Notre Dame (4-0) completes a two-game road trip on Saturday as the Fighting Irish battle the North Carolina Tar Heels. Coach Bill Belichick’s squad was idle last week following a 2-1 start. The Irish remain the third ranked team in the country after a 49-10 drubbing of Purdue. This week’s game will be nationally televised by ESPN starting at 12:00 Noon Eastern time.

Belichick is in his second season in Chapel Hill and his efforts are beginning to deliver results. After compiling a disappointing 4-8 record in last year, Belichick has rebuilt his defense. The gains in physicality and discipline are evident in better tackling and fewer penalties. Offensively, the attack remains a work in progress.

The Irish should be fresh after resting the starters for much of the second half last week. A group of previously injured players are not yet ready to return to action, though. This includes defensive tackle Jason Onye and safety Brauntae Johnson. The best case scenario for both would be a return to action by mid-October. Guard Matty Augustine also remains out for Saturday. His earliest possible season debut is still several weeks away. Reserve swing man Owen Strebig is recovering from a concussion and is listed as questionable.

Additional news on the injury front broke both ways for Notre Dame this week. Wideout Quincy Porter’s knee has not healed as hoped and he requires additional surgery. Unfortunately, Porter will miss the entire season. On the positive side, safety Luke Talich is back after a one game absence due to a wrist injury.

A key injured player for Carolina is edge rusher Melkart Abou Jaoude. He played well in the season opening win against TCU but has not appeared since. His return on Saturday would provide a boost to the Tar Heels.

NOTRE DAME’S OFFENSE vs. NORTH CAROLINA’S DEFENSE

North Carolina’s defensive employs a 3-4 alignment up front. The three down linemen feature tackle Xavier Lewis, who is third in the country with six sacks. Outside linebackers Abou Jaoude and Jaylen Harvey provide pressure on the quarterback off the edge.  Inside backers Derek McDonald and Peyton Seelman are UNC’s leading tacklers. In other words, this is a classic Belichick front seven with each player effectively filling a defined role.

Strong safety Greg Smith, a 6’4” transfer from Florida, anchors Carolina’s secondary. Cornerback Jaiden Patterson is their best cover man while the others are simply average. Notre Dame can attack this group if they are able to protect CJ Carr in the pocket. Carr has established multiple receivers and tight ends as legitimate downfield threats, so UNC cannot focus on one guy. Still, Belichick is known for taking away an opponent’s primary weapon.  In this case he could try to neutralize Jordan Faison but that seems like a futile exercise.

The Irish need to be balanced on offense to control this game. Carolina has been vulnerable against the run while their pass rush has made them more difficult to throw against. If the running game is working, Notre Dame can wear down a Tar Heel front that lacks depth.

There are numerous opinions and theories as to why the Irish running game has not reached its potential. These include missed reads by the tailbacks, whiffed blocks by the linemen, and poor effort by the wide receivers. All are true to some extent. The only cure for these ailments is repetition in practice and in games. While Notre Dame has realized a measure of progress, many observers believe it has been too slow. We should expect to see continued improvement this week.

Carolina will work hard to stop the run and count on its capable rushers to disrupt CJ Carr in the passing game. Belichick will use different rush schemes to confuse Notre Dame’s front. He will also vary his pre-snap coverage looks to create uncertainty for Carr. There is nobody better in the game at creating schemes on defense. Creating mental and physical havoc is the hosts blueprint to stay competitive throughout and have a chance to win.

NORTH CAROLINA’S OFFENSE vs. NOTRE DAME’S DEFENSE

Carolina’s core offensive strength is a power running game. They rotate three plus-sized backs and pound the ball. Benjamin Hall is the starter but Demon June and Jaylen McGill are used interchangeably. June is the primary short yardage and red zone battering ram. The offensive line is mammoth. Center Christo Kelly and right tackle Jacqawn McCoy are the best of the group. Run blocking is their calling card while they surrender far too many pressures in pass protection.

