Biggest Winners and Losers From UNC's Loss Against Notre Dame

It was a hard-fought outing for the North Carolina Tar Heels, but they ultimately fell to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, 37-26, on Saturday.

With that in mind, here are the biggest winners and losers from the Tar Heels' second consecutive defeat.

Winners

Jordan Shipp

A large chunk of Shipp's production came on the opening drive of the game, with two receptions for 57 yards. The junior receiver finished with seven receptions for 109 yards. It's the first time Shipp has surpassed 100 receiving yards this season. We haven't seen Shipp reach paydirt yet, but that's more correlated with Billy Edwards Jr.

Jelani Thurman

The Ohio State transfer remains heavily relied upon. Thurman was instrumental on the final drive of the first half, catching three passes for 41 yards, including a 14-yard touchdown. His final stat line was also underwhelming after that electric stretch, as Thurman finished with five receptions for 50 yards and two touchdowns. Regardless, he's proven to be a monumental addition to the offense.

Shamar Easter

Easter has been an afterthought in the passing attack this season, but he made an immediate impact in this game. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound tight end scored North Carolina's first touchdown of the contest.

Losers

Bill Belichick

As we've said after every game, Belichick's fate in this discussion will depend solely on the result. So, Belichick being featured in this category speaks for itself. As noted, this is North Carolina's second straight loss, so the pressure is extremely high entering Week 6.

Billy Edwards Jr.

Edwards Jr. showed glimpses of what he can provide for this offense, but two first-half interceptions put the Tar Heels in a double-digit deficit early in the second quarter. The Wisconsin transfer bounced back with a 97-yard drive right before halftime to trim the deficit to 21-14, but his turnovers proved costly in the loss.

His final stat line: 17-of-28 passing for 208 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions - looks solid, but some of that output came with the game out of reach.

North Carolina's Rushing Attack

Oct 3, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. (9) hands the ball off to running back Jaylen McGill (27) in the first quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Because the Tar Heels were virtually in a negative game shortly after taking a 7-0 lead, the run game was neglected. In the first half, Benjamin Hall, Demon June, and Jaylen McGill combined for 39 yards on 14 carries (2.7 yards per carry). North Carolina's running backs would finish with 64 yards on 20 attempts.

Defensive Line

Oct 3, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback CJ Carr (13) looks to pass in the first quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Even with Abou Jaoude back in the lineup, the Tar Heels struggled to generate a pass rush. There were times Carr had to escape from the pocket, but for the most part, the star quarterback was able to operate from a clean pocket. North Carolina would fail to record a sack.

Additionally, the Fighting Irish eclipsed 200 rushing yards. That's impossible to overcome, especially with how well Carr was playing.

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