The 2026 home opener for the UNC football program couldn't have gone much better.
Sure, there was an extended weather delay, but the results on the field were what everyone expected from the Tar Heels as they improved to 2-0 on the early season.
Following the win, head coach Bill Belichick spoke to the media regarding a variety of topics. He was asked about some important aspects of the win, especially the ability to get a lot of guys playing time in the blowout.
Listen to what the head coach of the UNC football program had to say below, and see the transcripts of some of his notable topics of discussion as well.
The importance of getting so many guys in the game
“It worked out that way. The delay was a part of it too. But I think the big thing was the players who played in the first three quarters gave us a pretty solid effort. We definitely improved from last week in our execution, our communication, just in our ability to operate without some of the hiccups that we had in Ireland. So that’s like it should be.
“It was the decision of whether you want to rewarm everybody up and put them back out there with a 35-point lead or try to get those guys out and let some guys that hadn’t played as much allow them to warm up, play, and be ready to go.”
Thoughts on Billy Edwards Jr.
“He (Billy Edwards Jr.) went through his progression and did a nice job with the reads. What I was referring to was the checks that he made. They gave us some overload blitzes. He was able to get the ball and the plays called away from the strength of the defense we had some good runs. The backs ran well, but Billy was a big part of that too because he was able to get us into those plays. So again, it was just a good job all the way around. Good execution.”
Demon June and the depth at the running back position
“You can never really have too many players, and sometimes in September, you look at your depth and think, well, we got a lot here, and then you get to the middle of October and November, and you don’t have any depth, so it can change in a hurry. We’re fortunate that we have that kind of competition and those kind of players at that position, and hopefully we’ll have that for a long time. But that can be very fragile in football. So, you’re always a couple plays away from not having it. So we’re glad we have it now, and we’ll keep using it, and hope we can keep it that way.”
Peyton Seelman's improvement
“Peyton’s (Seelman) been improving pretty steadily since he’s been here, going back to the spring and even in the summer, and then training camp. Just seems to get more and more comfortable with the defense. This is quite a bit different than the way they played at Richmond, and he played well there. And that’s a very good defensive system too. They’re well coached and they do a good job. We’re just a little bit different than they are, and so he’s he’s picked things up. He’s pretty instinctive. He’s a good tackler. He’s fast. Definitely gets the nose and can find the ball.”
Where the defense consistency has come from
“Players playing good team defense is where it starts. You can’t give up big plays. When you give up long touchdown passes, you don’t have a chance to stop them in the red area. So if we don’t give up big plays and make them drive it, hopefully we can make plays somewhere along the way to knock them off, get behind the chains, get them in long yardage, and then make a stop or make a good play on third down to get off the field.”
The difference in tight end play so far this season
“It’s been a huge difference. Jelani’s (Thurman) been a real weapon for us. Again, anytime you get a good player in the middle of the field where he has the options to go down the field or go across or go outside, he just has a lot more space to work in than a permanent receiver does. And obviously, he’s a big target, and he’s good with the ball in his hands.
Having a tight end has been an important part of the offense. Coach Petrino does a great job of utilizing players in that position, and it’s a tough matchup on defense. Hard to find somebody to cover those guys.”
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