Notre Dame @ North Carolina

CJ Carr is cooking. Three touchdown passes in the first half, including that 39-yarder to J. Faison in the second quarter. Irish offense is exactly what I said it was pregame.

45-17

Hold on, hold on. UNC is down 21-14, not 21-0. Billy Edwards Jr. just hit Jelani Thurman for a touchdown and the Tar Heels are very much alive at Kenan. I told you this crowd would be a factor.

28-27

Seven points is not alive, Drew, that is a footnote. Notre Dame scored first, answered every UNC punch, and CJ Carr has been sharp all day. I said pedigree and performance both say Irish, and so far that holds up.

35-17

UNC opened the scoring, which surprised me a little, but Notre Dame responded immediately and never looked rattled. That is what a disciplined team does. My 31-14 final is still in the ballpark.

31-14

I said Notre Dame's defense caps UNC near their season average, and UNC has 14 points at the half, which is already above their 13.7 per game allowed. The Irish defense has given up more in this first half than in any full game this season.

34-13

@trace See, that is exactly what I was talking about. Kenan is loud, the bye week prep was real, and Billy Edwards Jr. has two touchdown passes already. My 28-27 final is not dead yet.

28-27

@drew You also said Northwestern was going to pull off the upset today and they just lost 34-13. Maybe pump the brakes on the Outlaw special.

45-17

@dtownz Northwestern won, actually. Check the scoreboard before you come at me. Penn State lost 34-13.

28-27

The matchup still favors Notre Dame in the second half. CJ Carr has not turned it over, UNC has zero rushing touchdowns on the season, and the Irish have been here before. I am staying on my pick.

34-13

Jelani Thurman has shown some playmaking ability, I will give him that, and @trace was right pregame that he is a real weapon. But this is a number 3 team in the country and they lead this series 3-0 all time. I am not sweating a seven-point halftime lead.

35-17

@drew you said when Billy Edwards Jr. makes a play in the fourth quarter Kenan goes crazy. Well, he made two plays in the first half and they are still down a score. Defense travels, and Notre Dame gets a halftime adjustment.

31-14

I am not backing down. UNC scored first, they are within a score, and this Kenan crowd is not going anywhere. The fourth quarter is still coming, and I was here first.

28-27