UNC’s collapse at Clemson looms larger with difficult schedule ahead
· Yahoo Sports
North Carolina led Clemson 17-3 on Saturday, on track for its first victory at Death Valley in 25 years. However, Clemson closed on a 25-3 run, outscoring UNC 22-3 in the second half to deliver a 28-20 defeat to Bill Belichick’s program.
The Tar Heels struggled offensively after building their early lead, producing only two field goals for the rest of the game as Billy Edwards Jr. finished 13-of-30 for 135 yards. Following a late weather delay with UNC leading 17-15, Clemson scored two touchdowns in the final five minutes to seal the win.
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“In the end, they made a few more plays than we did,” Belichick said after the game. “In the last eight minutes of the game, we missed a couple of opportunities on offense and missed some tackles on defense. Had a couple long runs that obviously hurt us.”
The loss to Clemson is a critical blow as North Carolina (2-1, 0-1 ACC) missed a prime opportunity to enter October undefeated before its schedule intensifies with a brutal upcoming slate featuring four ranked opponents and four road games.
Following a bye next weekend, UNC hosts No. 4 Notre Dame on Oct. 3, followed by a demanding five-game run that includes trips to Pitt (Oct. 10) and rival Duke (Oct. 17), alongside home matchups against Syracuse and No. 6 Miami. With the exception of Syracuse, all of these upcoming opponents currently sit at 3-0 on the season.
Key highlights of the remaining schedule include hosting powerhouse programs Miami, coming off a 13-3 national championship game appearance, and Notre Dame, coming off a 10-win season in 2026.
The grueling schedule continues through the back half of the season. Following a non-conference game against UConn, the Tar Heels host No. 16 Louisville, travel to Virginia, and close out the regular season against rival NC State, who has won five straight against UNC.
For Belichick, the bye week now becomes critical. UNC has two weeks to address Edwards' inconsistent passing game, an offense that disappeared after its fast start and a defense that failed to close when Clemson finally found momentum.
North Carolina had an opportunity to make a statement about the direction of the program, but instead left Death Valley with the type of loss that could become even more costly as the schedule intensifies.
The Tar Heels had a chance to build themselves some margin for error before the schedule became more demanding, but they let it slip away.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC’s collapse at Clemson looms larger with difficult schedule ahead