How Well Did the Tar Heels' Execute Belichick's Gameplan

The North Carolina Tar Heels closed out their season with a lopsided loss to the North Carolina State Wolfpack in Week 14. It was a dominant performance by the Wolfpack, who imposed their will on both sides of the ball.

Earlier this week, head coach Bill Belichick provided key factors on offense and defense, explaining what his team would have to keep tabs on if it wanted to win.

With that being said, let's take a look at those thoughts and assess how the Tar Heels performed.

Belichick's Keys Against North Carolina State's Offense

Nov 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick watches play during the first half against the Duke Blue Devils at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images

"Offensively, [North Carolina State] has a lot of explosive players, starting with the quarterback [CJ] Bailey, he's a problem," Belichick said. "They have two really good running backs with [Hollywood] smothers and [Jayden] Scott. Smothers leads the league and yards after contact. He's hard to bring down. He's very good at the ball in his hands."

Well, it is safe to say that North Carolina's defense was unable to contain CJ Bailey, as the quarterback completed 21-of-30 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns. The sophomore quarterback added 65 rushing yards on eight carries.

Meanwhile, Hollywood Smothers and Jayden Scott were not needed, with backup quarterback Will Wilson rushing for four touchdowns. North Carolina State's offense did whatever it wanted to, scoring on six of eight drives.

Nov 29, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey (11) with the ball during the first half of the game against North Carolina Tar Heels at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

There is a lot of firepower there offensively, and they've hung up some points on a lot of people," Belichick continued. " Their offensive line, again, couple of those guys have been banged up, but are a big, strong, physical group that protects the quarterback and gets the running game going. So overall, a really solid team - well put together, well coached. They play with very good fundamentals and don't make a lot of mistakes."

Belichick understood how explosive Bailey and this offense can be when it is given space and time to operate. However, that is exactly what the 73-year-old head coach supplied the Wolfpack, as North Carolina State scored 28 points in the first half. The Wolfpack scored on all four offensive possessions in the first 30 minutes of the game.

Nov 29, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack wide receiver Keenan Jackson (8) runs with the ball guarded by North Carolina Tar Heels defensive back Tre Miller (15) during the second half of the game at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

"it's overall just execution, and that's everybody involved. It's not just the quarterback; it's the receivers [offensive line], and the timing of the plays," Belichick said. "I think our execution has improved over the course of the year. Hopefully it continues to improve. I think that's helped our production offensively."

The offensive production did not improve. In fact, it took a step back, and the energy was reflective of the current state of the football program. The Tar Heels lacked energy and juice, and with the defense conceding points on each and every drive in the first half, it was difficult for North Carolina to execute a controlled and organized offensive gameplan.

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