BILL BELICHICK’S COLLEGE DEBUT STUNNED AS TCU RUNS AWAY, 48–14
Ajay Allen - September 2, 2025
Bill Belichick’s highly anticipated debut at Kenan Memorial Stadium began the way any Tar Heels fan might have hoped. UNC opened the scoring with a textbook touchdown drive, moving efficiently and executing in the red zone to take an early lead.
That drive briefly suggested Belichick’s attention to detail and emphasis on situational football could translate to the college game. But the optimism did not last.
After that opening sequence, TCU seized control. The Horned Frogs answered with a series of explosive plays and opportunistic defense that changed the tone of the night. TCU turned turnover opportunities into points, including a defensive touchdown in the second quarter that swung momentum and sucked energy from the home crowd.
From that point forward, North Carolina struggled to sustain drives and to stop big plays. TCU was on a roll and went on to score 41 unanswered points until UNC was able to punch another touchdown in with 29 seconds remaining in the 3rd.
The second half began in devastating fashion for the Tar Heels. On the first snap after halftime, Kevorian Barnes broke loose for a 75 yard touchdown run that left the Carolina sideline and the crowd stunned. That single play pushed TCU’s lead into two possessions and effectively flattened any hope of a comeback in front of a national audience. The run was one of several long plays that night that exposed breakdowns in run pursuit and tackling.
North Carolina’s problems were not limited to a few bad plays. The roster Belichick inherited featured a very large influx of new players, which complicated communication, technique, and cohesion early in the season.
Belichick was blunt in his postgame assessment, saying the team has a lot of work to do and that improvements are needed in coaching, execution, and all three phases of the game. Those comments underscored that even a coach with decades of pro success faces a steep learning curve when working with such turnover at the college level.
For context, this kind of stinging season opener is not entirely new in Belichick’s record. One of the most famous early season setbacks came in 2003, when Belichick’s New England Patriots were shut out, 31-0, at Buffalo in Week 1. And ultimately ended with a 5-11 record. However, the returning year he was able to bring the Patriots to an 11-5 record with a Superbowl victory.
Monday night will prompt urgent questions about roster building, play calling, and how quickly Belichick’s methods can take hold in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels will turn their attention to the next opponent, trying to convert the painful lessons of this very public debut into specific corrections. If history is any guide, a single loss, even a lopsided one, can become a turning point rather than a final judgement. For now, the scoreboard, and the film room, tell a story of a long week of work ahead.
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