North Carolina Earns First Power Four Win Under Bill Belichick, Defeats Syracuse 27-10

The University of North Carolina Tar Heels secured their first victory against a Power Four conference opponent today, defeating the Syracuse Orange 27-10 in a road game that marked a turning point in head coach Bill Belichick’s inaugural season.

The win, which snapped a four-game losing streak for UNC, came against a Syracuse team playing without its starting quarterback, utilizing walk-on freshman Joe Filardi, who also competes on the school’s lacrosse team. Filardi completed just 4 of 18 passes for 39 yards. Tar Heels quarterback Gio Lopez led the UNC offense, completing 15 of 19 passes for 216 yards and two touchdowns, overcoming an early 10-3 deficit. This victory offers a much-needed boost to Belichick’s program, which has faced scrutiny both on and off the field.

“Feels good. It feels great,” Belichick said after the game. “It’s good. We had a couple of opportunities the last couple of weeks that we weren’t capitalize, feels good to get this one. So, we look forward to all the rest of the games we play in the ACC.” Prior to Friday’s win, North Carolina’s victories this season were limited to Charlotte and Richmond. The team had suffered narrow defeats against California and Virginia, losing in overtime to the latter. College football rankings and schedules can be found at NCAA.com.

Belichick praised his team’s resilience, stating, “Good team win (Friday). Really have a lot of respect for the way these guys have fought all year long, but especially after a couple tough losses…Defensively, we played well, we gave up three points, a good team effort all the way around.” The Tar Heels will next face Stanford at home next Saturday, seeking to build on this momentum and improve their overall record. You can find more information about the UNC Tar Heels here.