The Pulse Newsletter 📣 | This is The Athletic’s daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox.Good morning! Read something into the very smallest sample sizes today. Inside:
3️⃣ PCA’s big day
4️⃣ Messi’s big night
Pigskin: Putting a 1-0 UNC in contextYesterday, Bill Belichick’s North Carolina fared about 40 points better against TCU than it did a year prior. But will I sound like a hater if I say this 15-10 win in Ireland didn’t much change my outlook for his second batch of Tar Heels?To be sure, UNC’s offense under new coordinator Bobby Petrino (yes, him) looked far less incompetent than it did 12 months ago. Yesterday’s Heels lost both of their fumbles on the wet field, yet still outgained the Frogs 322-281. (Last year’s margin: a 320-yard deficit.) And this defense might be pretty good right away, rather than waiting until October to arrive.But a couple things to keep in mind about Belichick’s second-ever college team:
TCU also isn’t the same team it was last year. For one thing, 2.5-year starting QB Josh Hoover is now at Indiana. Harvard transfer Jaden Craig averaged 5.5 yards per throw yesterday.
