Bill Belichick finally got the college win he had been chasing. In Week 6, North Carolina beat No. 25 Pittsburgh 21-17 at Acrisure Stadium. It was Belichick’s first win over a ranked opponent as the Tar Heels coach. UNC had not beaten a ranked team since it defeated No. 25 Miami in 2023. While Pat McAfee offered congratulations to Belichick on his show, he added a warning too.
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“I think North Carolina would be a problem for the team,” Pat McAfee said on The Pat McAfee Show. “They could get smacked by teams that have five stars across the board. I think if you don’t have that, he’s in the perfect conference because that conference doesn’t have a whole ton of teams with five stars across the board.”
“Miami, I would say, down in the ACC, is the only team that is packed to the gills with five-star talent. Not that that’s what you need to win it all, but it seems like when the big games come, they do end up winning.”
Against Pittsburgh, UNC trailed 10-0 after the first quarter. The Panthers were playing without starting quarterback Mason Heintschel. Over the next two quarters, UNC didn’t allow a single point and managed to take a 14-10 lead in the third.
The Panthers rallied in the fourth, but Billy Edwards Jr. then threw a 75-yard touchdown to Shamar Easter for the go-ahead score. The defense stopped Pitt on downs at the UNC 21 to seal it. The Tar Heels moved to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the ACC.
Miami’s roster backs up McAfee’s point. Out of the 30 Hurricanes signees in 2026, 21 were blue-chip prospects. No other ACC school has more than 12 in its class. Offensive lineman Jackson Cantwell, the No. 1 overall recruit in 2026, picked Miami over Georgia, Oregon, and Ohio State. The Hurricanes also reached the national championship game against Indiana in January. Their 2027 class already holds five five-star commits, one behind Texas A&M.
McAfee has lived this story before. After UNC’s opening drive against TCU in 2025, McAfee said he and others believed Kenan Stadium would host a playoff game. TCU won 48-14. This September, McAfee picked UNC to win the ACC on College GameDay. He was the only panelist to do so. Desmond Howard, Nick Saban and Lainey Wilson all picked Miami.
McAfee sees one way Belichick can close that gap. He said college may suit the 74-year-old coach because he can mold young players into adults more than he did in the NFL. The early signs back him up. Belichick called the 2026 class “really our first recruiting class,” and it ranks 12th nationally. He also looks calmer this season.
It was the head coach’s first visit to Acrisure Stadium since a 21-18 New England Patriots win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. This time, he grinned after the game. ESPN’s Quint Kessenich pointed out a third quarter with three combined interceptions. Belichick joked that the first quarter was worse.
Currently, Belichick is putting his focus on getting ready for Duke. That trip comes first. Then Miami will visit Chapel Hill on Halloween night. The Hurricanes will bring the five-star depth McAfee described, and the Pitt win will not be able to shield the Tar Heels from it.