 UNC faced the Pittsburgh Panthers on December 26, 2009 and lost for the second straight year, giving UNC another 8–5 final record.Additionally, Davis led Carolina football to its 6th consecutive year of graduating more than 75% of its football players.The America Football Coaches Association recognized fewer than 30 public universities for superior graduation rates that year, with UNC the only such institution in the state of North Carolina and the Atlantic Coast Conference.