PITTSBURGH, PA – North Carolina needed just 11 seconds to erase a fourth-quarter deficit Saturday, but it was the Tar Heels' defense that made sure the lead would stand.

Billy Edwards Jr. connected with Shamar Easter on a 75-yard touchdown pass with 12:36 remaining, and North Carolina turned away Pitt's final four possessions to knock off the 25th-ranked Panthers, 21-17, at Acrisure Stadium.

The victory marked North Carolina's first win over a ranked opponent in three seasons and its first road triumph against a Top 25 team since defeating No. 9 Miami in 2020. It was also the first victory over a ranked opponent for head coach Bill Belichick, whose Tar Heels improved to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in Atlantic Coast Conference play.

Pitt (5-1, 2-1) suffered its first defeat despite controlling much of the game statistically. The Panthers outgained North Carolina 369-269, held a 150-20 advantage in rushing yards and possessed the football for more than 36 minutes.

North Carolina, however, made the most of its opportunities, scoring three touchdowns while holding Pitt to just one touchdown over the final three quarters.

The Panthers appeared to have regained control early in the fourth quarter when La'Vell Wright capped a seven-play, 75-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run. The score put Pitt ahead 17-14 with 12:47 remaining.

That advantage lasted exactly 11 seconds.

On the first play of North Carolina's ensuing possession, Edwards found Easter for a 75-yard touchdown that put the Tar Heels back in front for good. It was Easter's only reception of the afternoon.

The North Carolina defense handled the rest.

After forcing a punt on Pitt's next possession, the Tar Heels faced another challenge when Edwards was intercepted by Shadarian Harrison with 6:21 remaining. The turnover gave Pitt possession at the North Carolina 41-yard line, but the Panthers advanced only to the 21 before turning the ball over on downs.

Pitt received two more opportunities in the closing minutes, but both possessions ended with failed fourth-down attempts. The Panthers finished 0-for-4 on fourth down, with three of those failures coming in the final quarter.

The defensive stand completed a second-half turnaround for a North Carolina unit that had struggled to contain Pitt's rushing attack before halftime.

The Panthers rushed for 114 yards in the opening two quarters but managed just 36 yards on the ground after the break. Pitt also converted six of nine third downs in the first half before going just 1-for-7 in the second.

Derek McDonald and Xavier Lewis led the Tar Heels with 12 tackles apiece, while Gregory Smith III added eight tackles and an interception. Tre Miller also intercepted a pass and recorded four tackles.

North Carolina's offense had difficulty establishing a running game throughout the afternoon. The Tar Heels managed only 20 yards on 25 rushing attempts, including three sacks of Edwards for 23 yards in losses.

Edwards nevertheless provided the necessary production through the air, completing 18 of 26 passes for 249 yards and two touchdowns, although he was intercepted twice.

Jordan Shipp led North Carolina with six receptions for 93 yards, while Jelani Thurman added six catches for 29 yards and a touchdown.

Pitt established an early advantage behind its running game, marching 75 yards in 12 plays on the opening possession. Wright finished the drive with a two-yard touchdown run to give the Panthers a 7-0 lead.

Antonio Chadha extended the margin to 10-0 with a 41-yard field goal midway through the second quarter.

North Carolina answered on its next possession, needing only five plays to cover 75 yards. Edwards opened the drive with a 49-yard completion to Shipp before connecting with Thurman for a seven-yard touchdown that cut the deficit to 10-7.

Pitt had an opportunity to add to its lead before halftime, but Chadha's 56-yard field goal attempt fell short with 17 seconds remaining.

The third quarter featured a series of turnovers as neither offense could establish much rhythm early in the half.

Cole Woodson intercepted Edwards on North Carolina's opening possession, setting Pitt up at the Tar Heel 31-yard line. Smith III answered with an interception in the end zone, preventing the Panthers from capitalizing on the favorable field position.

Miller later added another interception for North Carolina, but the Tar Heels were unable to turn that takeaway into points.

North Carolina finally broke through late in the third quarter with a 10-play, 51-yard touchdown drive. Demon June scored from one yard out with 22 seconds remaining in the period, giving the Tar Heels their first lead at 14-10.

