The North Carolina Tar Heels lost their past two football games by four points, making Saturday afternoon's trip to UConn ever more important.
After 60 minutes, UNC left East Hartford with its most complete performance of the 2026 season. North Carolina dominated the Huskies, 38-21, behind a balanced offense that turned mistakes into points.
The Tar Heels (5-4, 2-3 ACC) scored 14 points off two UConn turnovers, starting with Timir Hickman-Collins' first career interception. Hickman-Collins, a sophomore from Fort Mill (S.C.), picked off Kalieb Osborne's pass and returned it 62 yards for the UNC touchdown.
Nearly six minutes into the second quarter, North Carolina forced an Osborne fumble, one which UConn (4-5) fans debate to this minute. Four plays
later, Billy Edwards connected with Jordan Shipp for a 6-yard touchdown, extending the Tar Heels' lead to 21-7.
UNC scored in every quarter on Saturday, starting with seven in the first. The Tar Heels broke things open with their 21-point second quarter, added a Rece Verhoff field goal in the third, then capped their victory with a fourth-quarter touchdown.
Ohio State transfer Jelani Thurman continued his breakout campaign for North Carolina, catching his seventh and eighth touchdowns of the season. With his eighth score, Thurman tied Mike Chatman for most single-season touchdowns by a tight end.
Shipp scored for the fourth-straight game, while Benjamin Hall broke a 7-7, second-quarter deadlock with his 39-yard run on third-and-9.
UNC now needs one more win to reach bowl eligibility, with Louisville coming to town on November 14 for a primetime battle. While you celebrate today's victory, take a look at our top five takeaways.
Jelani Thurman is the best tight end to step foot in Chapel Hill
What would the Tar Heels do without Thurman? After three seasons as a backup tight end for the Buckeyes, Thurman is now the best tight end in college football.
Thurman caught seven passes for 64 yards on Saturday, scoring a pair of touchdowns and tying Mike Chatman's program record. Through nine games, Thurman has 525 receiving yards and eight scores.
Eric Ebron was great, while Bryson Nesbit was really good. Thurman, however, is the best tight end in North Carolina history.
Benjamin Hall took full advantage of his opportunity
Jaylen McGill started at running back for UNC on Saturday. Demon June received a team-high 15 carries. Benjamin Hall delivered the greatest impact, leading the Tar Heels with 81 rushing yards and a touchdown, on just nine carries.
Hall delivered North Carolina's greatest clutch play against the Huskies. Facing third-and-9 in UConn territory during second quarter action, Hall took a shotgun handoff from Edwards, breaking tackles and tip-toeing along the sidelines for a 39-yard score.
The Tar Heels never trailed after Hall's big score. Hall didn't start the afternoon, but delivered when Bill Belichick called his number.
Defense won UNC the game
North Carolina's defense came under intense fire in consecutive weeks. Syracuse and Miami (FL) moved the football with ease, each surpassing 400 yards against the Tar Heels in front of their home crowd. UNC couldn't generate pressure consistent enough to impact games.
North Carolina forced two UConn turnovers on Saturday in East Hartford, with both leading to scores. Hickman-Colins snagged an Osborne pass and took it 62 yards for his first career touchdown, giving UNC a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. The Tar Heels forced an Osborne fumble in second quarter action and, four plays later, scored another touchdown.
If UNC's defense can play like it did Saturday, bowl eligibility is the next thing this balanced team can celebrate.
Billy Edwards is a good quarterback
Saturday was Edwards' third consecutive game with multiple touchdown passes. North Carolina's signal-caller connected with Thurman for a pair of scores, while Shipp caught a touchdown for the fourth straight contest.
Edwards threw a first-quarter interception, his first since October 10 at Pitt, but responded emphatically to finish with 29 completions for 255 yards.
The Tar Heels will reach bowl eligiblity this year
Good teams build off huge wins. UNC delivered its most complete win of 2026 on Saturday, dominating a lesser UConn team by 17 points.
North Carolina faces a tough Louisville team next weekend, followed by a trip to Virginia and Senior Day vs. NC State. Regardless of who the Tar Heels beat to close November, they'll make a bowl come December.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: Five takeaways from UNC's dominant road win vs. UConn
