BREAKING: Bill Belichick has achieved his first victory against a Power Four school, leading North Carolina to a decisive 27-10 win over Syracuse on October 31, 2025, at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, New York. This win marks a significant milestone in Belichick’s coaching career, as it is also his first triumph against an ACC opponent.
The victory comes as North Carolina’s offense finally broke through, having previously struggled to score over 20 points in games against FBS teams this season. Quarterback Gio Lopez shined, completing 15 of 19 passes for 216 yards and two touchdowns, while running back Demon June contributed with 101 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Damien Harris, a former New England Patriots running back and current college football analyst, spoke to Fox News Digital, noting that Belichick’s initial struggles at UNC were expected. “It feels good. Feels great,” Belichick stated post-game. “We had a couple of opportunities the last couple of weeks that we couldn’t capitalize on. It was good to get this one.”
North Carolina capitalized on Syracuse’s quarterback woes, as the Orange started walk-on Joe Filardi, a true freshman. Filardi struggled significantly, completing just 4 of 18 passes for 39 yards. The Orange have faced quarterback injuries throughout the season, losing starter Steve Angeli to a season-ending Achilles injury and having gone 0-4 with transfer Rickie Collins.
Syracuse head coach Fran Brown Jr. faced a tough challenge as his team has now lost five consecutive games. “We all know in football it’s not who you play, it’s when you play them,” Belichick remarked, reflecting on the timing of their match against Syracuse.
Looking ahead, North Carolina aims to build on this momentum as they prepare to face Stanford (3-5) next Saturday. Meanwhile, Syracuse will look to recover when they take on Miami this weekend.
As this season unfolds, Belichick’s North Carolina team is finally showing signs of life, and fans are eager to see if they can maintain this newfound success. Stay tuned for further updates on college football as North Carolina looks to capitalize on this victory!
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