Pitt responded with Wright's second touchdown on the ensuing possession, setting up Easter's decisive scoring play.

Wright finished with 45 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries. Damon Ferguson Jr. led Pitt's rushing attack with 49 yards on 15 attempts.

Making his first collegiate start, Pitt quarterback Holden Geriner completed 27 of 44 passes for 219 yards with two interceptions. Carson Kent led the Panthers with seven receptions for 61 yards, while Malik Knight contributed three catches for 62 yards.

Despite its substantial advantages in yardage, first downs and possession time, Pitt was unable to turn those numbers into a victory. The Panthers reached the red zone twice and scored touchdowns on both trips, but their final three possessions ended without points.

North Carolina will remain on the road next Saturday when it visits Duke on October 17. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on ESPN2.

ANNAPOLIS, MD – East Carolina secured a 23-17 victory over Pittsburgh in the Military Bowl at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon, claiming its ninth win of the season and second consecutive bowl victory.

True freshman Chaston Ditta, making his first career start at quarterback, completed 8 of 17 passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns. Both scoring strikes went to wide receiver Anthony Smith, who was named the game's MVP after catching four passes for 156 yards. Smith's touchdown receptions of 47 and 72 yards proved to be the difference in a game that featured five Pittsburgh turnovers.

The Pirates improved to 9-0 when scoring first this season after Nick Mazzie connected on a 42-yard field goal with 11:42 remaining in the second quarter to give East Carolina a 3-0 lead. Pittsburgh responded with a 10-play, 77-yard drive capped by a 22-yard touchdown pass from Mason Heintschel to Raphael Williams Jr. with four seconds left in the first half, sending the Panthers into the break with a 7-3 advantage.

The third quarter belonged to East Carolina. After Pittsburgh had driven to the East Carolina 44 on the opening possession of the second half, Heintschel was sacked and fumbled. Kendrick DuJour recovered at the Pittsburgh 47, and on the very next play, Ditta found Smith for a 47-yard touchdown pass. The extra point gave the Pirates a 10-7 lead just seven seconds into the drive.

Pittsburgh answered quickly when Rasheem Biles returned a fumble 23 yards for a touchdown at the 4:33 mark of the third quarter, putting the Panthers back in front 14-10. The lead lasted only 35 seconds. Ditta connected with Smith again, this time for a 72-yard touchdown on a two-play, 75-yard drive that gave East Carolina a 17-14 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.

The Pirates extended their lead to 20-14 on Mazzie's 33-yard field goal with 14:18 remaining in the game, capping a seven-play, 19-yard drive that started after another Pittsburgh turnover. Mazzie added a 28-yard field goal with 6:41 left to push the margin to nine points at 23-14.

Pittsburgh mounted a furious rally in the final minutes. Heintschel, who finished 25 of 40 for 256 yards with one touchdown and one interception, led a 14-play, 72-yard drive that resulted in a 21-yard field goal by Trey Butkowski with 1:23 remaining. The Panthers' onside kick attempt traveled only seven yards and was recovered by East Carolina at the Pittsburgh 42.

The Pirates ran three plays and punted with 57 seconds left, giving Pittsburgh one final chance from its own 20-yard line. Heintschel completed passes to Justin Holmes and Justin Cook to move the chains, but a pass interference penalty on Raphael Williams Jr. pushed the ball back to the Pittsburgh 34. Heintschel's final rush ended at the 38-yard line as time expired.

Pittsburgh's ground game produced 120 yards on 40 carries, led by Ja'Kyrian Turner's 93 yards on 16 attempts. However, the Panthers' four fumbles lost proved costly. Turner fumbled twice, while Kenny Johnson and Heintschel each lost one fumble. East Carolina's defense also recorded an interception by Kevon Merrell, who returned it 70 yards to set up the Pirates' third field goal.

Heintschel was sacked four times by the East Carolina defense. DuJour led the pass rush with two sacks for 18 yards, while Jasiyah Robinson added 1.5 sacks for 12 yards. The Pirates finished with seven tackles for loss totaling 45 yards.

For Pittsburgh, Holmes led all receivers with six catches for 100 yards, while Cook added six receptions for 30 yards and rushed for 28 yards on eight carries. Williams caught five passes for 57 yards and the Panthers' only receiving touchdown.

