North Carolina football coach Bill Belichick said he didn’t see what happened after the “unfortunate” injury to Tar Heels defensive back Kaleb Cost.
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Cost was one of two defensive backs who left UNC’s 21-17 win over Pitt on Saturday in Pittsburgh, leaving the game in the first quarter.
He was among a host of UNC defenders in the area contesting an overthrown ball in the back-right corner of the end zone, running in a dead sprint right out of the back of the end zone. He tripped over one of the photographers seated around five feet past the end line and tumbled into a lightly-padded concrete wall.
Cost left the game after just eight snaps, per PFF, and Belichick said Cost would be “re-evaluated” this week.
Belichick had strong opinions about the moment both Saturday and Monday, saying that it’s important for player safety that the photographers are moved “out of the way” so players on that part of the field have room to run.
On the ground in pain after the fall, Cost removed his helmet and, without looking, threw it forward. It landed in the stands among a group of several fans.
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“Yeah, honestly, I wasn’t aware of that …” Belichick said. “It was pretty far away and wasn’t … I didn’t see that. So yeah, we’ll follow up on that.”
Belichick said that in response to a question about whether he had dialogue with ACC or Pitt regarding how Cost was injured or the incident afterward where Cost threw his helmet. Pitt football did not respond to an email from the News & Observer asking if the Panthers had made contact with UNC or the ACC.
Cost wasn’t the only defensive back who left Saturday’s game. UNC redshirt sophomore defensive back Tre Miller also suffered an injury after falling to the ground on an interception return in the third quarter of Saturday’s win.
“I think Tre will be back with us,” Belichick said, “and you know we’ll see how it goes.”
The two injuries forced a lot of new contributors in the secondary for the Tar Heels. Senior cornerback Ade Willie had played nine snaps before Saturday, but played 60 against Pitt filling in for Cost in the nickel; junior cornerback Jalon Thompson played 21 snaps, which was a season high; and Khristian Dunbar-Hawkins played his first three snaps since the East Tennessee State game in week two.
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