A 16-17 defeat against Virginia, and Chapel Hill is beaming. For it’s not every day UNC competes against a ranked team. Fans finally saw a glimpse of the GOAT-ed Bill Belichick defense promised to them when the legendary coach arrived at North Carolina. The Tar Heels even had a chance to win it when they went for a 2-point conversion instead of settling for an extra point in overtime. Next up, they have Fran Brown’s struggling Syracuse, but a QB change by the Orange could become a headache for UNC.

Syracuse is 3-5, but before Steve Angeli went down with an Achilles injury, they were 3-1. Fran Brown has failed to get a win since Rickie Collins took over the QB duties. Now, the head coach is feeling the pressure to change things. “He had a month of running the program; We went 0-4,” said Brown. With four back-to-back losses, “we gotta open that competition up.”

Over his last four performances as a starter, Collins was sacked seven times and threw seven interceptions. Meanwhile, the team recorded just five touchdowns. He was benched against Pitt after he threw three picks. His QB rating stands at 30.8, ranking No. 132, and Fran Brown is now giving other QBs on the depth chart a shot.

With such a crumbling offense under Collins, UNC’s boosted defense might have had another shot. The program that previously allowed 30+ points in three games and 20 or more against two opponents before stopping Virginia for just 17. The playbook was finally clicking. But with Brown’s plans, another surprise element has landed in front of Belichick.

Angeli is down for the rest of the season. For the UNC matchup, freshman Luke Carney and redshirt freshman Jakhari Williams are listed behind Collins. With two appearances into the season, Luke has scored one rushing TD against the Colgate Raiders, and Williams has yet to start. But one thing is certain: Syracuse HC is ramping up the QB competition. “We got another day of practice. We got another stuff.”

Collins won’t be the only quarterback on the field against UNC. Will he start? Depends on how he practices, as Brown put it. His goal is clear: “We got to do everything we can to be able to go out and try to win this football game on Friday.” So, can UNC’s defense achieve another feat against Syracuse?

Bill Belichick cracks defensive woes

Coming off an ‘F’ grade on his report card, the loss against Virginia stung a little less, for the defensive unit showed flashes of brilliance. The defense made crucial stops throughout the game. On a critical 3&2, the Tar Heels got a sack. Another sack came on the 3&7, again resulting in a negative nine yards. Totalling six sacks against Chandler Morris, UNC’s defense limited Virginia to mere 10 points in regular time. They allowed a mere 259 passing yards and another 59 yards on the ground; it seems that the Belichick era has finally begun.

For a program that boasted the second-lowest allowed sacks, they had no answer for UNC. Four of those sacks came in the second half alone. Melkart-Abou-Jaoude led with three sacks. “It’s one thing for people to say, we’re getting better, “WR Jordan Shipp said on the improvement. “But we’re now showing it.” And that promise burned brighter after the roster lodged six sacks against Chandler Morris, limiting Virginia to just 10 points in regular time.  PFF graded the UNC run defense an 80.7.

With a 2-5 record pinned on the wall, the Tar Heels have yet to win against a Power Four opponent. But their gradual climb shows promise.