Winners & Losers From UNC's Dominant Win Over ETSU

The North Carolina Tar Heels will head into conference play undefeated after coasting past East Tennessee State 35-3 on Saturday.

That being said, from North Carolina's perspective, here are the biggest winners and losers from the team's win on Saturday.

Winners

Bill Belichick

As long as the team keeps winning, the 74-year-old head coach will remain on this list. The Tar Heels have dealt with plenty of distractions off the field in recent days, so preventing that from derailing the on-field performance is impressive in itself.

Belichick is coaching for his job this season. In the opening two weeks, North Carolina is a third of the way to bowl eligibility. We'll see if that's enough to keep Belichick around in 2027.

Bobby Petrino

Petrino's influence on this offense is apparent, as the Tar Heels' operation looks completely different from last season. Considering that there’s major turnover on this side of the ball, what Petrino has demonstrated over the first two games is even more impressive.

North Carolina's offense finally aligns with modern-day football, and Petrino is the main reason why. Some things still need to improve heading into ACC play, but this unit is formidable enough to compete against several opponents in the conference.

Billy Edwards Jr.

Edwards Jr.'s day ended late in the third quarter, and that's not a bad thing. The sixth-year quarterback was stellar, completing 15-of-20 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns.

The Wisconsin transfer needs to improve his deep ball, as he failed to connect on several passes. Nevertheless, Edwards Jr. shows he can lead this offense to at least a competent level.

Jelani Thurman

Petrino's offense features the tight end, and Thurman is taking advantage of his role as a focal point of the passing attack. Petrino wants to get the Ohio State transfer involved right away, as Thurman once again did the bulk of his damage in the first quarter.

For the second consecutive week, Thurman led the team in receiving yards, recording four receptions for 71 yards and one touchdown.

CJ Sadler

The freshman wide receiver was given increased opportunities in the second half after Trech Kekahuna coughed up the ball right before halftime against TCU.

That involvement carried over into Saturday, as Sadler was a consistent component of the offense. He was targeted on the first play of the game on a deep ball, but Edwards Jr. underthrew the pass. Nevertheless, Sadler had three receptions for 66 yards, showing his explosiveness.

Jaylen Harvey

Sep 12, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; ETSU Buccaneers quarterback Mason Mims (12) is sacked by North Carolina Tar Heels defensive end Jaylen Harvey (11) in the second quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In Melkart Abou Jaoude's absence, the Penn State transfer stepped up and proved why the Tar Heels signed him this offseason.

The 6-foot-2, 245-pound pass rusher was virtually unstoppable, using his speed and elusiveness off the edge to generate pressure more often than not. Harvey recorded three solo tackles and two sacks, and it comes at a perfect time heading into ACC play.

Xavier Lewis

Lewis followed up his five-tackle, two-sack performance against TCU with a nearly identical stat line against East Tennessee State.

It's becoming apparent that the six-foot, 260-pound defensive tackle is a brute force in the interior of the defensive line.

Greg Smith

The sophomore safety was opportunistic on Saturday, recording an interception and a fumble recovery.

Smith's interception was impressive as he slid up in coverage and dove to catch the ball. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound defensive back was in the right spot at the right time on the first play of the second half. Nevertheless, Smith's impact in the secondary is growing.

North Carolina's Backfield

Sep 12, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. (9) hands the ball off to running back Demon June (0) in the first quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

We'll group the three running backs together, as Benjamin Hall, Demon June, and Jaylen McGill were all excellent in their own way. Unlike in Week 0, the carries were divided evenly on Saturday.

Once again, Hall was the leader, taking four carries for 49 yards and adding two receptions for 25 yards and one touchdown. McGill is just an efficient runner, totaling 40 yards on five carries, while adding one reception for 20 yards. Meanwhile, June, who didn't see his first carry against TCU until the fourth quarter, had a monster day on Saturday, rushing for 33 yards and three touchdowns on seven carries. It appears North Carolina has a three-headed backfield.

Peyton Seelmann

Aug 29, 2026; Dublin, Co. Dublin, IRL; TCU Horned Frogs running back Jeremy Payne (26) breaks away from North Carolina Tar Heels linebacker Peyton Seelmann (10) in the first half at Aviva Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Laszlo Geczo-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Seelmann showcased why he ranked inside the top 10 in tackling last season, as he was all over the field in this one.

The former Richmond linebacker recorded 10 total tackles, including seven solo. The Tar Heels' defense looks legit, and Seelmann is a major reason why.

Losers

Mason Humphrey

This was supposed to be an advantageous spot for Humphrey to exploit. However, Edwards Jr. spread the ball, hitting 11 different pass catchers.

Once again, Humphrey was limited to one catch, but this time for 10 measly yards. Hopefully, Humphrey's involvement improves soon, or I'll begin to worry.

Jordan Shipp

This doesn't concern me in the slightest, but if we have to assess things based on this game, Shipp falls into this category.

Shipp was also a victim of the thinned-out, dispersed targets, recording two receptions for 25 yards. Again, there's no reason at all to be concerned about Shipp's output in this game.

Trech Kekahuna

It appears Sadler has supplanted Kekahuna on the depth chart. The former Wisconsin wideout saw his snap percentage plummet against TCU after his fumble.

That transitioned into Saturday, as Kekahuna was limited to one reception for 16 yards. We'll see if this is a trend moving forward or just a two-game blip.

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