The North Carolina Tar Heels are entering Week 8 with an interesting matchup against the Syracuse Orange, who have lost four of their last five games.
In 2025, the Tar Heels finished 4-8. On Saturday, they have a chance to eclipse last season's win total. More importantly, North Carolina can inch one win closer to clinching bowl eligibility. That said, here are confidence levels in the Tar Heels' coaching, offense, and defense against Syracuse.
Coaching: 7/10
As much as head coach Bill Belichick has been criticized in his brief tenure at North Carolina, he's had this team playing at a much higher level than last season. Some of that has to do with the personnel, but the 74-year-old head coach deserves credit for helping keep his team afloat. Losing general manager Michael Lombardi and defensive coordinator Steve Belichick because of program investigations could have derailed the season.
In this specific matchup, Belichick should have no issues exposing Syracuse's short-handed offense. Speaking of offense, Bobby Petrino has been a clear upgrade over Freddie Kitchens. Petrino's ingenuity and creativity have been on full display through the first six games.
Offense: 7/10
Syracuse's defense is nothing worth writing home about, and the Tar Heels' offense has an opportunity to explode in this game. Running back Benjamin Hall could miss this game due to an injury, but Jaylen McGill and Demon June will be more than serviceable.
The passing attack is always the main question with this offense, as quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. goes through ebbs and flows every game. However, the veteran signal caller looked much more poised and confident in the win over Duke, using his feet to create plays and navigate the pocket. This is another lackluster defense North Carolina will face on Saturday.
Defense: 9/10
This may be the highest rating I've assigned to the Tar Heels' defense this season. That's not because my confidence in this unit has wavered, but the circumstances are favorable for this defense to take over. The Orange have cycled through four quarterbacks this season due to injuries and have ruled out signal callers Amari Odom and Malachi Nelson. Additionally, Week 1 starter Steve Angeli is listed as questionable for Week 8. If those three miss, Danny Lauter would probably start behind center.
North Carolina's pass rush was dormant against Duke, recording a single sack. The Blue Devils' offensive line is one of the best in the country. This game will be an opportunity for these edge rushers to tee off and generate pressure.
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