# North Carolina Tar Heels football season > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/north-carolina-tar-heels-football-season > Updated: 2026-09-14T13:30:00.000Z. Sources: 11. Developments: 3. The North Carolina Tar Heels football program has navigated administrative turmoil alongside early-season competition. Ahead of their home opener, the team faced internal investigations that led to the resignation of general manager Michael Lombardi and placed defensive coordinator Steve Belichick under scrutiny. Players reported that the locker room was attempting to “block out the outside noise” caused by these leadership issues. Despite these distractions, the team secured a 35-3 victory over East Tennessee State at Kenan Stadium, marking the start of the 100th season of competition at the venue. The win improved the team to a 2-0 record for the 2026 season following a previous victory against TCU. In the home opener, running back Demon June led the offense with three rushing touchdowns, while quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. threw for two scores, including touchdown passes to Jelani Thurman and Benjamin Hall. Wide receiver C.J. Sadler also contributed three receptions for 66 yards. The Tar Heels' defense was particularly effective, preventing scores for 15 consecutive opposing possessions and allowing only 368 yards across 112 plays before ETSU managed a field goal late in the fourth quarter. The defense also recorded four sacks, with Jaylen Harvey and Xavier Lewis each contributing two. The game was notably interrupted by a weather delay of over one hour due to lightning. North Carolina is scheduled to face Clemson in its Atlantic Coast Conference opener. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-14: North Carolina Tar Heels defeat ETSU 35-3 The North Carolina Tar Heels defeated ETSU 35-3, moving to 2-0. The win featured a dominant defensive streak and three rushing touchdowns from Demon June. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/north-carolina-tar-heels-defeat-etsu-35-3 ### 2026-09-12: North Carolina Tar Heels defeat ETSU 35-3 in home opener North Carolina defeated East Tennessee State 35-3 in their home opener, led by Demon June's three rushing touchdowns and Billy Edwards Jr.'s two passing scores, moving the Tar Heels to 2-0. 11 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/north-carolina-tar-heels-defeat-east-tennessee-state-35-3 ### 2026-09-09: North Carolina Tar Heels face off-field distractions ahead of home opener The North Carolina Tar Heels prepare for their home opener against East Tennessee State amid leadership investigations involving Michael Lombardi and Steve Belichick. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/north-carolina-tar-heels-face-off-field-distractions-ahead-of-home-opener --- Cite as: North Carolina Tar Heels football season. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/north-carolina-tar-heels-football-season