(Photo: Icon/Sportswire)
Notre Dame heads to Chapel Hill Saturday for its first meeting with North Carolina since 2022, and there is obviously a very different name standing on the opposite sideline this time.
Bill Belichick is in his second season at North Carolina, and the Tar Heels enter the game 2-1 after an open week. They defeated TCU 15-10 in Dublin, handled East Tennessee State 35-3 and then lost 28-20 at Clemson in a game they led 17-6 at halftime. So before the Irish head into Kenan Stadium, here is your FIP 101 on the North Carolina Tar Heels.
THE QUICK READ
Head Coach: Bill Belichick — second season at North Carolina
Record: 2-1
Last Game: Lost at Clemson, 28-20
Offensive Coordinator: Bobby Petrino
Defensive Play-Caller: Brian Belichick — Defensive Backs/Safeties Coach
Quarterback: Billy Edwards Jr. — 611 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
Top Running Back: Benjamin Hall — coming off 130 yards at Clemson
Top Receiving Threat: Jelani Thurman
Defensive Player to Know: Xavier Lewis — 6 sacks, 8.5 TFL in 3 games
Scoring Offense: 23.3 points per game
Scoring Defense: 13.7 points per game
One Thing to Know: North Carolina was off last week, giving Bill Belichick two weeks to prepare for Notre Dame.
HEAD COACH: BILL BELICHICK
Bill Belichick needs no introduction. But his résumé is worth a quick reminder.
Belichick won six Super Bowls in 24 seasons as head coach of the New England Patriots, building one of the greatest dynasties in professional sports. He took New England to nine Super Bowls, won 17 division championships and holds the NFL record with 31 playoff victories as a head coach. Before New England, he won two more Super Bowls as defensive coordinator of the New York Giants, giving him eight Super Bowl championships overall — the most in NFL history. He was also named AP NFL Coach of the Year three times.
Now, at 74 years old, one of the most accomplished coaches in the history of football is in his second season trying to build a college program at North Carolina. And this week, Belichick gets something every coach would like before facing Notre Dame: two weeks to prepare. North Carolina was off last Saturday.
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: BOBBY PETRINO
Bobby Petrino has been designing offenses for more than four decades.
The former Carroll College quarterback has been a head coach at Louisville, Arkansas, Western Kentucky and Missouri State, along with a stint as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. He also developed Lamar Jackson during Jackson’s 2016 Heisman Trophy season at Louisville. Petrino spent the previous two seasons running the offense at Arkansas before Bill Belichick brought him to Chapel Hill for 2026.
Through three games, the North Carolina offense has been more effective on the ground than through the air. The best example came at Clemson, where the Tar Heels rushed for a season-high 214 yards and controlled the first half. UNC ran for 112 yards before halftime, built a 17-6 lead and held the ball for more than 33 minutes before Clemson rallied for a 28-20 victory. Benjamin Hall led that effort with 130 yards on 18 carries, while Demon June added 57 yards. Through three games, Hall has been North Carolina’s leading rusher each week.
Petrino has always been known for finding ways to create favorable matchups and getting the football to his best players. One player to watch early is tight end Jelani Thurman, whom North Carolina moves around the formation and has featured prominently in its scripted offense. And that scripted offense has been effective. Against TCU and Clemson, North Carolina scored 24 combined first-quarter points. Over the final three quarters of those two games, the Tar Heels managed only three field goals. Once opponents have adjusted, sustaining offense has been much more difficult.
Against Notre Dame, the challenge will be considerable. The Irish enter Saturday allowing just 53.8 rushing yards per game, fifth-best in the country. If North Carolina is going to make Notre Dame uncomfortable, Petrino will have to find a way to run the football against one of the best run defenses in the country.
QUARTERBACK: BILLY EDWARDS JR.
Billy Edwards Jr. has taken the long road to Chapel Hill.
The 6-foot-3, 220-pound graduate student began his career at Wake Forest before transferring to Maryland, where he developed into a productive Big Ten quarterback. In 2024, Edwards started 11 games for the Terrapins and ranked second in the conference with 261.9 passing yards per game. He transferred to Wisconsin in 2025, but injuries limited him to just two games before he moved again, this time to North Carolina.
Through three games as a Tar Heel, Edwards has completed 44 of 78 passes for 611 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. He threw for 232 yards in UNC’s 15-10 season-opening victory over TCU and 244 yards with two touchdowns against East Tennessee State.
His toughest afternoon came at Clemson. Edwards completed just 13 of 30 passes for 135 yards, one touchdown and one interception and was sacked three times. North Carolina was able to compensate by rushing for 214 yards, but when Clemson eventually slowed the running game and forced UNC to throw, the Tar Heels had trouble generating offense. The vertical passing game has been particularly limited. Edwards has generally protected the football and taken what defenses give him, but North Carolina has not consistently shown the ability to threaten opponents down the field. That makes staying ahead of the chains especially important.
Edwards isn’t a true dual-threat quarterback, but his Maryland résumé shows he can be effective as a runner when called upon, particularly around the goal line. He scored 13 rushing touchdowns during his three seasons at Maryland, including seven in 2023. Against Notre Dame, however, the challenge through the air will be substantial. The Irish enter Saturday allowing just 145.5 passing yards per game, ninth-best in the country.
RUNNING BACKS: BENJAMIN HALL AND DEMON JUNE
Benjamin Hall has emerged as North Carolina’s No. 1 back.
The redshirt junior has led the Tar Heels in rushing in each of their first three games, and his best performance came against Clemson. Hall carried 18 times for a career-high 130 yards and also caught a 15-yard touchdown pass. Nine of his 19 touches produced first downs.
