Bill Belichick’s Major Win Against a Ranked Opponent

Bill Belichick achieved a significant milestone in his college coaching career on Saturday. North Carolina defeated No. 25 Pittsburgh 21-17 at Acrisure Stadium, marking Belichick’s first victory over a ranked foe as UNC’s head coach.

This triumph was also North Carolina’s first over a ranked team since overcoming No. 25 Miami in 2023, and it was their first road victory against a ranked opponent since toppling No. 9 Miami in 2020.

“Gutsy performance. Kept battling against a good football team,” Belichick stated during ESPN’s postgame broadcast. “We just kept hanging in there. We made a couple big plays, and they made a couple too. They’re a good football team.”

The game saw Belichick’s team initially trail 10-0 before mounting a comeback in the second quarter. Quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. connected with tight end Jelani Thurman for a 7-yard touchdown pass, reducing the gap to 10-7.

UNC captured the lead late in the third quarter with Demon June’s 1-yard touchdown run, moving ahead 14-10. Pittsburgh responded with a quick seven-play, 75-yard drive, capped by a 1-yard touchdown run by La’Vell Wright, reclaiming a 17-14 lead.

Edwards and UNC replied swiftly, as Edwards linked up with tight end Shamar Easter for a 75-yard touchdown on the very next play, giving North Carolina a 21-17 lead that stood for the rest of the match.

With this win, North Carolina advanced to 3-2, moving closer to repeating its previous season’s win tally, where they ended 4-8. The Tar Heels aim to secure their second consecutive victory facing archrival Duke next week.

Conversely, Pittsburgh suffered its first defeat of the season, dropping to 5-1, and will prepare to play against Boston College in their forthcoming game.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Ryan Canfield is a digital production assistant for Fox News Digital.