A Breakdown of UNC’s Defensive Play in Charlotte Victory

Pro Football Focus released its graded breakdown of North Carolina’s 20-3 win over Charlotte.

North Carolina’s defense looked like a different unit against Charlotte, limiting the 49ers to only 271 yards of offense — a drastic improvement from the 542 they gave up to TCU the week prior. The Tar Heels also surrendered just three points, marking their most dominant performance in almost a quarter-century, dating back to a 38-3 upset of No. 13 Clemson on Oct. 20, 2001.

Moreover, Charlotte mustered just 21 yards on 29 rushing attempts — a paltry 0.7 yards per carry. Even when excluding sack yardage, the 49ers managed only 45 yards on 23 carries, averaging 1.9 yards per rush.

UNC — Sep 6, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels defensive back Greg Smith (12) celebrates his interception with teammates during the second half against the Charlotte 49ers at Jerry Richardson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

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.

Here is a breakdown of the defense according to PFF.

Overall Defensive Grades

30-39: Very Poor

40-49: Poor

50-59: Below Average

60-69: Average

70-79: Above Average

80-89: Good

90-100: Elite

Top Defensive Performers

DB Gavin Gibson – 77.6 Defense, 66.2 Run Defense, 66.3 Tackling, 78.3 Coverage

UNC — Sep 1, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; TCU Horned Frogs running back Nate Palmer (21) is tackled by North Carolina Tar Heels defensive back Gavin Gibson (5) in the fourth quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Gibson was the highest rated defensive starter. He had six tacjles, a tackle for a loss, a pass breakup and four stops. He also only allowed two catches on five targets (40% catch rate) for 19 yards.

LB Mikai Gbayor – 77.0 Defense, 74.3 Run Defense, 62.3 Tackling, 71.3 Coverage

Gbayor led the team in tackles along with Gibson with six total. He also had a tackle for loss and three stops.

CB Thaddeus Dixon – 76.5 Defense, 64.1 Run Defense, 76.6 Coverage

Dixon was a beast even though hardly anyone said his name much throughout the game. That means the 49ers didn’t want to throw the ball to his side of the field. They truly didn't as the ball was thrown to Dixon's way twice in 33 coverage snaps.

LB Andrew Simpson – 71.1 Defense, 76.2 Run Defense, 80.4 Tackling, 81.2 Pass Rush

Simpson had another outstanding game as he recorded four tackles with two tackles for loss and picked up UNC's first sack of the season.

CB Marcus Allen – 68.7 Defense, 63.7 Run Defense, 78.8 Tackling, 68.2 Coverage

UNC — Nov 30, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels defensive back Marcus Allen (29) intercepts the ball in the end zone intended for North Carolina State Wolfpack wide receiver Wesley Grimes (6) in the first quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. \ | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

After he was a walking punching bag from nearly every UNC fan after his performance against TCU, Marcus Allen had a rebound game as he had two pass breakups and stuck to his opposition like glue.

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