In a much-needed comeback victory, North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick notched his first ACC win, rallying past the Syracuse Orange, 27-10, on Friday night.
The win snapped UNC’s four-game skid, improving their record to 3-5 overall and 1-3 in conference play, while Syracuse fell to 3-6 (1-5 ACC) amid their fifth consecutive defeat.
Trailing 10-6 at halftime after Syracuse’s Anwar Sparrow returned a fumble 51 yards for a touchdown, the Tar Heels unleashed a dominant second half.
Quarterback Gio Lopez orchestrated the surge, completing 15 of 19 passes for 216 yards and two scores. Standout Demon June dazzled with 101 rushing yards, including a 72-yard touchdown reception on the opening drive of the third quarter, plus a five-yard run later. Wide receiver Jordan Shipp capped the 21 unanswered points with a 21-yard touchdown reception.
“Feels good. Feels great,” Belichick said, via ESPN. “We had a couple of opportunities the last couple of weeks that we couldn’t capitalize on. It was good to get this one. So, we look forward to all the rest of the games in the ACC.
“Things didn’t go great at the beginning of the game, but then they just kept on battling and we had a really good second half defensively. We all know in football, it’s not who you play, it’s when you play them. We were probably fortunate to get them [now] as opposed to the week they played Clemson.”
This victory breathes new life into Belichick’s inaugural UNC campaign, showcasing the resilience that defined his legendary NFL tenure. As the Tar Heels eye bowl eligibility, Belichick’s college football era gains slight momentum in the competitive ACC landscape.
