TCU Spoils Belichick's Debut, Hammers UNC Football in 2025 Opener

The Chapel Bill Era is off to a terrible start.

TCU scored 41 consecutive points to roll past the Tar Heels 48-14 at Kenan Stadium Monday night. It’s UNC’s first loss in a season opener since 2021 and its largest home loss since 2004. The 48 points allowed are the most ever given up by the Tar Heels in a season opener.

The Horned Frog avalanche came after a flying start for Carolina, one which saw the Tar Heels score on their opening drive and force a TCU punt on the ensuing possession. But it was all Frogs after that, as UNC managed just 20 total yards on its next 20 offensive plays. TCU scored a pair of defensive touchdowns along the way, including a 25-yard interception return for a score.

On the other side, the TCU offense moved down the field with ease, with quarterback Josh Hoover passing for 284 yards and two touchdowns and the Horned Frog rushing attack racking up 258 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. TCU had touchdown runs of 28 and 75 yards in the third quarter, during which the Horned Frogs outscored the Tar Heels 21-7 after carrying a 20-7 lead into halftime.

UNC starting quarterback Gio Lopez struggled mightily after a crisp opening drive. After two completions on the opening possessions, he ended with only four before exiting with a back injury after TCU returned a Lopez fumble for a touchdown in the third quarter. Max Johnson, who exited the 2024 season opener with a season-ending leg injury, relieved Lopez. He threw a touchdown pass to his brother, tight end Jake Johnson, on his first drive and ended the night with nine completions for 103 yards. The touchdown pass was his first since 2023.

Overall, TCU achieved 29 first downs compared to UNC’s 10. The Horned Frogs finished the night 7-12 on third downs, while the Tar Heels were just 1-10. TCU finished with 543 total yards of offense and averaged 7.6 yards per play.

For a day hyped up since Belichick’s hiring last December, the result was severely underwhelming for a program and athletics department which took a swing on the 73-year-old coach cast off from the New England Patriots in Jan. 2024. The sell-out crowd was greeted with more fireworks — literally — and national coverage than past games, with a revamped pre-game atmosphere on campus to capitalize on the interest around the Super Bowl-winning coach’s presence in Chapel Hill. Belichick signed a five-year contract for $50 million to lead Carolina football, with $30 million guaranteed.

“We’ll just keep working and keep grinding away,” Belichick told reporters after the game. “We’re better than what we were tonight, but we’ve got to go out there and show that and prove it. Nobody’s gonna do it for us. We’ll have to do it ourselves. And that’s what we’re gonna do.”

The loss drops UNC to 0-1. The Tar Heels will be back in action when they visit Charlotte Saturday night at 7 p.m.

Featured image via Associated Press/Chris Seward

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TCU Spoils Belichick’s Debut, Hammers UNC Football in 2025 Opener

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