A 24-20 football game leaves little room for error, with every scoring opportunity potentially making a difference. UNC walked out of Week 7 with another impressive win. For Bill Belichick, his offense did as much as it could against a tough defense, but there is still room for growth.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Speaking to the media after North Carolina’s victory over Duke on Saturday, October 17, Belichick pushed back against expectations of a high-scoring performance, questioning whether any team could realistically score 55 points against Duke’s defense.
“You think somebody’s going to go out there and score 55 points on these guys? I mean, I think you’re going to be waiting a long time for that. I mean, really,” Bill Belichick said during the postgame press conference. “There’s obviously some things that we need to keep doing better, but competition part of it’s been pretty good. We’re proud to win, but, you know, we understand we got a lot of work to do going forward.”
North Carolina looked in control early after building a 17-0 lead, but Duke gradually found its way back into the game. The Blue Devils scored 20 unanswered points to take a 20-17 lead in the fourth quarter, putting the Tar Heels at risk of losing a game they had started strongly.
One of the biggest problems for UNC was its inability to maintain its early advantage. Duke running back Nate Sheppard gave the defense trouble on the ground and through the air, finishing with 77 rushing yards and 98 receiving yards. His involvement helped Duke sustain drives and put more pressure on North Carolina as the game progressed.
North Carolina’s offense eventually responded when the game was on the line. Running back Jaylen McGill scored on a 24-yard touchdown run to put the Tar Heels back in front, 24-20, with less than two minutes remaining. The defense then closed out the win when Kenton Dopson intercepted Duke quarterback Walker Eget late in the game.
The numbers tell a similar story. North Carolina finished with 326 total yards, while Duke managed 373. The Blue Devils also had more passing yards, 249 to 191, but the Tar Heels held on for the 24-20 win. Duke converted eight of 18 third downs, while UNC managed four conversions on 12 attempts.
Belichick also discussed quarterback Billy Edwards’ performance against Duke’s pass rush, praising his ability to step up inside the pocket and find receivers over the middle. He felt the quarterback’s movement created extra time for the passing game to work.
Belichick addressed ball security after being asked about the fumbles, explaining, “We work on ball security every day.” The comments offered further context on the offensive challenges North Carolina faced during the game, even as the Tar Heels found a way to secure the win.
With the win, the Tar Heels have moved to 4-2, the same number of wins they managed in the entirety of the 2025 campaign. Next up, the Tar Heels are set to host Syracuse before their home game against current No. 1 Miami.