UNC’s Defensive Grades Highlight Historic Dominance in Win Over Stanford

North Carolina's gritty 20-15 escape over Stanford was no masterpiece—and with the latest PFF grades, the Tar Heels' offense can’t hide that fact. Flip the script, though, and UNC’s defense put on a performance so dominant you’d think someone set NCAA Football 26 to Freshman mode— blurring the line between historical fact and football folklore.

Let's take a closer look at how North Carolina's front seven became the ultimate game-changer in Saturday's showdown with Stanford.

Here's an explanation of how PFF's grading works:

On every play, a PFF analyst will grade each player on a scale of -2 to +2, ranging from a pick-six to a late touchdown pass, with expected plays graded as a 0. Each game is graded by two different analysts and any discrepancies are settled by a senior analyst. Grades are then normalized to account for game situation and converted to a 0-100 scale.

Overall PFF Defensive Grades

Nov 8, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels fans cheer in the third quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Defense - 73.7
Run Defense - 84.6
Tackling - 75.1
Pass Rush - 71.0
Coverage - 63.5

The defense played a crucial role in the Tar Heels’ victory once again, holding their third consecutive opponent to 20 points or fewer. The Cardinal managed just 320 yards of total offense, with 284 of those coming through the air—most of which occurred in the fourth quarter after UNC had built a 20-3 lead.

Although the Tar Heels nearly squandered a 17-point advantage with under 12 minutes left, they wouldn't have enjoyed a double-digit lead in the first place if not for the defense consistently containing Stanford’s offense.

Nov 8, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels linebacker Tyler Thompson (40) sacks Stanford Cardinal quarterback Elijah Brown (2) in the fourth quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Stanford quarterback Elijah Brown had a rough day in the pocket, getting sacked nine times by North Carolina’s defense. The Tar Heels have notched 19 sacks over their last three games. Melkart Abou-Jaoude and Tyler Thompson each recorded three sacks, Andrew Simpson had two and Smith Vilbert added one.

The nine sacks are the third-most in program history, trailing only the school record of 10 set against Virginia in a 41-14 win last season.

Linebackers Khmouri House and Andrew Simpson have been two of North Carolina’s most consistent defensive players, leading the team in tackles. However, this might have been their best collective performance yet.

House had a season-high 13 tackles – eight of which are solo – with an interception and a pass breakup. Simpson had six tackles – three solo – with two sacks and a forced fumble.

Defensive Line

Isaiah Johnson

80.5 Defense, 80.6 Run Defense, 75.2 Tackling
Four tackles (two solo), STOP

CJ Mims

UNC — North Carolina DL CJ Mims | Grant Chachere, North Carolina Tar Heels On SI

77.3 Defense, 80.0 Run Defense, 74.3 Tackling
Five tackles (two solo), STOP

Leroy Jackson

UNC — North Carolina defensive lineman Leroy Jackson | Jackson McCurdy, North Carolina Tar Heels On SI

73.2 Defense, 80.0 Run Defense, 74.3 Tackling
Three tackles (solo), Two Stops, Quarterback Hit

Tyler Thompson

UNC — Nov 8, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels linebacker Tyler Thompson (40) sacks Stanford Cardinal quarterback Elijah Brown (2) in the fourth quarter at Kenan Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

69.1 Defense, 74.8 Pass Rush, 68.3 Run Defense
Three sacks, pass breakup
44.4% Pass rush win rate in True Pass Sets
This is an example of why you should take PFF grades with a grain of salt

Melkart Abou-Jaoude

65.8 Defense, 66.7 Pass Rush
FIve tackles, three sacks
Just another reminder that PFF grades aren’t always the gospel—so take them with a hefty pinch of salt.

Linebackers

Andrew Simpson

69.4 Defense, 78.3 Pass Rush, 74.7 Run Defense, 68.0 Tackling
Six tackles (three solo), three stops, two sacks, forced fumble, quarterback hit

Khmori House

North Carolina Tar Heels — Linebackers Andre Simpson (2) and Khmori House (7) celebrate Simpson's interception with defensive back Jaiden Patterson (18) and defensive lineman CJ Mims (92) behind them during North Carolina's 17-16 loss to Virginia on Oct. 25, 2025. | UNC Athletic Communications

65.5 Run Defense, 84.6 Tackling, 69.4 Run Defense
13 tackles, interception, pass breakup

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