Bill Belichick earns first ranked win in UNC tenure

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Bill Belichick and North Carolina Tar Heels just spoiled Pitt’s 15 seconds of fame. Just a week after Pitt got its well-deserved top 25 AP ranking, it’s gone after a 21-17 upset loss.

When Bill Belichick took the job at UNC, it was surrounded by a lot of hype. His debut season did end the way many imagined. The Tar Heels finished 4-8 last season and are already on track to top that win total this year.

Pitt started the game fast with a 10-0 lead, but UNC stuck around all game. The Tar Heels held a 14-10 lead going into the fourth quarter and relied on their defense the rest of the way.

Quarterback Holden Gernier threw an interception on each of the first two offensive drives for the Panthers in the second half.

With 1:17 left in the game, Pitt had the ball on their side of the field but did not get a single first down and turned it over on downs.

After a huge upset win on the road against Pitt, this is the game Belichick needed to finally do what he was hired to do: win.

The Tar Heels hit the road next week against undefeated and reigning ACC champion Duke. Kickoff is Saturday, October 17 at 3:30 p.m. ET.