Covering Carolina athletics beyond men’s basketball and football, with dedicated reporting on women’s basketball and baseball, in addition to covering other sports that rarely draw media attention
PITTSBURGH — On the strength of tight end Shamar Easter’s 75-yard game-winning touchdown reception, he finished with a team-high 92.1 Pro Football Focus offensive grade for his nine snaps in a challenging game for UNC’s defense that was on the field for 86 snaps.
Drake Maye ended the worst three-week stretch of his young career, Javonte Williams ran for a career-high three touchdowns and Omarion Hampton scored in the fourth quarter in a good week for former Carolina players in Week 4 of the NFL season.
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.
There is a famous meme from the show “Curb Your Enthusiasm” where Larry David shrugs and gives a sort of part-grimace, part-headshake, as if to say, “meh, I don’t really know what to say.” That’s as good a summary as any of North Carolina’s 37–26 loss to Notre Dame in a rainy Kenan Stadium on Saturday.
CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina defensive end Melkart Abou Jaoude will be available for Saturday’s noon game against No. 3 Notre Dame, according to multiple reports, first by ESPN’s Pete Thamel, giving the Tar Heels their best pass rusher for the biggest home test of the season.
Drake Maye’s rough start to his third NFL season grew worse in Week 3 while New England teammate Mack Hollins had a big day, as did Dallas running back Javonte Williams and Indianapolis wide receiver Josh Downs.
When UNC seeks its third all-time win over Notre Dame and the first since 2008 on Saturday at Kenan Stadium, the Tar Heels will play at noon for the fourth consecutive game. ESPN and the ACC, which on Monday put the game on a six-day hold, announced late Saturday that it will start at noon and air on ESPN. That means that the Chase Rice show in front of the Wilson Library as part of the Chapel Thrill Concert Series will start at 9 a.m.
North Carolina football kicker Rece Verhoff and three field hockey stars can return to competition after an Indiana judge granted an injunction Wednesday that restores their fifth season of eligibility.
Several former Carolina players turned in strong Week 2 performances, topped by Los Angeles Chargers running back Omarion Hampton and Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs in losses. New England got its first win and Drake Maye outplayed Aaron Rodgers even though it was not his best day.
CLEMSON, S.C. — Buried in the snap counts and Pro Football Focus grades from UNC’s 28–20 collapse at Clemson is a reminder that not every number is grim, even in a game the Tar Heels once controlled and then let slip away.
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Carolina plays a backup quarterback in his first career start and gets burned in a loss. Carolina is in a close game with Clemson before something strange happens. Carolina has a chance to make a statement and take a big step forward but falls flat in disappointing fashion.
On Saturday in Death Valley, it was all three.
CLEMSON, S.C. — Just when 25 years of Death Valley frustration for Carolina appeared to be over after a dominant start, that was followed by an epic collapse.
North Carolina has concluded its investigation into the football program’s culture and climate, and defensive coordinator Steve Belichick has resigned effective Oct. 27, once his current medical leave ends. In addition, wide receiver Keeyun Chapman has been suspended indefinitely.
Even with the extensive financial investment in the Carolina football program, the amount of money spent on the Tar Heels’ roster is reportedly estimated to be only eighth in the ACC. That’s the conclusion of a story reported in The Athletic, which got “as many independent, trustworthy estimates as possible from people inside and outside” for 68 programs: Notre Dame and the Power Four schools.
North Carolina will be without several players for Saturday’s ACC opener at Clemson, according to the ACC’s first availability report released on Wednesday night. Defensive lineman Melkart Abou Jaoude and linebacker Jordan Avinger are listed as questionable.
