Bill Belichick may come from a defensive background, but he’ll take wins however he can get them. Early in the season, it seemed like the recipe for success was being the last man standing in a rock fight. Now, his Tar Heels have shown the capability to engage in a shootout, scoring at least 30 points in three consecutive games — the program’s longest such streak since 2024.
And while UNC still carries a relatively low profile nationally, advanced metrics are higher on the Tar Heels. FEI, which measures a team’s efficiency per possession adjusted for opponent, ranks the Carolina offense 27th in the FBS. According to Inside Carolina’s Greg Barnes, that’s within range of star-studded UNC offenses of the past with the likes of Drake Maye and Sam Howell.
UNC’s success in the red zone has plenty to do with those numbers. Through nine games, the Tar Heels are tied for 10th nationally in red zone efficiency, with 31 scores in 33 red zone possessions. Carolina has scored on 13 consecutive red zone possessions, with 10 of those scores being touchdowns.
“It’s the first thing we did when we got to training camp,” Belichick said Monday. “First thing we did was start on the red area and the goal line. Because points are involved, both keeping them off the board and putting them on the board. It’s been the No. 1 thing since the start of training camp. That’s how much importance we place on it. It’s good to see some positive results.”
It was Belichick who made the move to switch up UNC’s offensive brain trust in the offseason, firing Freddie Kitchens and bringing in veteran offensive guru Bobby Petrino. Petrino has built high-powered offenses at practically every one of his stops, including the Louisville program UNC faces tomorrow. And while Billy Edwards is no Lamar Jackson, Tar Heel center Christo Kelly said Petrino quickly made a strong impression in the Kenan Football Center.
“It was clear early on that Coach Petrino was the real deal,” Kelly remembered. “Just a good old-fashioned ball coach. He’s gonna rip you, but he’s also gonna be one of the first guys to tell you ‘Good job’ if you’re doing something well. That respect that everyone in the building, especially on offense, has for him – when he talks, everyone’s listening.”
The partnership between Petrino and Edwards has flourished across the past few weeks. In his last four games, Edwards has completed 99-of-141 passes for more than 1,000 yards with 10 touchdowns and just two turnovers. This after Edwards had thrown five interceptions in UNC’s previous three games.
Edwards’ 18 touchdown passes this season are already a career high, and he surpassed 300 passing yards for the first time as a Tar Heel in UNC’s loss against Miami on Halloween. Still, Edwards claims he doesn’t care about his personal stats: whether he throws for 5 yards or 500, all he wants to do is win.
“One of the things I’ve always prided myself on and tried to stay true to is not getting too high, not getting too low,” Edwards said. “It could be a game where we’re gonna have to throw the ball 50 times, it could be a game where I have no passing touchdowns. I don’t know. But I think the important part of playing the quarterback position is you have to ready for both, you have to be prepared for both. That’s my job throughout the week, is to be prepared for whatever the defense is gonna throw at us and however the game’s gonna transpire.”
The gameplan for Louisville no doubt makes note of the fact that the Cardinals’ passing defense ranks dead last in the ACC – one spot below the Miami defense which Edwards sliced and diced two weeks ago. That Louisville enters the game 6-3 is a testament to its powerful offense, one which ranks near the top of the FBS in rushing.
Like the game against the Hurricanes on Halloween, it could be another shootout in Kenan. And this time, the Tar Heels are confident they have the tools to come out on top.
Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications
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