The University of North Carolina found some welcome relief from its recent wave of controversy on Saturday, as the Tar Heels cruised past East Tennessee State 35-3 in Chapel Hill.
The victory gave head coach Bill Belichick a far more comfortable second home opener at UNC than his first. A year earlier, the Tar Heels had lost to TCU while the eight-time Super Bowl champion was still enjoying an early honeymoon period with the program.
That goodwill unravelled in 2026 when Mike Lombardi, a longtime Belichick ally and college football’s highest-paid general manager at $1.5 million annually, was placed on administrative leave. Lombardi later resigned from UNC as a still-unexplained investigation into his conduct continued.
At the same time, Belichick’s son Steve, the Tar Heels’ defensive coordinator, stepped away from the team for undisclosed medical reasons. Lawyers retained for the Lombardi investigation have since reportedly questioned people about Steve Belichick’s drug use, WRAL in Raleigh reported. Sources also told WRAL that the lawyers asked about possible sexual relationships involving assistant coaches and staff members.
Steve Belichick did not respond to WRAL’s requests for comment. UNC representatives have declined to address specific details of the ongoing investigation and did not reply to a request for comment from The Daily Mail.
On the field, however, the uncertainty surrounding the program faded into the background. With Bill Belichick’s 25-year-old girlfriend Jordon Hudson back in the stands, Tar Heels running back Demon June ran for three touchdowns, while quarterback Billy Edwards threw two more in the emphatic win.
A stoic Bill Belichick watches from the sidelines in Chapel Hill as the Tar Heels improve to 2-0.
Jordon Hudson, left, stands on the sidelines during the first quarter at Kenan Stadium.
Dressed in white and Carolina blue, Hudson was seen talking with a friend on the sideline during the game, a familiar place for her in Chapel Hill last season.
Hudson wore white and Carolina blue as she chatted with a friend on the sidelines, where she has frequently been seen during UNC games in Chapel Hill.
Fortunately for her, there were plenty of good things to watch on Saturday.
June ran for touchdowns of 9, 6, and 1 yard for the Tar Heels, who improved to 2-0 for the fourth time in the last five seasons.
‘Good to get that one today,’ Belichick said after. ‘It was a solid effort in all three phases.’
Edwards completed 15 of 20 passes for 244 yards, connecting with eight different receivers. Jelani Thurman had a team-high 71 yards receiving, including a 24-yard catch-and-run to open the scoring just 1:19 in.
‘He’s shown to have the ability to be a Swiss Army knife in terms of how we want to use him and how [offensive coordinator Bobby] Petrino and the offensive staff kind of schemes it up for him,’ Edwards said of Thurman, who had four catches for 94 yards in the season-opening win over TCU . ‘I expect him to continue to get better and continue to kind of evolve as a tight end in this offense.’
The mushroom Lombardi scandal has taken some of the spotlight off of Hudson in 2026
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Demon June ran for touchdowns of 9, 6, and 1 yard for the Tar Heels on Saturday in Chapel Hill
Investigators are allegedly looking into explosive claims made against Belichick’s son, Steve
The University of North Carolina’s football GM Michael Lombardi has resigned
The Tar Heels allowed only 255 yards and forced two turnovers. They also registered four sacks, two apiece by Jaylen Harvey and Xavier Lewis.
After going three-and-out to open the game, North Carolina converted five of its next six drives for touchdowns. The second of those scores, a 26-yard swing pass to Benjamin Hall, capped a 10-play, 99-yard drive. That matched the team’s longest scoring drive since 2022 against Miami.
Mason Mims was 23-of-31 passing for 178 yards and one interception for ETSU (1-2).
North Carolina led 35-0 after three quarters before lightning delayed the game one hour and 19 minutes.
One of the Tar Heels’ scandals did poke its head above water on Saturday as UNC did not host any recruits for the home game.
North Carolina Tar Heels fans celebrate during the second half of the game in Chapel Hill
Jordan Shipp of the North Carolina Tar Heels celebrates an interception with Gregory Smith III
North Carolina Tar Heels cheerleaders hold flags after a touchdown during the first half
In a statement, UNC spokesman Kevin Best said the Tar Heels aren’t allowed to host unofficial visits because of the violation. While hosting recruits on official visits was permitted, Best said the program decided ‘to concentrate our official visits on the remaining five home games.’
‘The situation has been properly resolved through the NCAA process, and we have worked with the NCAA and University compliance on appropriate and corrective action,’ he said.
The Tar Heels went 4-8 last year in Belichick’s first college season, marked by shaky play on the field and unwanted headlines off it, such as an assistant coach being briefly suspended for violating NCAA rules.
The Tar Heels (2-0) beat TCU in Ireland to open the year, and Saturday’s home opener comes against a Championship Subdivision opponent.