Watch: GOATs Assemble! Michael Jordan and Lawrence Taylor Link up in North Carolina to Watch Bill Belichick’s UNC Debut

An early touchdown from Caleb Hood appeared to have set the tone for UNC to take control of the tie, but their momentum quickly fizzled out after TCU, led by quarterback Josh Hoover , scored a 27-yard touchdown.

The momentum completely shifted in favor of TCU when UNC QB Gio Lopez’s pass was intercepted by Bud Clark midway through the second quarter. Lopez failed to throw a single completion for 128 minutes of football.

To make matters worse, Lopez’s careless fumble was returned by the Frogs for a score. This turned out to be Lopez’s final action in the game, as Belichick replaced him with veteran Max Johnson. The crowd inside the Kenan Stadium had seen enough. The once-buzzing bleachers were nearly empty by the fourth quarter. Even Belichick’s special guests, Moss, Taylor, and Jordan, appeared to be losing interest.

Johnson’s steady handling of the football improved the Carolina offense, but TCU kept extending its lead. The fifth-year quarterback threw one touchdown, which barely made a dent in the outcome of 48-14. This was Belichick’s heaviest defeat since taking charge as head coach of the Cleveland Browns. more than 35 years ago. He said during the post-game presser:

We have a lot of work to do. We need to do a better job all the way around—coaching and playing all three phases of the game. I know we’re a lot better than that [losing 48-14], so we need to work on those things and show it on Saturday.

TCU played angry football to spoil Bill Belichick’s debut

The Horned Frogs under Sonny Dykes have proven they can go toe-to-toe with the best of college football, as evident from their CFP run. They were tipped to repeat the same in the following season. Although they ended with a 9-4 record, the Frogs nearly capitulated with four losses in five games.

Bill Belichick’s emergence as UNC’s coach overshadowed the fact that TCU was looking for redemption. After grabbing the blowout win, Dykes did not forget to call out the media for counting them out from the start.

We all felt a little disrespected. There was a lot of conversation, and none of it was about us.

TCU finished with 542 total yards as compared to UNC’s 222 yards. 258 yards came on the ground and 284 through the air, at 7.5 yards per play.

The star of TCU’s resounding win was quarterback Josh Hoover, who had to have pleased a few scouts with his performance. Hoover finished with 27 completions from 36 for 284 yards, 2 touchdowns, and one interception. Running back duo Kevorian Barnes and Nate Palmer added a combined 170+ yards on the ground, while wide receiver Jordan Dwyer racked up 9 receptions for 136 yards and one touchdown.

TCU’s next game is against Abilene Christian College, followed by SMU, Arizona State, Colorado, and Kansas State. UNC, meanwhile, has fixtures against Charlotte, Richmond, and UCF before the big games against Clemson and Cal.