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Bill Belichick reacts to 1st ACC win in victory over Syracuse: 'Good to be back on track'

ns_headshot_2024-clearby: Nick Schultz13 hours agoNickSchultz_7
North Carolina HC Bill Belichick
© Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

For the first time as a college football coach, Bill Belichick got a conference win. North Carolina took down Syracuse on the road Friday night, marking the Tar Heels’ first ACC victory under the NFL legend’s leadership.

It was a complete performance from UNC, which allowed just 147 yards of offense as Syracuse started walk-on freshman Joseph Filardi at quarterback. The Tar Heels’ offense, on the other hand, totaled 425 yards on the night as part of a balanced attack.

On the whole, it was a complete performance from North Carolina. Belichick pointed out the all-around effort as he reacted to his first power conference win of the year.

“The guys just keep grinding,” Belichick told ESPN’s Paul Carcaterra. “I thought our conditioning really helped us. We were able take over in the fourth quarter and kind of ran the ball. When they knew we were gonna run it, we knew we were gonna run it. That was encouraging.

“Defensively, got a great effort, giving up three points. It was just a good team win. Good to be back on track.”

Bill Belichick: Offensive line ‘hung in there pretty well’

Demon June led a strong rushing attack, totaling 101 yards and a touchdown while adding two receptions for 81 yards – including a 78-yarder – and a receiving touchdown. Gio Lopez was impressive at quarterback, as well, as he went 15 of 19 for 216 yards and two touchdowns.

The running game especially jumped out to Bill Belichick, especially Lopez’s ability to make plays with his legs. He also shouted out the offensive line, which had to deal with a major injury as offensive lineman Chad Lindberg went down with an injury.

“We blocked okay, but then we made a lot of plays with the ball in our hands,” Belichick said. “We made some yards after the catch. After we had the first hit, we were able to get some good yards. I thought Gio picked up some key third downs for us with his running. It wasn’t for big numbers – it was for five when we needed four and things like that.

“But our backs ran hard and our line really showed their stamina. … Those guys hung in there pretty well.”

With the win, North Carolina improved to 3-5 on the year and 1-3 in ACC play. The Tar Heels will now get ready to welcome Stanford to Kenan Stadium in Week 11.