Notre Dame ran through North Carolina for 475 yards, including 241 on the ground, and held the ball for more than 37 minutes. As if Bill Belichick needed another problem, Isaiah Johnson went down too. That left UNC asking younger linemen to clean up a mess against an Irish offense that was already doing pretty much whatever it wanted.
With Johnson's status still up in the air, Belichick was asked about Nicco Maggio and Trey Giddens getting more snaps. The coach explained that Maggio plays pretty much the same spot as Johnson, while Giddens usually lines up a little farther away from the center but can move inside when needed.
"Nico and Isaiah played pretty much the same position. Trey plays a little bit more off the center, but he can also play there," Belichick said .
The timing makes Johnson's absence even more noticeable. His final recorded tackle came with 1:50 left in the first quarter, when he stopped Aneyas Williams for a one-yard gain. Johnson then suffered the injury in the second quarter, although UNC has not identified the exact snap. By Notre Dame's next extended possession, his name had disappeared from the defensive play-by-play, leaving the Tar Heels to rotate younger bodies inside.
Johnson entered the season as one of UNC's more experienced defensive linemen after recording 40 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks in 12 games last season. He had also been one of the Tar Heels' better run defenders this year, tied with Xavier Lewis for the third-highest run-defense grade on the team at 75.7, per PFF.
Belichick, however, has been encouraged by their development.
"Both young guys have improved a lot in their second year," he said.
Maggio and Giddens each played 23 snaps against Notre Dame, giving them their biggest workloads against an FBS opponent this season. Their expanded roles came as the Irish kept attacking UNC's defensive front, piling up 166 rushing yards in the second half. Notre Dame averaged 5.6 yards per carry on middle runs and 5.3 yards per carry between the tackles, per PFF.
"One man's unfortunate injury gives other players opportunities, and I thought that they stepped in there and gave us some good plays," Belichick said.
But he also acknowledged the obvious.
"There are a lot of things for them to work on. It's harder to replace a guy like Isaiah," he added.
Jonaz Walton was a big reason why, rushing for 120 yards on 23 carries as Notre Dame finished with 241 yards on the ground.
Now Maggio and Giddens may have to grow up quickly. UNC heads to Acrisure Stadium to face a Pittsburgh team sitting at 5-0 and 2-0 in ACC play, while the Tar Heels have dropped two straight after opening 2-0. After what Notre Dame did on the ground, the defensive front cannot afford another rough outing.
Belichick is still hoping Johnson can return soon, saying the veteran defender "looks like he's coming along."
"I know he's working as hard as he can to be back out there," Belichick said.
Until then, Maggio and Giddens may have to handle a much bigger role than UNC originally planned.
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