UNC Football Winners and Losers in Disappointing Loss to Louisville

The Tar Heels miss out on becoming bowl-eligible in their Week 11 contest against Louisville. North Carolina came up short, losing 16-14, and will have to wait another week to attempt to grab their sixth win of the season.

There were some encouraging performances on the night, but for the most part, the Heels left a lot to be desired on the field in this loss.

Travis Burgess

Following a second-half injury to starting quarterback Billy Edwards Jr., freshman Travis Burgess was thrown into the mix.

Bobby Petrino and the Tar Heels coaching staff didn't seem to put any cuffs on Burgess and instead let him play to his full capabilities, which I thought were solid throughout the night. Burgess presents UNC’s offense with an added weapon in his legs, which dealt 35 yards of damage against the Cardinals.

I also thought Burgess played calm and collected and made the right reads on many of his throws, but I’d like to see better accuracy the next time we see him on the field. On the final offensive play of the game for the Tar Heels, Burgess threw an inaccurate pass to Jordan Shipp, which ultimately ended up being a killer for the Heels on the final drive. It’s unknown if Burgess will continue to see the field as the season concludes, as it will likely depend on the severity of Edwards Jr.’s injury.

Benjamin Hall

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Nov 14, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels running back Benjamin Hall (7) celebrates with quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. (9) after scoring a touchdown in the first quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Benjamin Hall had a solid day at the office, as he made a major impact on the scoreboard, scoring both of North Carolina's touchdowns in their 14-point performance. On 10 carries, Hall rushed for 60 yards, averaging 4.8 yards per carry, and was one of the better players in the lackluster offensive performance overall.

Tackling

The tackling for the Tar Heels seemed to be a frustrating issue all night long. There were many times that Louisville ball carriers got many more yards than they should have due to missed tackles by Carolina's defense.

Nov 7, 2026; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick watches from the sideline as they take on the UConn Huskies at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There were times throughout the game on crucial downs and distances that the Tar Heels gave up first downs that could have gotten them off the field had the first, or even sometimes second, defender made the initial tackle.

Offensive Execution

Following three straight weeks of 30 or more points, the Heels took a step backward by only putting up 14 in the loss. The possibility for more was there, but not a ton. A missed field goal and an unsuccessful 4th-down attempt on 4th-and-4 left 6 points on the board for Carolina, which wouldn’t have been enough to call it an impressive offensive performance, but very well could have won the game for the Heels.

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