CHAPEL HILL – For 35 seconds of game time Saturday, North Carolina completely changed the complexion of its matchup with No. 3 Notre Dame.
The Tar Heels scored just before halftime and returned the second-half kickoff 98 yards for another touchdown, turning a 14-point deficit into a one-point game.
Notre Dame's response proved decisive.
The Fighting Irish answered with a 17-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that consumed 9:10, then increasingly turned to their running game as the rain intensified at Kenan Stadium. Notre Dame eventually pulled away for a 37-26 victory, dropping North Carolina to 2-2.
UNC had opened the afternoon much the way it would later open the second half. After forcing a punt, the Tar Heels drove 74 yards in seven plays, with Billy Edwards Jr. finding Shamar Easter for a six-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
But the game changed quickly.
CJ Carr answered with a 28-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Faison before Edwards threw interceptions on consecutive possessions. On the first, Notre Dame defensive end Boubacar Traore hit Edwards as he released the ball, allowing Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa to intercept the pass at the UNC 12.
One play later, Carr found Jaden Greathouse for a touchdown. Luke Talich intercepted Edwards on UNC's next possession, and Carr connected with Faison for a 39-yard score early in the second quarter.
In a span of just over six minutes, a 7-0 UNC lead had become a 21-7 deficit.
The Tar Heels' offense had stalled after its opening drive, producing fewer than 20 yards on its next three possessions, but UNC finally found life just before halftime. Edwards completed 7-of-8 passes for 77 yards during a 15-play, 97-yard drive, finishing it with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Jelani Thurman with 21 seconds remaining.
Then came another jolt.
Jaden Jefferson took the second-half kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown, giving UNC two touchdowns in 35 seconds of game time. A botched snap prevented the extra point, leaving Notre Dame ahead 21-20.
The Irish responded by taking the game back on the ground.
Notre Dame ran 13 times for 73 yards on its ensuing 17-play drive, converting twice on fourth down before Carr's three-yard touchdown run. The possession consumed more than nine minutes and left UNC's offense watching from the sideline for most of the third quarter.
Notre Dame continued leaning on the run as conditions deteriorated. The Irish eventually accumulated 241 rushing yards, including 166 after halftime, while UNC managed only 77 for the game. Jonaz Walton led the way with 120 yards on 23 carries.
Carr's six-yard touchdown pass to Nolan James Jr. early in the fourth extended the lead to 34-20, and Spencer Porath's 31-yard field goal made it 37-20.
UNC produced one final scoring drive, with Edwards finding Thurman for a 10-yard touchdown with 2:36 remaining. Notre Dame blocked the extra point, and the Tar Heels got no closer.
Edwards finished 17-of-28 for 208 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Jordan Shipp caught seven passes for 109 yards, while Thurman finished with five receptions for 50 yards and two scores. Carr went 21-of-29 for 234 yards and four touchdowns, with Faison catching eight passes for 132 yards and two scores.
Notre Dame finished with a 475-285 advantage in total offense and held the ball for 37:04.
For UNC, the frustrating part was how close the Tar Heels came to changing the game. They erased almost the entirety of a 21-7 deficit in 35 seconds surrounding halftime.
Then Notre Dame took the ball and, for more than nine minutes, wouldn't give it back.
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