PITTSBURGH — They were built for this.
The players on the North Carolina football team remembered being on the opposite side of Thursday’s 26-19 victory at No. 23 Pittsburgh, unable to garner a win in a nationally televised game against a premier opponent.
Just eight weeks prior they experienced defeat under seemingly identical circumstances, falling to South Carolina in Charlotte in a primetime contest.
And for the past three years, memories similar to these — like the home loss to Miami in 2013 — were forged in their minds.
But on Thursday at Heinz Field, with the stage set once again, the Tar Heels (7-1, 4-0 ACC) finally capitalized on their opportunity — claiming the victory as well as first place in the Coastal Division.
“It means a lot,” said redshirt senior quarterback Marquise Williams of UNC’s win. “The thing is, people think we are irrelevant. Nobody wants to give us respect. This was our opportunity to come in here and get people’s attention, and even if it doesn’t, we’re going to keep doing what we’ve been doing to get people’s attention.”
Although the score reflected a tighter contest than it was — partly due to a Pittsburgh touchdown with less than a minute remaining — North Carolina might have done enough to continue stimulating its audience.
Whether it was Williams’ 71-yard touchdown pass to receiver Ryan Switzer or UNC’s 20-3 halftime lead, the Tar Heels’ offense produced its share of memorable moments.
And even when the offense sputtered in the second half, the defense recorded season-highs of five sacks and eight pass breakups on the night to help keep the lead intact.
