North Carolina Slides Two Spots in USA TODAY Sports Re-Rank After Clemson Defeat
The short version
- UNC lost 28-20 at Clemson after leading by 14 points, falling to 2-1 (0-1 ACC).
- The Tar Heels dropped two spots to No. 56 in USA TODAY Sports' re-rank of 138 FBS teams.
- Clemson (2-1, 1-0 ACC) rose 20 places to No. 54 after the comeback win.
- Aeron Burrell's 22-yard fourth-quarter field goal followed a lengthy weather delay.
- UNC has a bye week before facing Notre Dame.
The Tar Heels let a two-touchdown advantage slip away against the Tigers and now sit 56th in the Week Three ranking of all 138 FBS programs.
North Carolina traveled to Clemson for its ACC opener on Saturday with an unbeaten 2-0 record, while the host Tigers arrived at 1-1 following a lopsided defeat at LSU and a narrow win over Georgia Southern. The Tar Heels built a 14-point advantage, but the game flipped and Clemson came away with a 28-20 victory, leaving UNC at 2-1 overall and 0-1 in conference play.
In USA TODAY Sports' updated ranking of all 138 FBS teams after Week Three, the Tar Heels slipped two positions to No. 56. Clemson, now 2-1 overall and 1-0 in the ACC, made a far bigger move, jumping 20 places to No. 54 on the strength of its comeback.
UNC led 17-6 at the break behind a defense that kept Clemson in check while the offense did just enough. The Tar Heels did not reach the scoreboard again until the fourth quarter, when Aeron Burrell hit from 22 yards after a long weather delay, making it a five-point game with 6:34 left.
That drive, though, followed more than two hours without points, and it came up short of a touchdown after Clemson stopped Demon June on three tries. The Tigers then drove the length of the field for the go-ahead score.
North Carolina now heads into its second off week with questions on both sides of the ball. A matchup with Notre Dame, viewed as a leading contender for the national title, comes next on the schedule.
