Ahead of the North Carolina Tar Heels’ 2024 regular season finale, NC State quarterback CJ Bailey made headlines when he guaranteed a Wolfpack victory.
Bailey struggled in the first half against UNC, but eventually backed up his talk, leading NC State to a come-from-behind, 35-30 victory that clinched bowl eligibility.
On Wednesday, December 11, North Carolina made headlines by hiring Bill Belichick as its head football coach. Belichick’s hiring will undoubtedly spurn a ripple of positive effects, as he is arguably the greatest coach across all levels.
Despite Belichick’s ability to turn the Tar Heels into a national powerhouse, Bailey still feels confident in the Wolfpack’s ability to beat UNC in 2025.
“Bill Belichick can get it, too,” Bailey said during an NC State pre-Military Bowl interview. “No matter who the coach is for UNC, we’re going to kick them. That means a lot I could play against Bill Belichick and meet him. But if he comes to play, we’re going to kill them.”
NC State QB CJ Bailey on the potential hiring of Bill Belichick as the next UNC head coach:
“Bill Belichick can get it, too. … No matter who the coach is for UNC, we’re gonna kick them.”
🎥: https://t.co/67vMF5Q7dN pic.twitter.com/FJWyc9mKmu
— Cory Smith (@RCorySmith) December 11, 2024
I admire Bailey’s confidence – and Belichick has yet to coach at the college level – but Bailey hasn’t played against Belichick. If you recall Belichick’s 24 years as the New England Patriots‘ head coach, he won six Super Bowls and only missed the playoffs six times.
North Carolina’s last victory over NC State came in 2020, during the infamous COVID-altered season, when North Carolina dominated the Wolfpack by a 48-21 mark. Three of the Wolfpack’s last four victories against UNC included comebacks, most recently Thanksgiving Weekend, when UNC entered the fourth quarter with a 20-13 advantage.
I really hope Belichick and the Tar Heels make Bailey eat his words. How bittersweet would it be for North Carolina, under the greatest coach of all time, to march into Raleigh and leave with a victory?
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