Game Day Tune-Up: First Road Trip for Bill Belichick

Not saying that it is the wrong one, but after Caleb Hood's rushing touchdown, everything went downhill; it looked like it could have been the wrong choice, and perhaps, another coach could have done better, or at least, made the outing competitive.

It was ugly, almost (if not worse) than last season's loss to James Madison University, where the Tar Heels gave up 70 points in Kenan Stadium. And yes, it was the first game, the competition is different, the players Belichick has are much younger and inexperienced compared to those in the past, but it was simply bad football in his debut appearance.

One outstanding decision that Belichick and his staff have to make is: Who will be the starting quarterback?

Gio Lopez had one drive of "magic," as his teammates like to call him, but it ran out as time passed. Johnson, on the other hand, had a good showing given the amount of action he received (also consider it was his first game since last year's leg injury).

Either way, whoever the signal caller will be (Johnson, after last game, looks like a better fit) has to fit with how Offensive Coordinator Freddie Kitchens is calling his plays.

As Coach Kitchens and the rest of the coaching staff for UNC exited the top floor (where the press box of the media is located) using the elevator within Kenan Stadium, the former Cleveland Browns head coach had the thought of, "What just happened?" all over his face — and rightfully so, because what happened out there?

How does one team lose by 34 points in the season opener with an eight-time Super Bowl champion as the head coach? North Carolina showed it's possible, but it has the chance to recuperate facing Charlotte.

What Do the Tar Heels Have to Do to Secure Its First Win?

Charlotte lost its season opener as well to the Appalachian State Mountaineers, 34-11, in Bank of America Stadium, the home of the Carolina Panthers. The 49ers surrendered 17 points during the second quarter and 10 points in the third quarter, and it became too much for them to handle.

Quarterback and former Tar Heel Conner Harrell threw for 142 yards on 13 completions. He had one touchdown and one interception through his 24 pass attempts. His longest throw of the game reached 47 yards.

Running back CJ Stokes was the primary ball carrier for Head Coach Tim Albin, finishing with 49 yards after 15 carries — averaging 3.3 yards per carry. Harrell, Cameren Smith, Rod Gainey Jr. and Javen Nicholas all had chances to make plays happen on the ground as well.

If North Carolina wants to win its first game of the 2025 season, then adjustments during the game need to be made, plus correct play-calling with the right personnel on the field in every given situation. In short, it has to make sense because what the Tar Heels did against TCU did not.

Coach Belichick is still getting accustomed to the new kind of football he lives and breathes daily — and while Labor Day fell short of many expectations, it can be a stepping stone toward something better. If not, then the Chapel Hill Thrill Game Day festivities will be for absolutely nothing — zilch.

Saturday will be a big storyteller for this UNC football team, and if there are no changes made after studying film, then it will be a long road ahead — filled with unexpected circumstances that maybe no one had thought of.

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