alums entered NFL camps, only 16 will be on active opening-weekend rosters, with three on practice squads, one suspended and another out for the season. Williams and Trubisky are among six Tar Heels listed as starters.
A year after being the Buffalo Bills’ backup, the Pittsburgh Steelers have indicated that Mitch Trubisky will be their starting quarterback for Sunday’s opener at Cincinnati and named him as one of five captains. Coach Mike Tomlin didn’t announce his starter. But Trubisky is listed as the starter on the Steelers’ depth chart released Monday, with former University of Pittsburgh star Kenny Pickett as the backup and Mason Randolph third string.
Like in Gene Chizik’s first stint as defensive coordinator at North Carolina, his goal is to have his defenders stay in front of the opposing players and give up short gains as long as the number of big plays is limited. The cliché is “bend but not break.” But there was a lot of breakage in the Tar Heels’ 63–61 win Saturday at Appalachian State, particularly in the Mountaineers’ 40-point fourth quarter.
BOONE — In a small two-game sample size, Drake Maye has already shown the potential to become the best quarterback in North Carolina program history. And his defense still has work to do. Maye led UNC to a thrilling 63–61 win Saturday over Appalachian State at Kidd Brewer Stadium, ending a skid of seven consecutive losses away from Chapel Hill, in an instant classic.
NFL teams had to cut their rosters down to 53 players on Tuesday, which led to terrific news for outside linebacker Tomon Fox but a disappointing day for several other former UNC players. After 29 Tar Heels were in NFL camps when they started, that number of active players is down to 18, with three others on injured reserve.
The ESPN career of former UNC center Jeff Saturday has lasted nearly a decade and he has signed a contract extension.
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