Quarterback Billy Edwards is in his sixth year after stops in Maryland and Wisconsin. He joined the Tar Heels after sitting out the Badgers’ 2025 campaign with a knee injury. In three games this season, Edwards has a 56% completion rate. This relatively low number is attributable to both a lack of dynamic receiving targets and constant pressure. Edwards is not a running quarterback but he has often been forced to flee from a collapsing pocket.

Carolina’s primary receiving options are wideout Jordan Shipp and tight end Jelani Thurman. Trech Kekahuna has six receptions to date as the slot receiver. Hall is used sparingly out of the backfield but he has scored two of Edwards’ three passing touchdowns. Freshman receiver CJ Sadler began the season as the top downfield threat. He played well in the first two games but was held out against Clemson due to disciplinary issues. His status for Saturday’s game is unknown as of this writing.

This is a very pedestrian attack with very little explosiveness. Notre Dame will have to match their physicality in the run game. If they are successful, they should make life miserable for Edwards when he drops back to pass. Otherwise, the Tar Heels will run the ball to put themselves in manageable third down situations. Edwards can stick to what he does best, which is throw passes quickly to the short zones. Carolina does not have the offensive firepower to come from behind and score in a hurry.

Irish defensive ends Bryce Young and Rodney Dunham return home to play in front of friends and family. On the other side of the ball, Micah Gilbert and Jack Larsen are also from this area. It will be interesting to see how these players perform this week.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Notre Dame has been solid in all phases to date. Belichick mentioned this prominently in his remarks on Monday. I doubt he will be caught off guard by a fake punt. Hopefully, the Irish can move the chains and keep Jasper Scaife on the sidelines.

Kicking has been an issue for the Tar Heels but starter Rece Verhoff is expected back this week. He missed all of September due to injury. His backup is punter Aeron Burrell, who struggled in Verhoff’s absence. Burrell is a solid punter with a 46-yard average.

North Carolina has accomplished very little in the return game this season. Belichick is known for productive special teams but is hampered by a lack of depth and explosive players. Kekahuna is the primary punt returner while reserve tailback JoJo Troupe handles kickoffs.

SUMMARY

Notre Dame will take each team’s best shot from this point forward. They must be prepared for a physical battle and seek  to dominate in the trenches. This will not be easy given Carolina’s size and the quality of its coaching. We will learn if the Irish have been tipping plays or if their tendencies have become painfully obvious.

A fast start by the visitors is highly recommended in this matchup. Carolina has the advantage of extra preparation time. They can seize the initiative and gain momentum early by putting Notre Dame in reactive mode. To date, the Irish have controlled the tempo of each contest. That task will be more difficult this week. Despite those concerns, Belichick can only take the Tar Heels as far as their talent will allow. Notre Dame has a decided advantage here and it is only a matter of time before it manifests.

Here are a few questions that will help determine the outcome:

• Will the Tar Heels be able to disrupt Carr in the pocket?
• Which team will run the ball more effectively?
• Can Notre Dame maintain the intensity they exhibited in September?
• Will the Irish defense continue to suffocate weak offensive teams?
• Which team will be most efficient on third and fourth down?
• Will special teams play tip the scales in favor of Notre Dame?
• Can Belichick spring any surprises on the Irish after a bye week?
• Coaching chess match: Mike Denbrock vs. Bill Belichick: Who ya got?

PREDICTION

The Irish should embrace the challenge of playing against a future Hall of Fame coach. Although Notre Dame has a clear edge in talent, Belichick will get the most out of his players in this contest. Coach Freeman should have a few new wrinkles for the Heels that they have not seen on film. Unpredictability does not have to be a one way street.

Carolina may stay close into the third quarter but the Irish should pull away in the last 20 minutes. It will be a more comfortable win if Notre Dame does not turn the ball over. Conversely, the Heels will not score many points if they have to drive 75 yards to paydirt.

NOTRE DAME 31  NORTH CAROLINA 10

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