Bill Belichick secures his first victory against a Power Four school as UNC triumphs over Syracuse

Bill Belichick Secures First Win Against Power Four School

Bill Belichick finally clinched a victory against a Power Four school, as North Carolina triumphed over Syracuse 27-10 on Friday night at the JMA Wireless Dome. Remarkably, this marked Belichick’s inaugural win against an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) opponent.

While it was an important win for UNC, Syracuse faced challenges, starting true freshman Joe Filardi, who had previously been a walk-on quarterback.

This season has not been easy for Syracuse, dealing with quarterback injuries. The original starter, Steve Angeli, suffered a season-ending Achilles injury after a promising 3-1 start against Clemson. Following that, the team tried Ricky Collins, who transferred from LSU, but ended up 0-4, which led head coach Fran Brown Jr. to give Filardi the nod.

North Carolina’s defense effectively contained Filardi, who managed to complete just 4 out of 18 passes for a mere 39 yards.

Before this match, the Tar Heels had not surpassed 20 points against any FBS team this season. Quarterback Gio Lopez changed that dynamic, completing 15 of 19 passes for 216 yards and two touchdowns.

Running back Damon June was also a standout, racking up 101 yards on the ground, along with 81 receiving yards, contributing both a rushing and receiving touchdown.

Previously, North Carolina’s two wins had come against Patriot League teams Charlotte University and Richmond University, which holds a dismal 1-7 record.

“It feels good. It feels great,” Belichick remarked post-game. “We had opportunities in recent weeks but didn’t capitalize. I’m pleased we could seize this one. Now, we’re looking forward to upcoming ACC match-ups.”

Belichick mentioned that timing in football is crucial, emphasizing that perhaps they were better off facing Syracuse now rather than earlier in the season against Clemson.

Looking forward, North Carolina State aims to build on this win in their next game against Stanford, while Syracuse, having lost five straight, hopes to turn things around against Miami this Saturday.