University of North Carolina Athletics
October 27, 2026 | Football
Improved discipline has resulted in UNC committing the fourth fewest penalties per game nationally.
Bill Belichick is a big believer in the importance of "hidden yards" to a team's success. The seemingly small and less obvious things that add up over the course of a game.
One potentially overlooked way this year's Tar Heels have found hidden yards is with their discipline.
UNC ranks fourth nationally in penalties (4) and penalty yardage (31.7) per game, each the best mark in the ACC.
Those numbers are also big improvements from last season and recent years. In 2025, the Tar Heels averaged 6.6 penalties (87th) and 62.6 penalty yards (111th) per contest. The highest UNC has ranked in average penalty yardage since 2020 is 75th in 2022.
What's led to the considerable strides the Tar Heels have made in addressing penalties?
"It's the discipline of the players, and that's a lot better than it was last year on a lot of levels," Belichick said during his weekly news conference ahead of the Tar Heels' home game against No. 1 Miami on Halloween. "Not just on the field but off the field in terms of overall structure. The way you do some things is the way you do everything."
That assessment is in line with what Tar Heel players themselves have said about this year's squad. The group has a collective understanding of what's needed to play winning football.
"There's more ownership within the players with leadership on the team," said center and captain Christo Kelly. "Being able to see like 'OK, this is what we need to do. This is what's required.'"
Belichick breaks down penalties into three buckets: pre-snap, in-play and post-whistle.
You can minimize the number of in-play penalties (like holding or pass interference) you have with teaching of and adherence to technique, Belichick said.
Preventing pre-snap penalties (e.g., false start and offside, illegal formation, delay of game, etc.) starts with alertness and discipline, and the same largely applies to infractions near the end of or after a play, such as roughing the passer/kicker and personal fouls like late hits, unnecessary roughness or unsportsmanlike conduct.
Out of the Tar Heels' 28 penalties so far, 15 (54%) were in-play, 11 pre-snap (39%) and two post-whistle (7%).
"Coach does a really good job of teaching us how to win a game," wide receivers coach Garrick McGee said. "You cannot get penalties. We want to be the smartest team on the field. Being smart means there's no pre-snap or post-snap penalties — we eliminate them all. Some penalties during the action are going to happen, but we have to eliminate them because that hidden yardage adds up on us."
Sophomore running back Demon June said the Tar Heels' penalty improvements are a testament to him and his teammates playing the way they practice.
"Practicing the right way. Not trying to take shortcuts," June said. "Just playing hard through the whistle. Playing penalty-free just allows the game to be smooth and allows more plays to be made."
Three and out
A trio of additional notes from Monday's news conference
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Another freshman steps up
UNC has 40 true freshmen, and several have already made their names known, from Cristian Alvarez and C.J. Sadler on offense to Kenton Dopson III and Calvin Thomas on defense.
Another newcomer stepped up this past week against Syracuse, as wide receiver Nyqir Helton saw extensive playing time. The Sicklerville, New Jersey, native played 67 snaps and caught two passes for 15 yards.
"It seems like it's starting to come to life for him, so we moved him up with our regular offense the last couple of weeks, and he's been really consistent," McGee said. "He spends a lot of time in the meeting room. You can tell this is really important to him, and he's done a really good job."
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Red zone improvements a priority
Throughout the season, the Tar Heels have done a good job of coming away with points when venturing into the red zone. Nearly 91.67% of UNC's trips there have resulted in scores, the 24th best rank in the country.
But this past weekend's game against Syracuse highlighted the importance of finishing with touchdowns instead of field goals. UNC had two drives reach the Syracuse 9 yard line or closer before ending with three points.
It's an area of the field where "everything needs to be a little more perfect," according to Belichick.
"Less space, more guys. Everybody's closer to the line of scrimmage," he said. "It all happens faster. We just need to execute a little bit better."
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High praise for Jordan Shipp, the student-athlete
You know about Jordan Shipp's receiving talents and on-field production. The junior from Charlotte led UNC a season ago with 60 receptions, 671 receiving yards and six touchdowns. This season, he's on pace to cruise past those receiving tallies, as he's already made 41 catches for 543 yards through seven games.
But the Tar Heel captain does it all at Carolina. Now a graduate student, he earned two undergraduate degrees — communication studies and exercise and sport science — in 2.5 years and was recently named a finalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award, which recognizes leadership, integrity and sportsmanship.
Shipp earned the ACC Top Six for Service Award earlier this year and has been recognized for his work with UNC Children's Hospital, Habitat for Humanity and TABLE, a local food and nutrition nonprofit. He's also earned numerous academic accolades from the ACC and College Sports Communicators.
"He has mastered being a student-athlete," McGee said. "Of what it looks like to go to college as a high school kid. You get to college, and you're not just a football player that's in the football building all the time. You branch out. You're all over campus. You're at anything you can possibly do on campus. You have relationships with people that have nothing to do with the football program or even the athletics department."
