Three Observations: UNC Fails To Reach Bowl Eligibility Since 2018

Bill Belichick's first words at his introductory press conference were "Beat Duke." Well, North Carolina did not beat Duke as it lost a tight 32-25 to the Blue Devils.

North Carolina (4-7) not only lost to Duke (6-5) but also missed a bowl game for the first time since 2018. The Blue Devils slightly outgained the Tar Heels, 352-305, and ran a total of 76 plays compared to UNC’s 52. To highlight the disparity, Duke ran the ball 43 times—nine more than North Carolina’s total.

Here are three observations from today's game.

The Devilish Fake Field Goal

Nov 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils kicker Todd Pelino (29) is pushed out of bounds on a fake field goal during the second half at Kenan Stadium. | William Howard-Imagn Images

North Carolina took a 25-24 lead after scoring 15 unanswered points, capping a 9-play, 91-yard drive with a 12-yard touchdown run by Davion Gause.

With the momentum swinging and a nearly full Kenan Stadium rocking, it appeared that Duke was about to go into 'Duke Mode' once again—snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, as they had done all season.

UNC — Nov 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils running back Anderson Castle (4) celebrates a touchdown with offensive lineman Brian Parker II (53) during the second half against North Carolina at Kenan Stadium. | William Howard-Imagn Images

However, Duke answered back after forcing a crucial three-and-out to regain possession. The Blue Devils started with the ball on their side of the field but were limited to a field goal attempt at UNC's 27-yard line after a quick drive stalled. It should have been a routine field goal, right? Well, not exactly.

Duke holder Kade Reynoldson flipped the ball to kicker Todd Pelino, who ran all the way to UNC's one-yard line before being pushed out of bounds. That set up Duke's game-winning touchdown on the next play, as Anderson Castle powered his way into the end zone from a yard out.

DUKE PULLS OFF THE FAKE FIELD GOAL 🤯 @DukeFOOTBALL pic.twitter.com/syr9FoOdue
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) November 22, 2025

A rivalry game at its finest.

Too Many Mistakes

UNC — Nov 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels running back Davion Gause (37) runs the ball during the second half at Kenan Stadium. | William Howard-Imagn Images

Although the Tar Heels never committed a turnover, they made too many mistakes and shot themselves in the foot. UNC was flagged 12 times for 103 penalty yards, with three of those penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct.

The Tar Heels also elected to go for an onside kick at the beginning of the second half despite Duke scoring on three of its first four drives, with the only time that didn't result in points being a kneel down on the last play of the first half. The onside kick was not successful and Duke would build a 24-10 lead with 9:15 left in the third quarter.

"Thought we could recover ball," UNC coach Bill Belichick said. "Didn't go 10 yards, so we weren't able to make the play. There was some space there. We thought we could make a play on that, but we just didn't execute it well enough."

You can't do that against a team that is as mistake prone as Duke, and because of that, the Blue Devils get to maintain the Victory Bell for the second consecutive season.

The Tar Heels Will Be Home For Christmas

Nov 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels running back Davion Gause (37) rushes the ball against Duke during the second half at Kenan Stadium. | William Howard-Imagn Images

For the first time in six seasons, North Carolina will not play in the postseason, as its loss to Duke marked its seventh defeat of the year. Of those who remained, UNC's senior class had never previously missed out on playing in a bowl game.

All six of those years were under Mack Brown, who was fired at the end of last season. While his dismissal was understandable, the Tar Heels failing to make a bowl game in Belichick's first season is inexcusable—especially considering the $10 million per year invested in him over a five-year span.

While you could argue that he had to bring in 70 new players, it was Belichick who purged UNC's roster to get his own guys. While that's understandable, it comes with obvious risks. Another excuse is that Belichick did not have time to fully scout. However, Wake Forest brought in a new coach, Jake Dickert, who was hired a full week after Belichick. Dickert is now 8-3 and has doubled the team's win total.

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