The Victory Bell is back in Chapel Hill, right where it belongs. After giving up a 17-point lead on Saturday at Duke, the North Carolina Tar Heels enjoyed one final laugh in a 24-20 win against their archival.
Jaylen McGill scored UNC's (4-2, 2-1 ACC) game-winning touchdown with under two minutes left, then defense finally locked in, intercepting Blue Devils (4-2, 1-2 ACC) quarterback Walker Eget.
North Carolina seems to have a new defensive leader every week. On Saturday, it was Richmond transfer Peyton Seelmann, who started at linebacker and totaled a career-high 16 tackles (seven solo), along with half a sack and TFL apiece.
As a result of Seelmann's efforts, the ACC named him Linebacker of the Week. Seelmann now has double-digit tackles in every
game, previously reaching double-digits during the Tar Heels' 35-3 win over ETSU in their home opener.
Winning First Team All-Patriot League honors last year at Richmond, Seelmann finished his sophomore campaign eight in the FCS with 120 tackles. When Bill Belichick landed the Virginia native for his 2026 roster, UNC fans started to buzz about their team's potential this fall.
Peyton Seelmann is your ACC Linebacker of the week! pic.twitter.com/ddQ4wQ3Jkk
— Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) October 19, 2026
With Seelmann starting alongside Derek McDonald, North Carolina has one of the country's more underrated linebacker duos. The Tar Heels historically struggle on defense and gave up a 17-point lead on Saturday, but they employ a bend-don't-break philosophy, ending the game in clutch time in Durham.
UNC's next test is a last-place Syracuse squad on Saturday in Chapel Hill. Can Seelmann and the North Carolina defense deliver another shutdown performance?
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC starter named ACC Linebacker of the Week
