No. 3 Notre Dame pulls away in second half at North Carolina as CJ Carr totals 5 TDs

North Carolina coupled a goal-line stand with a masterful 15-play, 97-yard touchdown drive to draw within a score of No. 3 Notre Dame before intermission on Saturday in a rainy Chapel Hill.

Then, in the first moments of the second half, UNC wide receiver Jaden Jefferson authored a 98-yard kick return touchdown to make it a one-point game.

That's as close as Bill Belichick's squad got to matching the Fighting Irish.

Marcus Freeman's steely Notre Dame won its 15th consecutive game dating back to last season by navigating that mid-game adversity brilliantly. The Irish responded with 16 unanswered points and wound up winning 37-26, behind five total CJ Carr touchdowns.

Carr, a 2027 NFL Draft prospect, carried the offensive load early for Notre Dame (5-0). He and wideout Jordan Faison were in lockstep. Throughout the day, they connected eight times for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Carr clocked out 21 of 29 with 234 yards through the air, 4 passing touchdowns and 1 rushing score.

Notre Dame's ground game came to life in the second half on the soggy Chris Smith Field at Kenan Stadium. The Irish picked up 166 of their 241 rushing yards in the second half. In doing so, they put away a game adversely affected by the conditions, so much so that each team's holder botched long snaps on extra points.

Freshman running back Jonaz Walton finished with 120 yards on 23 carries.

UNC (2-2, 0-1 ACC) dropped its second straight game after a 2-0 start. The Tar Heels let a 17-3 advantage slip against Clemson on Sept. 19 . The only lead UNC had this time was of the 7-0 variety, but its competitiveness is noteworthy following a mostly dismal 4-8 campaign a year ago.

Tar Heels quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. went 17 of 28 with 208 passing yards and three touchdowns, except he also tossed a pair of first-quarter picks, off which Notre Dame scored 14 points to go up 21-7. The first of those turnovers resulted from a Boubacar Traore hit, and the second one came on a deep throw that safety Luke Talich tracked and snatched after it hung in the air downfield.

Edwards hooked up with wide receiver Jordan Shipp on seven occasions for 109 yards. Tight end Jelani Thurman reeled in five passes, two for touchdowns, and ended the day with 50 receiving yards.

Thurman's second score arrived in garbage time, cutting into UNC's deficit prior to game's end.