North Carolina defeated Pittsburgh 21-17 on Saturday, marking coach Bill Belichick's first victory against a ranked opponent at the helm of the Tar Heels. Billy Edwards Jr. threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to Shamar Easter in the second half to break a 17-14 tie and give North Carolina the lead. Edwards finished 18-of-26 for 249 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Demon June added a rushing score. Despite a strong performance from fifth-year senior Holden Geriner, who completed 27-of-44 passes for 219 yards for Pitt, the Panthers fell to 5-2. The loss ends Pitt's hopes of starting 6-0 for the first time since 2024.
The game featured a moment of silence and video tribute to Pitt legend Mike Ditka, who died Friday at age 86. His No. 89 jersey was retired in 1997. North Carolina improves to 3-2 and snapped a ranked road win drought dating to 2020.
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing