CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Amid a dizzying week of bad publicity in early October, Bill Belichick took to the dais to deliver a sermon to the nonbelievers.

No, he was not leaving North Carolina .

No, he was not making changes to his staff.

And yes, despite all evidence to the contrary after a 2-3 start and, most recently, a blowout loss to Clemson at home in which the stands at Kenan Stadium had emptied before halftime, this Tar Heels team was vastly improved.

"Our football team is a lot better than what it was at the end of spring ball, I can tell you that," he said.

Trust the process, Belichick said, and whether anyone in the audience was convinced, his words seemed to resonate inside his own locker room.

North Carolina has lost two more games since then, but the first -- a road trip

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