DUBLIN (Interstat) — Billy Edwards Jr. threw for 232 yards and North Carolina’s defense clamped down after the opening quarter, lifting the Tar Heels to a 15-10 victory over Texas Christian on Saturday at Aviva Stadium.

North Carolina improved to 1-0 while Texas Christian dropped to 0-1.

The game was tied at 10 after the first quarter, but the Tar Heels took control with a second-quarter safety and a third-quarter field goal, then kept the Horned Frogs out of the end zone on a late fourth-quarter drive.

North Carolina opened the scoring with Aeron Burrell’s 20-yard field goal on its first possession. Texas Christian answered with Kyle Lemmermann’s 31-yard field goal after Jeremy Payne broke off a 48-yard run. The Horned Frogs then took the lead when Jon Denman scored on a 2-yard touchdown run, capping a short drive set up by a 33-yard punt return from Ed Small.

The Tar Heels responded late in the first quarter. Edwards moved the offense efficiently, completing passes to Jelani Thurman and Jordan Shipp before Jaylen McGill scored on a 9-yard touchdown run. Burrell’s extra point tied the game at 10.

The second quarter was a defensive struggle. North Carolina’s defense forced a turnover on downs when Greg Smith broke up a pass in the end-zone area. The Tar Heels then failed to convert on third down and punted deep into Texas Christian territory. After the Horned Frogs drove into North Carolina territory, the game swung on a bizarre play.

With just under two minutes left in the first half, Texas Christian attempted a rushing play from its own 31-yard line. The runner was dropped for a 31-yard loss, and the ball ended up in the end zone for a North Carolina safety, giving the Tar Heels a 12-10 lead. The rare scoring play came after a penalty for an illegal bat on Texas Christian was enforced, resulting in the safety call.

North Carolina carried that lead into halftime after Texas Christian failed to convert on a deep pass and then saw a potential holding penalty wipe out a completion near the goal line.

Coming out of the break, North Carolina extended its lead. Edwards led the Tar Heels on a methodical drive, connecting with Thurman for 14 yards and later finding Shipp and Smythe. The drive stalled at the Texas Christian 10, but Burrell converted a 28-yard field goal to make it 15-10 with 10:04 left in the third quarter.

Texas Christian threatened to answer. The Horned Frogs drove to the North Carolina 24 after Kaden McFadden forced a Benjamin Hall fumble and Max Carroll recovered. But North Carolina’s defense stiffened. A sack by Xavier Lewis pushed Texas Christian back, and the drive ended with a punt.

Later in the third quarter, Texas Christian again pushed into scoring territory. Jaden Craig completed passes to Ka’Morreun Pimpton and Payne, and Payne’s running moved the ball inside the North Carolina 10. But the Horned Frogs could not punch it in. Craig threw incomplete on third down, and on fourth down from the 9, the North Carolina defense denied him again, forcing a turnover on downs.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Tar Heels had a chance to extend their lead but Burrell missed a 42-yard field goal attempt. Texas Christian took over at its 25 and mounted one final serious drive.

Payne continued to grind out yards. Craig moved the Horned Frogs across midfield, completing passes to Kari Ashley, Jacobe Hayes and Small. With the ball at the North Carolina 18, Payne picked up 6 yards to the 12. After a 1-yard run by Denman, Craig’s pass to Ashley gained nothing. Payne then ran for 7 yards to the North Carolina 10, setting up a fourth-and-4 with about four minutes left.

Craig dropped back and threw incomplete, and North Carolina took over at its 10. From there, the Tar Heels leaned on Demon June, who ran four times for 16 yards in the final minutes. A late offside penalty on Texas Christian gave North Carolina a first down, and Edwards took a knee to run out the clock.

Edwards completed 16 of 28 passes for 232 yards and no interceptions. Thurman caught four passes for 94 yards to lead the Tar Heels, while Shipp added five receptions for 71 yards. McGill rushed five times for 33 yards and a touchdown, and Hall ran 11 times for 36 yards.

Payne was the workhorse for Texas Christian, rushing 25 times for 142 yards and catching five passes for 27 yards. Small caught nine passes for 65 yards and added 38 yards on two punt returns. Denman scored the Horned Frogs’ only touchdown on a 2-yard run.

Defensively, North Carolina’s Derek McDonald recorded 11 tackles, and Leroy Jackson added eight. Xavier Lewis had seven tackles and two sacks, while Melkart Abou Jaoude, Jaylen Harvey, and Jonathan Agumadu also contributed. Greg Smith had six tackles and a pass breakup.

For Texas Christian, Max Carroll had nine tackles, and Michael Short and Julius Simms each added six. Ansel Din-Mbuh recorded four tackles and two sacks. John Schobel added a sack. Jamel Johnson, Vernon Glover Jr., Kaden McFadden and Jordan Lester each had four tackles.

North Carolina’s Aeron Burrell also punted three times for 125 yards and made both of his field-goal attempts. Texas Christian’s John Hoyet Chance punted twice for 87 yards.

The game marked the first of the season for both teams. North Carolina next faces East Tennessee State on Sept. 12, while Texas Christian hosts Grambling on the same day.

Interstat’s game simulator projected a 30-25 Texas Christian victory. Interstat’s ELO system gave the Horned Frogs a 93.8 percent probability to win. North Carolina was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of plus-8.5, and the combined 25 points scored went under the over/under line of 46.5.