Bill Belichick's first game as head coach of the North Carolina football team turned into a nightmare. The Tar Heels were blown out 48-14 by TCU, a debut that left fans stunned and Belichick himself pointing out every mistake.
“They outplayed us, outcoached us, and they were just better than we were tonight,” Belichick admitted. He added that too many three-and-outs, defensive breakdowns, and turnovers made it impossible to compete. After promising opening touchdown drive, UNC never recovered and looked unprepared the rest of the way.
As the fallout continued, Clemson's Dabo Swinney weighed in with a comical but pointed take. According to Jon Blau of the Post and Courier on X, formerly Twitter, Swinney said that the Taar Heels shouldn't panic over one ugly result.
“They outplayed us, outcoached us, and they were just better than we were tonight,” he quipped, noting that early setbacks are simply part of the coaching life and that UNC would eventually improve under Belichick's leadership.
The loss, however, wasn't just about Belichick adjusting. It was also a reminder of how far UNC still has to go. The Taar Heels didn't score again until the third quarter; their defense gave up over 500 yards, and their offense finished a dreadful 1-for-10 on third downs. For a debut that drew national attention and celebrity attendees, it was as sour a start as Chapel Hill could have imagined.
Even Michael Jordan himself seemed to feel it. His jet was spotted leaving before the game ended, a fitting image for how quickly the optimism drained from Kenan Stadium. By then, TCU had piled up 41 unanswered points and forced three turnovers, while the North Carolina team struggled in every phase.
Still, Swinney's analogy will likely echo as the head coach moves forward to the next game. For Belichick, the challenge now is proving that his team won't be the bug for long, and soon will be the windshield again.
