Jabari Mack's Late INT Secures Louisville 16-14 Win Over UNC After Brawl

Jabari Mack intercepted a fourth-down pass with 58 seconds left to secure Louisville’s 16-14 win over North Carolina on Saturday night in Chapel Hill, N.C., in a game that concluded with a post-game brawl.

The game ended when Mack snatched a ball that ricocheted off Tar Heels receiver Jordan Shipp, returning it 32 yards before sliding to the turf. That allowed the Cardinals to run out the remaining clock and seal their fifth straight victory, pushing their record to 7-3 overall and 6-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, as WRAL reported.

UNC loses to Louisville 16-14 in a game where Billy Edwards was injured in the second half. Louisville sealed it on a late pick, then here's my view of the fights that broke out after the kneel down. Bill Belichick got in the mix and tried to break it up. #UNC pic.twitter.com/JPgX7zQlm1

— Post by @PatrickWelter on X

Yet the final whistle gave way to physical confrontations between players from both squads. What began as verbal sparring quickly escalated into shoving, locked arms, and apparent punches thrown across the field.

One particular scuffle broke away from the main group in the end zone, where a Louisville player threw down a North Carolina player before the teams were finally separated after the brief skirmish. Bill Belichick got in the mix and tried to break it up.

The victory keeps the Cardinals alive in the hunt for a trip to the ACC championship game. They entered kickoff as the only two-loss team in the league standings.

Offense proved difficult to sustain for both sides as defensive units dictated the tempo. Louisville finished the night with 302 total yards, while North Carolina posted 293 yards.

Lincoln Kienholz threw the game’s only passing touchdown for the Cardinals. For the Tar Heels, Benjamin Hall scored two rushing touchdowns, including a 6-yarder with 3:43 remaining that brought the Tar Heels to within 16-14.

North Carolina earned one final opportunity after forcing a punt, getting the ball back with 1:41 left on the clock to mount a potential game-winning drive. Travis Burgess, pressed into duty when starting quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. exited in the second half after taking a jarring hit on a sack, led the late push.

Jabari Mack's Late INT Secures Louisville 16-14 Win Over UNC After Brawl

Burgess targeted Shipp on a fourth-and-12 play, nearly connecting before the deflection fell into Mack's hands. The defensive stop kept UNC a win shy of securing bowl eligibility, leaving them at 5-5 overall and 2-4 in conference play.

Louisville hosts Pittsburgh on Saturday, while North Carolina is at Virginia.