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North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick paces the sideline during the first half of an NCAA college football game against TCU in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on Monday. (Chris Seward / AP)

Belichick Loses College Coaching Debut in Disastrous Fashion

By The Associated Press September 1, 2025 at 8:30pm

Bud Clark had a first-half pick-six, and Kevorian Barnes had a 75-yard touchdown run on the first second-half snap to help TCU spoil Bill Belichick’s college coaching debut by rolling past North Carolina 48-14 on Monday night.

“We wanted this game to be about us, and it was,” TCU coach Sonny Dykes said.

The 73-year-old Belichick had won six Super Bowl titles in a 24-year run as head coach of the NFL’s New England Patriots. His Tar Heels scored on the game’s first possession, but the Horned Frogs steadily took control to drive a full-house hostile crowd to the exits well before the fourth quarter.

“I think we all felt a little disrespected,” Dykes said. “There was a lot of conversation about this game, and none of it was about us.”

Clark’s 25-yard return late in the second was the first of two defensive touchdowns for the Horned Frogs — the other being Devean Deal’s 37-yard scoop-and-score in the third.

TCU’s Josh Hoover threw for two scores, while Jordan Dwyer finished with nine catches for 136 yards and a 27-yard first-quarter touchdown. Trent Battle added his own score by running untouched around the left side for 28 yards as TCU built a 41-7 lead.

The 48 points scored by TCU marked the most allowed by UNC in any opener in its history, according to Sportradar.

“They were clearly the better team tonight,” Belichick said. “They deserved to win, and they did it decisively.”

Caleb Hood ran for a score for the Tar Heels’ first touchdown under Belichick. South Alabama transfer quarterback Gio Lopez completed 4 of 10 passes for 69 yards before exiting the game after halftime with a back injury.

TCU outgained UNC 542-222 in total offense.

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