Bill Belichick is well and truly making his mark as a collegiate coach. After a disappointing start to the season, losing their opening game to TCU, the Tar Heels have pulled back two back-to-back wins, and the most recent one was a statement win.
After the win, Belichick made clear after the Tar Heels’ 41-6 victory over Richmond that UNC’s defense is improving.
“When you make mistakes in practice, your communication’s better in games. You play better in games,” he said via Tar Heels Wire.
That showed up Saturday at Kenan Stadium. North Carolina shut down Richmond almost from the first snap. UNC forced three turnovers in the second half, including a 62-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Mikai Gbayor.
Freshman running back Demon June broke out. He rushed for 148 yards on 14 carries. One of those was a 45-yard touchdown, nearly untouched. Gio Lopez had a solid day, too. He threw two touchdown passes to Jordan Shipp and ran for another score.
Defensively, UNC dominated the line of scrimmage. Richmond couldn’t get much going on the ground; this game had Belichick written all over it, a defensive masterclass. Earlier in the season, the Tar Heels had allowed over 540 yards in the opener. But in this game, they kept Richmond under 200 total yards.
Special teams and situational defense mattered too. UNC stopped Richmond at the goal line in the second half after an onside kick attempt, which might’ve been a momentum shift.
Richmond’s offense looked outmatched. The Spiders didn’t record a first down until early in the second quarter. Their average yards per play stayed low. Mistakes piled up. Turnovers hurt. UNC made Richmond pay on defense.
Their passing game never really got going, and Richmond's quarterback struggled. Combine that with a tough UNC front, and it left them scrambling. The Spiders managed only one significant drive after halftime.
Although the Tar Heels look much better now after their first game, Stephen Belichick still has a lot of work to do, and the real test will come against UCF.
UNC still has areas to tighten. Offensively, some drives stalled, and the passing game was efficient but not overwhelming. Richmond showed flashes but lacked consistency. Belichick knows tougher tests loom.
If UNC keeps cleaning up details, especially defensively, they can build something meaningful this season. And after Richmond, that looks more possible than it did a few weeks ago.
