CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - OCTOBER 24: Wide receiver Jordan Shipp #1 of the North Carolina Tar Heels looks on prior to his game against the Syracuse Orange at Kenan Stadium on October 24, 2026 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Matt Kelley/Getty Images) | Getty Images

This seems like one of those times when a picture is worth 1,000 opening words:

QB play for JUST this weekends games. Up first is the Power 4. What the heck Gunner Stockton lol Billy Edwards has a heck of a performance against Miami. Hank Brown, Tommy Carr, LaNorris Sellers also up there on top right QBs pic.twitter.com/ZPIUzepHKr
— CFBNumbers (@CFBNumbers) November 1, 2026

That’s Billy Edwards Jr in the upper right hand corner, with the best QB performance of the week. It’s hands-down Edwards’ best game of his college career. Coming after somehow dirting a wide-open touchdown against Syracuse, Edwards was precise in his reads, timing, and ball location. It’s one of the best offensive performances we’ve seen in a UNC uniform this century, right up there with anything Drake, Sam, Omarion, Josh, Javonte, or the other luminary offensive Tar Heels have produced. It was a performance for the ages.

Bobby Petrino owned the Miami defense

Billy and his offense executed it. Petrino designed it. Here’s a Hurricanes film analyst breaking down two plays the epitomized the night for UNC and the value of Petrino as an offensive coordinator:

Miami LOVES to send third level blitzes on first down to stop the run. UNC knew it. They saw the blitzing safety and immediately hit the bunch spacing concept opposite for a high school wide open first down.@OrangeBowlBoys SOTG pic.twitter.com/GDEaBpXB6n
— Roman #OBB (@Romancane) November 1, 2026

The simulated pressure package was lunch for the UNC offense. One step is all it took for the UNC offense to take advantage on 3rd and 10. We build the case over at STUDENT OF THE GAME. For the fans-from the fans@OrangeBowlBoys pic.twitter.com/KubCjo3hO7
— Roman #OBB (@Romancane) November 1, 2026

The only reason UNC lost that game was the UNC defense allowed Miami to score on six of its seven possessions. Miami punted five times each against Wake Forest and Florida State. Miami punted just once against UNC. Two punts probably wins that game. Miami has a ferocious offense, but it’s not been unstoppable, just relentless.

How the Metrics see the Tar Heels: 46th nationally

The three composites combined now rate UNC the 46th best team in the country, moving up six spots after the loss to Miami. Eight games into the season, that’s dramatic improvement over last season. This team now ranks in the same tier as the two Drake Maye seasons, which feels about right — moments where the play makes you feel good with some losses that feel like wasted opportunities.

Observations: The average rating for the offense has jumped over 70 spots from the end of last season, which is a remarkable turn-around. The defense has moved up almost 25 spots from the end of last season.

Overall: 46th

FEI: 46 SP+: 53 FPI: 33

Offense: 37th

FEI: 31 SP+: 55 FPI: 27

Defense: 54th

FEI: 57 SP+: 51 FPI: 53

ACC Rank: 8th

FEI: 7th SP+: 11th FPI: 5th

Where UNC’s offense and defense rank in the ACC according to SP+

SP+ wasn’t as impressed by the offense or disturbed by the defense against Miami, continuing to rate the offense in the bottom half of the conference and the defense in the top half.

How past and future opponents fared last weekend

Note: Blend is the team’s current ranking average in the three major CFB metrics (SP+, FEI, and FPI) out of 138 teams.

TCU (4-4). Blend 41 (+1): UNC won

TCU trailed Kansas 13-0 at the half but pulled out a 22-16 win over the Jawhawks for their second P4 win of the season. Sonny Dykes might not last the season.

ETSU (6-3). Blend N/A: UNC won.

The Bucs lost to Tennessee Tech 24-17, a result that likely dooms their distant FCS playoff hopes.

Clemson (5-3). Blend 48 (+5): UNC lost.

Clemson‘s offense — for only the second time this season — looked good against an FBS opponent, downing FSU 36-24. The Seminoles defense showed a lot of quit in that game, and FSU finally pulled the plug on Mike Norvell afterwards.

Notre Dame (6-1). Blend 21 (+1): UNC lost.

Notre Dame got caught looking ahead to Miami and trailed Navy at the half 14-13. The Irish pulled away 35-14 in the second.

Pittsburgh: (6-3). Blend 40 (+1): UNC won.

Pitt beat Georgia Tech 34-11 to snap a three-game losing streak. Pitt’s QB Holden Geriner recorded a QBR of 23.8 against the Yellow Jackets, which might end up being the worst QBR rating to win a game in the ACC this season. Brent Key’s in trouble.

Duke (6-2). Blend 36 (+11): UNC won.

Duke thumped Boston College 47-2. Diaz’s name is being circulated as a candidate for the job at Florida State.

Syracuse (4-4). Blend 74 (+2): UNC lost.

The Orange destroyed SMU’s playoff hopes, downing the Mustangs 30-27. Angeli continued to look like the QB everyone expected him to be at the beginning of the year, not the disaster against Cal and Pitt that forced his benching.

Miami (8-0). Blend 4 (-): UNC lost.

Having to beat a team as good as Miami plus the officials usually doesn’t work out.

Connecticut (4-4). Blend 84 (-): Lost to Air Force 35-26. This one’s a must-win for UNC’s bowl hopes this season and Belichick’s potential contract extension. Better be a W.

Louisville (5-3). Blend 22 (+3): Stomped Stanford 52-24 while being the team they’ve been all season: incredibly explosive on offense, even more so than Miami, and leaky as heck on defense. Still an L.

Virginia (4-5). Blend 61 (-7): Wake Forest boat-raced the ‘Hoos 51-7. The Cavaliers struck gold in the portal last season, but this round they struck out. The season feels like it’s beginning to circle the drain for head coach Tony Elliott and his Cavaliers. The bottom feels like it’s about to give out for this team, so the rating moves to a W.

NC State (4-4). Blend 68 (+6): The Wolfpack fired Dave Doeren, and the team rallied to beat Cal convincingly 31-10. How long will this team continue to rally around interim coach Todd...

Tarheelcomrssindex

Message History

Delivery option(s)