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By Bryan Colbert Jr.
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Bill Belichick has seen just about everything during his legendary coaching career.
But Saturday's loss to Miami delivered something he had never experienced before.
The North Carolina head coach watched his Tar Heels fall 38-35 to the No. 1 Hurricanes, ending a remarkable streak that had lasted more than three decades.
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Belichick entered Saturday with a perfect 103-0 record when his teams scored at least 35 points. That streak, which spanned his NFL and college coaching career dating back to 1991, officially ended against Miami.
The loss was particularly frustrating considering how close North Carolina came to pulling off one of the biggest upsets of the college football season.
The Tar Heels entered Saturday's matchup as significant underdogs but repeatedly challenged the nation's top-ranked team.
North Carolina quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. helped keep the offense moving, throwing for 341 yards and four touchdowns.
The Tar Heels took a 28-24 lead early in the fourth quarter when running back Demon June scored on a 1-yard touchdown run. However, Miami responded with consecutive touchdowns to regain control.
Running back Mark Fletcher Jr. scored his third touchdown of the night to put the Hurricanes ahead before quarterback Darian Mensah connected with Malachi Toney for a 9-yard touchdown, extending Miami's advantage to 38-28.
North Carolina refused to go away.
Edwards found Trech Kekahuna for a 15-yard touchdown with 1:38 remaining, cutting the deficit to three points and giving the Tar Heels one final opportunity.
North Carolina recovered two consecutive onside kicks, but both were wiped out by penalties.
Miami eventually secured possession and ran out the clock, escaping Chapel Hill with its undefeated record intact.
The victory improved the Hurricanes to 8-0, while North Carolina fell to 4-4.
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For Belichick, the defeat marked another heartbreaking finish after the Tar Heels suffered a 31-30 overtime loss to Syracuse the previous week.
Despite scoring 35 points against the nation's top-ranked team, North Carolina couldn't deliver the victory.
Belichick built his reputation on winning close games and finding ways to finish. But Saturday's result proved that even one of football's most accomplished coaches isn't immune to an unwanted piece of history.
After 103 consecutive victories when his teams reached 35 points, Belichick finally suffered his first defeat.
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