North Carolina's Focal Points Heading into Season Finale

The North Carolina Tar Heels' loss to the Duke Blue Devils in week 13 solidified a disastrous season for the football program. Hiring former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was supposed to bring stability and development.

However, the opposite transpired as distractions and unnecessary headlines followed the 73-year-old head coach because of his personal life off the field.

During the Tar Heels' defeat this past weekend, there were many problems that rose to the surface, which highlighted the coaching staff's failure to have its team prepared in a must-win game. Rudimentary fundamentals felt like pulling teeth out for North Carolina.

With all that being said, let's take a look at what the focal points should be for the Tar Heels heading into their season finale against North Carolina State.

Reduce Penalties

Nov 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Gio Lopez (7) scrambles away from Duke Blue Devils defensive tackle Josiah Green (4) during the second half at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images

The Tar Heels committed 12 penalties for 103 yards against Duke. Those penalties extended the Blue Devils' offensive drives and took North Carolina's offense out of rhythm.

Belichick spoke on this during his postgame press conference.

“There were offensive penalties. I mean, we had them both, we had too many penalties on everything, two personal fouls on offense," Belichick explained. "But it looked like an illegal formation on offense. We had a holding penalty on offense. You know, had some penalties on defense too, penalties on special teams. Too many penalties.”

Although the Tar Heels have little to play for, the coaching staff and players need to correct those issues against North Carolina State on Saturday.

Continue to Operate a Balanced Offensive Game Plan

Nov 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Gio Lopez (7) rushes around the end during the first half against the Duke Blue Devils at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images

It was the best offensive outing for North Carolina against Duke on Saturday. The Tar Heels demonstrated that they could utilize the run game to open up the passing attack. For the majority of the season, North Carolina's offense was one-dimensional, as it was overly reliant on the rushing attack as the only consistent source for offensive production.

That was not the case against Duke, as quarterback Gio Lopez had the offense humming. Now, it is important to note that the Blue Devils' defense has been one of the worst units in college football, so the Tar Heels' offensive production should be taken with a grain of salt.

Nevertheless, this was a step in the right direction, and if North Carolina can replicate this type of performance against North Carolina State, there may be hope for the program to turn things around in 2026.

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