The North Carolina Tar Heels are off to a perfect start.
After opening the season with a statement victory over TCU in Dublin, North Carolina returned home Saturday and handled business against East Tennessee State, cruising to a 35-3 victory at Kenan Stadium.
The win moves the Tar Heels to 2-0 and gives Bill Belichick’s team plenty of momentum heading into its biggest test of the young season.
Tar Heels Control The Game
North Carolina took control early and never allowed ETSU to seriously threaten.
Quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. continued his strong start to the season, completing 15 of 20 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns without throwing an interception.
Edwards connected with Jelani Thurman for a 24-yard touchdown in the first quarter before finding Benjamin Hall for another score in the second.
North Carolina entered halftime with a comfortable lead and continued pulling away after the break.
June Takes Over
One of the biggest stars of the afternoon was running back Demon June.
June found the end zone three times, scoring on touchdown runs of nine, six and one yard. His three-touchdown performance helped the Tar Heels turn the game into a rout.
North Carolina finished with 427 total yards while holding ETSU to 251 yards. The Tar Heels also forced two turnovers and never committed one themselves.
Now Comes Clemson
The Tar Heels couldn’t have asked for a better start.
They are now 2-0 after beating TCU on a neutral field and dominating ETSU at home. More importantly, the team appears to be gaining confidence under Belichick.
But the real challenge arrives next weekend.
North Carolina travels to face Clemson, giving the Tar Heels their first major ACC test of the season. After starting 2-0, UNC now has a chance to make an even bigger statement.
The Tar Heels are rolling and the Clemson game could tell us just how real this team is.