East Carolina's ground game managed just 72 yards on 42 attempts, with Marlon Gunn Jr. leading the way with 50 yards on 18 carries. The Pirates' offensive success came through the air, where Ditta averaged 22.1 yards per completion.

Teagan Wilk paced the East Carolina defense with nine tackles, including six solo stops, and forced a fumble. Fumble recoveries by DuJour, Jordy Lowery, Jackson Barker and J.D. Lampley gave the Pirates four takeaways on fumbles alone.

Pittsburgh controlled time of possession 33:05 to 26:55 and held advantages in first downs (24-11) and total offense yards (376-249). The Panthers converted 5 of 15 third-down attempts and 3 of 5 fourth-down tries. East Carolina converted just 2 of 15 third downs but capitalized on Pittsburgh's mistakes.

The victory marked East Carolina's 12th bowl win in program history and improved the Pirates' all-time bowl record to 12-11. The nine-win season was the program's first since 2013 when the Pirates won 10 games. East Carolina has now won three consecutive bowl games, matching the program's longest bowl winning streak set from 1963-65.

Top Performers:

• Anthony Smith (ECU): 4 receptions, 156 yards, 2 TDs
• Mason Heintschel (Pitt): 25-40, 256 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
• Chaston Ditta (ECU): 8-17, 177 yards, 2 TDs
• Justin Holmes (Pitt): 6 receptions, 100 yards
• Ja'Kyrian Turner (Pitt): 16 carries, 93 yards

The Blue Devils and Panthers will meet for the 22nd time Saturday with Pittsburgh holding a 12-9 advantage in the all-time series. The teams have met 11 times in the Bull City, with Pittsburgh owning a 7-4 lead. The Panthers have won the last four trips to Durham with Duke last capturing a home win against Pittsburgh with a 21-13 triumph October 9, 1965. Since Pittsburgh joined the ACC for the 2013 campaign, the Panthers have won three of the four meetings.

Duke's Wallace Wade Stadium

What the Coaches are Saying

Game Information

• Carolina is the only school in the country that has not allowed a punt return this season.
• Carolina has allowed just 45 points in the second half in seven games – 6.4 points per game. (South Carolina – 7 points; North Carolina A&T – 14; Illinois – 7; Delaware – 7; Georgia Tech – 10; Wake Forest – 0; Virginia – 0)
• Senior wide receiver Quinshad Davis has 180 career receptions and is just two shy of passing Hakeem Nicks (181) to become the school’s all-time leader. He is already UNC’s all-time leader in touchdown receptions with 22.
• Marquise Williams needs just 14 yards to become only the fifth quarterback in ACC history with 2,000 career rushing yards. Williams ranks 14th in UNC history with 1,986 yards.
• Williams has been responsible for 76 career touchdowns, which is three shy of the school record of 79 held by Darian Durant (2001-04) and ranks 10th in ACC history. Williams has rushed for 27 scores (UNC record for QB), passed for 46 and has three receiving TDs.
• For the second straight week, North Carolina is the only unranked Power 5 conference team in the country with just one loss.
• Five current Tar Heels have made 30-or-more career starts. Quinshad Davis leads the way with 40, followed by OG Landon Turner (35), OT Jon Heck (31), LB Jeff Schoettmer (31) and OG Caleb Peterson (30).
• North Carolina is 10 for 10 in non-quarterback passes under Larry Fedora. WR Quinshad Davis has completed all four pass attempts of his career for touchdowns. He is 4 of 4 for 121 yards and four touchdowns for a passer rating of 684.1. WR Ryan Switzer has completed all three of his attempts for two touchdowns.
• Carolina ranks second in the country in passing yards allowed, 10th in pass efficiency defense and 16th in scoring defense. UNC is allowing just 137.3 passing yards per game and 16.7 points per game.
• Carolina is 16th in the nation in scoring offense and is one of just 10 teams in the country averaging more than 200 yards per game rushing (215.3) and 250 passing (258.3).
• Carolina has converted 48 percent of its third down opportunities this season, which ranks 12^th nationally.
• Carolina has punted just 18 times this year. Only Baylor (17) and Navy (17) have fewer punts.