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Down 10-0 after the first quarter, North Carolina rallied for a 21-17 win over No. 25 Pitt. It marks UNC’s first win over a ranked opponent under Bill Belichick (its first since 2023) and the first time the Tar Heels have overcome a 10-point deficit to win a game since Oct. 29, 2022—which was also a win over Pitt, 42-24.
The Tar Heels (3-2, 1-1 in the ACC) took advantage of Pitt (5-1, 2-1 ACC) being without its starting quarterback, Mason Heintschel, and held the Panthers’ offense well below its 38.4 points-per-game average. Backup Holden Greiner threw two interceptions in his first start.
“Gusty win,” Belichick said shortly after the game to ESPN reporter Quint Kessenich. “We just kept hanging in there. We made a couple of big plays, and they did too.”
Offseason Turmoil
North Carolina’s big win comes in the aftermath of a rocky offseason, which included an investigation that led to the resignations of general manager Michael Lombardi and defensive coordinator Steve Belichick.
Lombardi resigned from the program effective Sept. 3, a few days after the Tar Heels’ season-opening win over TCU. Lombardi had been placed on administrative leave in late July as part of the investigation. Belichick resigned on Sept. 17 via a university statement. The resignation will come into effect on Oct. 27, when Belichick concludes his ongoing medical leave. The son of head coach Bill Belichick, Steve’s resignation came as the school simultaneously announced the end of its investigation into the culture and climate of the Tar Heels football program.
“The investigation determined that certain actions demonstrated a disregard for Carolina’s values and standards of conduct,” the university said in the September statement. “The investigation also found that these actions were isolated in scope and not a systemic failure.”
Roster Overhaul
On the field, North Carolina appears to have turned the corner from last season’s 4-8 finish after Saturday’s win. Belichick, who signed a five-year, $50 million contract in December 2024, has completely overhauled North Carolina’s roster.
In year one, he relied heavily on the transfer portal to flip the Tar Heels’s roster. According to 247Sports, the 2025 North Carolina team added 41 transfers and had 50 players transfer out. This past year’s strategy was much more high school-focused. North Carolina signed 40 high school prospects, added 19 transfers, while 32 players transferred out. The result was a recruiting class that finished No. 22 nationally, according to 247Sports.
On to Durham
Now, the Tar Heels are a few wins away from returning to bowl eligibility this year. Following his biggest win at North Carolina to date, Belichick delivered a classic response when asked what was next for the program.
“Yeah, we’ll just get ready for Duke,” Belichick said.
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