Retour
There is undoubtedly immense pressure surrounding the North Carolina Tar Heels, who have lost two consecutive games and sit at 4-4 entering the last month of the regular season.
With bowl eligibility hanging in the balance, the Tar Heels can't afford to lose this weekend's game against the UConn Huskies. With that in mind, here's how you can watch this contest between two teams striving to stay above .500.
Kickoff: 12:00 p.m. ET
TV Channel: CBS Sports Network
Announcers: Jordan Kent, Robert Turbin, and Tiffany Blackmon
Local Radio: 97.9 The Hill
Announcer: Jones Angell
These two programs have met four times since 1990, with the Tar Heels leading the series 3-1. The last time North Carolina and UConn faced each other was in 2024, when the Huskies defeated the Tar Heels 27-14 in the Fenway Bowl.
Obviously, both sides are vastly different, with completely new rosters, and Bill Belichick took over as head coach before the 2025 season. Due to the number of changes on both sides, we have to throw the limited history away and enter this contest with an empty slate.
This is a must-win game for the Tar Heels, who are looking to avoid their third consecutive loss and falling below .500. With a loss, North Carolina's postseason aspirations and Belichick's tenure in Chapel Hill will be teetering. Simply put, this is a game the Tar Heels can't afford to lose.
Besides that, another narrative to keep tabs on is whether Billy Edwards Jr. can replicate his performance from last week. I've been highly critical of the veteran quarterback throughout the season, and I thought that Week 9 would likely be his last start. Edwards Jr. silenced my criticisms, completing 28 of 34 passes for 341 yards and four touchdowns.
Now, I'm not expecting Edwards Jr. to play at that level, nor do I think it's fair to assume he will. Not to mention, facing Miami calls for a pass-heavy game script, as the Hurricanes were averaging about 49 points per game entering Week 9. With all due respect to UConn, the Tar Heels won't need to score 30+ points to win.
Finally, North Carolina's pass rush has to come to life at some point. Despite upgrades across the board and the retention of multiple productive players, the defensive line has been underwhelming since the first few weeks. The front four has also struggled to contain the run, which has been a major weakness all season. We'll see if those trends carry over into Saturday.