CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — North Carolina still hasn’t won a game against a Power Four opponent under Bill Belichick, but Saturday’s 17-16 overtime defeat against No. 16 Virginia showed the improvement he has long promised is finally unfolding on the field.

The Tar Heels dominated Virginia at the line of scrimmage, racking up six sacks and largely eliminating the Cavaliers’ run game, but a failed 2-point try in overtime proved the difference.

“It’s one thing for people to say we’re getting better,” North Carolina wide receiver Jordan Shipp said, “but now we’re showing it. That’s a top-20 team in the country that went down to the last play of the game.”

Shipp wasn’t celebrating a moral victory. In the locker room after the game, he said he shed tears, knowing how much work this team had put in and how close it had come to its first ACC win of the season.

But if the Heels weren’t celebratory, there was ample reason to feel good.

North Carolina’s defense held Virginia to 259 yards and didn’t allow a second-half point. The offense managed 359 yards — a relative pittance, but still a season high — and for the second straight week, UNC had a shot to win with its final possession, which is a drastic improvement after four early blowouts.

Perhaps another sign of North Carolina’s improvement was Belichick’s postgame news conference, where he was in vintage form.

What went into the decision to go for two in the first overtime?

“Just trying to win the game,” he said.

Who was QB Gio Lopez‘s first target before rolling out on the two-point play?

“Whoever was open.”

How much did UNC need these past two games to show real improvement on the field?

“I can’t put a percentage on it,” Belichick said.

He was effusive in the team’s need to avoid catastrophe near the goal line. After a three-point loss at Cal and Saturday’s one-point defeat to Virginia, what stood out was the Heels’ three red zone turnovers, including two that were within inches of reaching the end zone.

“We’ve got to eliminate those, no doubt about it,” Belichick said. “It’s the No. 1 problem.”

If the miscues remain an issue, UNC seems to be finding an identity that it lacked earlier in the season.

Belichick had suggested the team, which had 30 transfers after spring practice, was a work in progress as it tried to learn more about the personnel. In the past two weeks, receiver Kobe Paysour has emerged with nine catches for 154 yards, freshman Madrid Tucker recorded eight catches for 41 yards in his first game action of the season, and on defense, Melkart Abou Jaoude, who had just two sacks this season, sacked Virginia QB Chandler Morris three times.

“We’ve spent more time with these guys, and everybody’s improving,” Belichick said. “Some guys are getting more playing time or are being used in different roles as we see ways for them to help the team be productive. It’s evolving. Some of it is the players improving, and some of it is identifying things guys can do to help us.”

But if there’s a turning point for UNC, it might’ve come during the open date two weeks ago. The Heels had just been blown out against Clemson and numerous news stories erupted — including the cancellation of a planned documentary on the team, rumors of dissatisfaction among players (including a locker room fight) and reports that Belichick was angling to get out of his contract, a story he firmly denied.

All that adversity united the struggling Tar Heels, Shipp said.

“I feel like it helped us a lot,” Shipp said. “It’s always good to be under a spotlight. I feel like that’s what brought everybody together. You see, sometimes, people trying to trash people’s names on social media, and people are there to defend them. … You’re supposed to have your brother’s back, no matter what’s going on. There’s a lot of that going on in this building.”

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Rayshawn Pleasant‘s 49-yard interception return for a touchdown with 9:15 left proved to be the game-winning score as Auburn picked up its first win in Southeastern Conference play 33-24 over Arkansas on Saturday.

The Tigers (4-4, 1-4) picked up new life after inserting Ashton Daniels at quarterback late in the second quarter. Auburn’s starter, Jackson Arnold, was benched after throwing an interception late in the half that Arkansas’ Kani Walker returned 89 yards for a touchdown, giving the Razorbacks a 21-10 lead at the break.

Daniels led Auburn on three straight scoring drives to start the third quarter, all finishing with field goals, to trim Arkansas’ lead to 24-19 at the time of Pleasant’s interception. Daniels finished 6-of-8 for 77 yards through his two-plus quarters of work.

Auburn had lost four straight games entering Saturday — all coming to ranked opponents and none came by a margin greater than 10.

“That group of young men and that group of coaches, as disappointing and as hurtful as those four tight losses are, I think there are people who maybe would have shut it down,” Auburn coach Hugh Freeze said.

Arkansas (2-6, 0-4) didn’t have the ball enough for a comeback. Auburn won the time-of-possession battle by more than 13 minutes and the Razorbacks committed turnovers on three straight possessions following Pleasant’s touchdown.

O’Mega Blake lost a fumble at the Auburn 44 that the Tigers ultimately turned into another field goal, Alex McPherson‘s fourth of the game. Pleasant intercepted Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green a second time on the next Razorbacks series.

“I kissed him,” Freeze said of Pleasant. “I kissed him on the forehead.”

Auburn converted a fourth-and-1 at the Arkansas 27 with 2:42 left, and McPherson finished the drive with a 37-yard field goal to provide the final score with 1:06 to play.

Jeremiah Cobb led Auburn with 153 yards rushing on 28 carries.

Rohan Jones had Arkansas’ best offensive day, catching three passes for 127 yards. Raylen Sharpe caught a touchdown pass from Green in Arkansas’ 21-point second quarter.

Green finished 14-of-22 for 268 yards with the touchdown and three interceptions, the last of which came on the first play of Arkansas’ final drive. The Razorbacks entered the game fourth in FBS in total offense, averaging 514 yards per game. Auburn limited them to just 331.

McPherson made field goals of 36, 23, 43, 26, 47 and 37 yards, and for a week, at least, he helped to ease the pressure on Freeze. The Tigers are 15-18 and 6-15 in SEC play in Freeze’s two-plus seasons.

Missouri quarterback Beau Pribula was carted off the field with an air cast on his left leg after he was awkwardly tackled on a fourth-and-goal play in the third quarter of the No. 15 Tigers’ 17-10 loss at No. 10 Vanderbilt on Saturday.

Pribula, a senior from York, Pennsylvania, faked a pitch to tailback Kevin Coleman Jr. and kept the ball. Vanderbilt edge rusher Miles Capers and others stopped Pribula short of the end zone, and Pribula’s left leg was bent awkwardly as he went to the ground.

Pribula was moved to a wheelchair after being taken off the field. Missouri coach Eliah Drinkwitz said after the game that Pribula is going to be out for “awhile.”

Freshman Matt Zollers, ESPN’s No. 86 overall recruit in the class of 2025, took over after Pribula’s injury. After attempting six passes in three games this season, Zollers finished 14-of-23 for 138 yards and a touchdown. Pribula was 9-of-14 for 68 yards before leaving the game.

Pribula is the second Missouri quarterback to suffer a potential season-ending injury this season; starter Sam Horn fractured the tibia in his right leg on the Tigers’ first snap from scrimmage in their 61-6 victory against FCS program Central Arkansas on Aug. 28. Horn, who missed all of the 2024 season following Tommy John surgery, is expected to make a full recovery.

Pribula, a former Penn State transfer, had passed for 1,617 yards with 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions this season.