Bill Belichick achieved a major milestone in his college coaching career with a significant victory. North Carolina secured a 21-17 win against No. 25 Pittsburgh at Acrisure Stadium. This marks Belichick’s first win over a ranked team as the head coach of UNC.
This victory is a noteworthy achievement for UNC, as they had not defeated a ranked opponent since a 2023 win over Miami. Additionally, it is their first road triumph against a ranked team since overcoming Miami in 2020.
“Gutsy performance. Kept battling against a good football team,” said Belichick during an ESPN postgame broadcast. “We just kept hanging in there. We made a couple big plays, and they made a couple too. They’re a good football team.”
The game began with UNC trailing 10-0. Quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. initiated the comeback in the second quarter by connecting with tight end Jelani Thurman for a 7-yard touchdown, reducing the score to 10-7.
Late in the third quarter, UNC took its first lead with Demon June’s 1-yard touchdown run, making it 14-10. Pittsburgh quickly responded. Running back La’Vell Wright completed a 75-yard drive with a short touchdown run, regaining the lead for Pitt at 17-14.
However, Edwards quickly turned the game in UNC’s favor again. He threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to tight end Shamar Easter on the first play of the next possession. This gave UNC a 21-17 lead that they maintained until the end of the match.
The win advances North Carolina to a 3-2 record. They are now one victory away from matching last season’s total, when the Tar Heels ended 4-8. They aim to build on this momentum against Duke next week.
Meanwhile, Pittsburgh dropped to a 5-1 record and will prepare to face Boston College in their upcoming game.