UNC EARNS BELICHICK'S FIRST ROAD WIN OVER RANKED OPPONENT AS HEAD COACH

Bill Belichick secured his first road win over a ranked opponent as a college head coach after North Carolina came from behind to beat Pittsburgh. The win followed two consecutive defeats for the Tar Heels. Belichick told ESPN afterwards that it was a "gutsy performance" against "a good football team" that is "well-coached". He said both sides made big plays in what he called "a weird flow of a game". Asked about the comeback following a difficult opening quarter, he said the start had in fact been even worse than it appeared.

Pittsburgh took an early lead, driving 75 yards before La'Vell Wright scored a two-yard touchdown. The Panthers added a field goal to extend their advantage to 10-0, before North Carolina responded with a seven-yard touchdown pass from Billy Edwards Jr. to Jelani Thurman. Pittsburgh held a 10-7 lead at halftime. North Carolina's defence turned the game in the third quarter, with Greg Smith intercepting a pass in the end zone and Tre Miller taking another interception near midfield. Pittsburgh regained the lead 17-14 in the fourth quarter, before North Carolina rallied to win.

The result was reported as the biggest win of Belichick's college coaching career to date, and his first victory on the road against a ranked side as a head coach. It came after North Carolina had lost its previous two games. Belichick's post-match remarks focused on his players' persistence rather than the scale of the result, stressing that both teams had produced big plays throughout the contest. Neither he nor the published accounts detailed North Carolina's next fixture.