The North Carolina Tar Heels utilized a newfound, lockdown defense to win their first two football games in 2026. On Saturday, UNC utilized that same defense in holding Clemson to six first-half points.
North Carolina's defense collapsed after halftime, allowing 22 points en route to a heartbreaking, 28-20 loss. The Tigers (2-1, 2-0 ACC) torched the Tar Heels' run defense in particular, with Gideon Davidson and Tyler Brown each scoring touchdowns on the ground.
Though UNC couldn't stop the run, it held the Tigers to 215 passing yards. Sophomore defensive back Greg Smith earned some well-deserved recognition for his performance in particular, getting a spot on PFF's National Team of the Week.
Smith totaled seven tackles (three solo) against Clemson,
adding a tackle for loss, his second interception and forcing a fumble, solidifying himself as one of North Carolina's top defenders. Smith leads the Tar Heels with two interceptions, the only student-athlete to pick off opposing quarterbacks, while thriving alongside Kaleb Cost and Coleman Bryson in a deep secondary.
National honors for Greg Smith
— Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) September 21, 2026
Career-high 7 tackles
1 Tackle for loss
1 Interception
1 Forced fumble
Graded out at 90.1 in PFF pic.twitter.com/KjWxrWIpoV
In Week Zero, Smith helped hold TCU to just 10 points. In UNC's Week 2 home opener, Smith helped limit ETSU to three points.
Smith and his North Carolina teammates will have their hands full after their second bye week, hosting National Championship contender Notre Dame on October 3. The Fighting Irish scored 41 points vs. Wisconsin in Week One, 52 points against Rice the following week, then 27 in a two-touchdown win over Michigan State.
If Smith keeps playing like he did on Saturday, the Tar Heels' defense will respond and become one of the ACC's better units.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC defensive back earns weekly honors for performance vs. Clemson