Behind him is sophomore Demon June, who gives North Carolina another productive option. June scored three rushing touchdowns against East Tennessee State and followed that with 58 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries at Clemson. Hall and June combined for 188 of North Carolina’s 214 rushing yards at Clemson, giving the Tar Heels their best rushing performance of the season.
That makes this one of Saturday’s more interesting matchups: North Carolina is coming off its best rushing performance of the season. Notre Dame is allowing just 53.8 rushing yards per game.
DEFENSE: ANOTHER BELICHICK IS CALLING THE PLAYS
There has been a change on the North Carolina defensive staff, but the last name remains the same. Brian Belichick, Bill Belichick’s younger son, is North Carolina’s defensive backs and safeties coach and has taken over the defensive play-calling duties following the departure of his brother Steve. Brian spent nine seasons with the New England Patriots, including five as the team’s safeties coach.
Whatever the title, North Carolina has played good defense. The Tar Heels are allowing just 13.7 points and 312.3 yards per game. Opponents have scored only four offensive touchdowns in three games, and UNC has already produced 10 sacks while forcing six turnovers.
The season opener provided the first indication that this defense might be legitimate. North Carolina held TCU scoreless for the final 49 minutes of a 15-10 victory, forcing three turnovers on downs and recovering a fumble. TCU had entered the game having scored at least 28 points in 30 consecutive nonconference regular-season games. The defense was impressive again early at Clemson. The Tigers managed only 49 yards on their first five possessions, and UNC went nearly 150 minutes of game action without allowing a touchdown before Clemson finally broke through in the third quarter.
The strength is up front. North Carolina has shown it can pressure the quarterback, using movement, twists and stunts to create favorable matchups and free its pass rushers. One player in particular has emerged as one of the most disruptive defensive linemen in college football. His name is Xavier Lewis.
PLAYER TO KNOW: XAVIER LEWIS
Xavier Lewis is “small” but mighty — and maybe a little scary.
At 6-foot and 260 pounds, Lewis isn’t an imposing figure by modern defensive-line standards. But the sophomore from Raleigh has become one of the most disruptive defensive linemen in college football. Lewis has six sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss, averaging 2.0 sacks and 2.83 tackles for loss per game. Both figures lead the ACC.
His breakout started immediately. In North Carolina’s season-opening victory over TCU in Dublin, Lewis had seven tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks, earning ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors and MVP honors for the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. He added two more sacks against Clemson.
Saturday presents an intriguing strength-against-strength matchup. Lewis and North Carolina have been getting to quarterbacks. Notre Dame has been keeping people away from CJ Carr. The Irish are allowing only 0.5 sacks per game, fourth-best in the country, and just 2.0 tackles for loss per game, third-best nationally. No. 90 will be one of the North Carolina players worth finding before every snap.
ONE NUMBER TO REMEMBER: 13.7
That’s how many points per game North Carolina is allowing through three games. The Tar Heels held TCU to 10 points, East Tennessee State to three, and Clemson to 28. Opponents have scored only four offensive touchdowns against North Carolina all season, and this isn’t simply a bend-but-don’t-break defense. North Carolina has 10 sacks and six takeaways in three games.
Now comes a very different test. Notre Dame is averaging 42.3 points per game, 17th nationally, and has scored at least 41 points in three of its first four games. North Carolina is allowing 13.7. Notre Dame is scoring 42.3. Something WILL give.
LAST TIME THEY MET
Notre Dame’s last trip to Chapel Hill came in 2022, and Marcus Freeman badly needed a win. The Irish had opened Freeman’s first season as head coach with losses to Ohio State and Marshall before finally beating Cal. Notre Dame arrived at North Carolina just 1-2.
Then the offense came alive. After failing to score on its first two possessions, Notre Dame scored on seven of its next eight drives and rolled up 576 yards of offense in a 45-32 victory. Drew Pyne threw for 289 yards and three touchdowns, while the Irish rushed for a season-high 287 yards.
And that afternoon produced a breakout performance from Audric Estimé. Estimé carried 17 times for a then-career-high 134 yards and two touchdowns, recording the first 100-yard rushing game of his Notre Dame career. The victory was also Freeman’s first road win as Notre Dame’s head coach. Four years later, Freeman returns to Chapel Hill with a very different Notre Dame program.
BOTTOM LINE
North Carolina is 2-1, rested and has had two weeks to prepare for Notre Dame. Bill Belichick is one of the greatest coaches in the history of football, Bobby Petrino has an experienced quarterback and a running game that just produced 214 yards at Clemson, and the Tar Heel defense is allowing only 13.7 points per game. There are reasons for Notre Dame to pay attention.
But there is also a reason the Irish are roughly a three-touchdown favorite. Notre Dame enters Chapel Hill 4-0, averaging 42.3 points per game while allowing just 8.3. The Irish have won 14 consecutive games by double digits and own the nation’s No. 1 total defense.
For North Carolina, the formula isn’t complicated. Run the football, let Xavier Lewis and the defensive front create problems for CJ Carr, avoid turnovers and keep the game close long enough for Belichick to make things interesting in the fourth quarter. North Carolina has already shown it can make a talented team uncomfortable. Bill Belichick has had two weeks to prepare, and the Tar Heel defense is good enough to make Notre Dame work for a while.
But Notre Dame has too much on both sides of the football. Eventually, the Irish defense takes control and Notre Dame pulls away.
The Line: Notre Dame -21.5
FIP Prediction: Notre Dame 38, North Carolina 13