Defense & Thurman Star As Tar Heels Win At UConn, 38-21 - University of North Carolina Athletics

Saturday, November 7

East Hartford, Conn. (Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field)

Noon

North Carolina

5-4 , 2-3

UConn

4-5 , 0-0

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
North Carolina	7	21	3	7	38
UConn	0	14	7	0	21

Jelani Thurman

Photo by: UNC Athletic Communications

November 7, 2026 | Football

Box Score Final Stats (.pdf)Photo Gallery

By: Matt Bowers

EAST HARTFORD, CONN.— Jelani Thurman caught two touchdown passes from Billy Edwards Jr. as North Carolina dominated time of possession and won at UConn, 38-21, on Saturday afternoon at Rentschler Field.

Thurman grabbed seven catches for 64 yards on the day, and he now has eight scoring catches this fall. He entered the game second in the nation in receiving TDs by a tight end and has tied the UNC single-season, TE touchdown record, set in 1979.

"It feels good to come out here and actually get a win, put four quarters of football up, execute and just show the world what we've got," Thurman said immediately postgame on CBS Sports Network. "I feel like [tying the school record] just shows great preparation, me getting on the same time with my quarterback, my offense believing in me, my OC [offensive coordinator] believing in me, my team believing in me and my quarterback finding me and making great plays."

In its final non-conference contest of the season, Carolina snapped a two-game losing streak and improved to 5-4 in 2026. The Tar Heels have exceeded their win total from last year. UConn, which entered Saturday having won two of its last three, fell to 4-5.

UNC possessed the ball for 36:23 to just 23:37 for the Huskies and forced three turnovers, efficiently converting them into 21 points. Carolina ran it 36 times for 164 yards (4.6 yards per carry), which proved crucial as the weather turned sloppy in the second half and made passing more difficult.

Edwards completed 29 of 38 passes for 255 yards and three scores with one interception for a passer rating of 153.5. Ten different Tar Heels caught at least one pass. Jordan Shipp snared five Edwards tosses for 55 yards and a TD, scoring for the fourth game in a row.

Huskie quarterback Kalieb Osborne was effective at times but finished 17 for 35 for 245 yards with two TDs and two pickoffs, one of which was returned for a score.

UNC linebacker Timir Hickman-Collins returned an Osborne interception for a touchdown and had a key fumble recovery deep in UConn territory, becoming the first Tar Heel to recover a fumble and intercept a pass in the same game since Cedric Gray versus Miami in 2023.

After a relatively quiet first quarter when both quarterbacks struggled to get in rhythm, both offensives exploded in the second period. The Tar Heels outscored UConn, 21-14, in the second and converted a pair of Huskie turnovers into touchdowns to take a 28-14 lead into the locker room at halftime. UNC's 21 points were its most in any quarter this season.

The skies opened in the second half, changing the tenor of the game significantly and forcing both teams to rely more on the run. After UConn outscored the Tar Heels, 7-3, in the third quarter, Carolina scored an insurance touchdown with 3:38 to play in the fourth on Thurman's second score of the game.

How It Happened
First Quarter
• After forcing a three-and-out on UConn's first possession, the Tar Heels marched across midfield before Edwards threw an interception to Hayden Pegg, who returned it 29 yards to the Tar Heel 48. The Huskies moved 21 yards before missing a 45-yard field goal.
• Later in the quarter, UConn went for it on fourth-and-three in Tar Heel territory. Osborne's pass deflected off his receiver's hands, Hickman-Collins snared the ball and raced 62 yards down the right sideline for a score. After the extra point, it was 7-0 Carolina. It was UNC's first defensive TD of the season and first interception return for a score since Power Echols' against Wake Forest in 2024.

Second Quarter
• UConn tied the score at 7-7 just over a minute into the second quarter on an 18-yard toss from Osborne to Ryder Treadway that capped a six-play, 53-yard drive.
• Carolina responded immediately when Benjamin Hall scampered to the left side for a 39-yard TD with 10:05 left before the half. Hall's first score of the year was UNC's longest run of 2026 and culminated an impressive, seven-play, 86-yard scoring effort.
• On the next Huskie opportunity, Hickman-Collins recovered an Osborne fumble at the UConn 22. Four plays later, Edwards connected with Shipp for a six-yard score and a 21-7 Tar Heel lead.
• Connecticut raced to a quick reply, advancing 75 yards in just five plays, culminated by a 24-yard toss from Osborne from Cam Abshire that made the score 21-14.
• With just 24 seconds remaining in the half, Edwards hit Thurman for a six-yard score to give Carolina a 28-14 lead at the break. It was Thurman's team-high seventh touchdown of the year, and it capped an impressive, 16-play drive to essentially run out the clock before intermission.

Third Quarter
• UConn started the third quarter strong, forcing a Tar Heel punt and then driving 93 yards in only seven plays to pull within a TD at 28-21 five minutes into the half.
• As rain began to fall steadily and became a downpour in East Hartford, Carolina replied immediately with a 27-yard field goal by Rece Verhoff to push the UNC lead back to double digits at 31-21 with 6:05 on the clock.
• Both teams settled into more rush-heavy offensive attacks as the weather made field conditions increasingly slippery.

Fourth Quarter
• On the first play of the fourth period, the Tar Heel defense held on a fourth-and-12 attempt by UConn after the Huskies had relied on the run for a double-digit play drive that ended without points.
• Halfway through the fourth, Jalon Thompson picked off Osborne inside the Huskie 40, marking the Tar Heel defense's third forced turnover of the day.
• Carolina then took the ball 32 yards in eight plays, killing the clock until Edwards hit Thurman for a second time on the day and the back-breaking TD to give UNC a 38-21 lead with 3:31 to play.

Up Next
The Tar Heels will return home and to Atlantic Coast Conference play on Saturday November 14 when they host Louisville at either 7 or 7:30 p.m. in Kenan Stadium. Gametime and TV designations will be announced late on Saturday night.

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TO THE HOUSE 🏠 📺 CBS Sports Network https://t.co/dxAMGBJ4EZ
— Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) November 7, 2026

First rushing TD of the year for Ben 😎 📺 CBS Sports Network https://t.co/uR4gkXHiVQ
— Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) November 7, 2026

Fourth-straight game with a TD for Shipp 💪 📺 CBS Sports Network https://t.co/43cW6fdaGL
— Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) November 7, 2026

Touchdown No. 7 for 45 🤌 📺 CBS Sports Network https://t.co/NTtc4LyGfI
— Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) November 7, 2026

Jalon's first career INT 👏 📺 CBS Sports Network https://t.co/33Nl2MddmQ
— Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) November 7, 2026

Now tied for the most touchdowns in a single season by a tight end in UNC history 🙌 📺 CBS Sports Network https://t.co/OXWYXCKbYP
— Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) November 7, 2026