4 Winners, 2 Losers From UNC Football's Victory Over UConn

The North Carolina Tar Heels ended their two-game skid, defeating the UConn Huskies 38-21 on Saturday.

Here are the Tar Heels' winners and losers from the team’s much-needed Week 10 victory.

Winners

Bill Belichick

North Carolina should already have clinched postseason play, but it's blown a couple of opportunities earlier in the season. Nonetheless, with Saturday's result, the Tar Heels are one win away from punching their ticket to a bowl game. At a minimum, North Carolina needs to feature in a bowl game if Belichick wants any chance of retaining his job in 2027.

Benjamin Hall

Billy Edwards Jr.'s early struggles were glaring and prevented the offense from maintaining drives. Hall's 39-yard touchdown run in the second quarter on third down may have been the Tar Heels' saving grace. Jaylen McGill and Demon June each took the field before Hall, which was certainly eye-opening.

However, from that point forward, Belichick and the coaching staff leaned on Hall on the ground, and he was a reliable safety blanket on check-downs. Hall's emergence in this game was monumental in the Tar Heels leaving Week 10 with a win.

Jelani Thurman

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Jelani Thurman has been a revelation for the Tar Heels at the tight end position.

Oct 10, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels tight end Jelani Thurman (45) runs after catch against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Thurman scored two touchdowns on Saturday, hitting paydirt for the seventh and eighth time this season. His ability to leak out to the flat and excel in the intermediate parts of the field has been on full display all season. Saturday was another example of how influential he's been on this offense.

Timir Hickman-Collins

Early on, it felt that this game was anyone's for the taking, but a crucial fourth-down play set the tone for the rest of the contest. Following an illegal formation on North Carolina's defense, UConn brought the offense back on the field. That was a mistake, as Kalieb Osborne's pass was intercepted and returned for a 62-yard touchdown by Hickman-Collins.

Sep 12, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels defensive end Jaylen Harvey (11) celebrates with linebacker Peyton Seelmann (10) after making a sack in the second quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Losers

Defensive Line

This front four continues to underwhelm, struggling to generate pressure and allowing opposing teams to run all over them. The Huskies were the latest team to surpass 100 rushing yards.

Jaylen McGill

McGill was the first running back to take the field for the Tar Heels, but that quickly fizzled out, as the sophomore running back averaged less than 2.5 yards per carry on Saturday. Over the last two games, McGill has taken 12 carries for 27 yards. His snaps and role could decrease in the final weeks of the season.

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