A lot of attention was on Bill Belichick and the North Carolina Tar Heels going into Monday night. Sonny Dykes and the TCU Horned Frogs took that personally.
TCU went into North Carolina's football stadium and routed them in an embarrassing 48-14 fashion. The Tar Heels' hopes were high after scoring the first touchdown, but all of that came crashing down when the Horned Frogs countered with their assault for the remainder of the game.
Dykes reflected on the win after the contest concluded via ESPN's broadcast. He believed that many weren't respecting TCU enough because of the attention North Carolina got, which had them play with more effort and execution down the stretch.
“I think we all felt a little disrespected, maybe, coming in. There was a lot of conversation and none of it was about us. I think we all were highly motivated. Our players were certainly excited to play,” Dykes said.
“I think we all felt a little disrespected, maybe, coming in. There was a lot of conversation and none of it was about us. I think we all were highly motivated. Our players were certainly excited to play.”
TCU coach Sonny Dykes after TCU's 48-14 beatdown of North Carolina. pic.twitter.com/KE43WKBzbg
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 2, 2025
How Sonny Dykes, TCU performed against North Carolina
It was a statement win for Sonny Dykes and the TCU Horned Frogs, blowing out Bill Belichick in his college football coaching debut with the North Carolina Tar Heels.
TCU scored 41 straight points from the first quarter to the end of the third quarter when North Carolina finally ended its scoring drought. It was clear who the better team was on both sides of the ball, something the Tar Heels weren't ready for.
Josh Hoover performed great in his season debut for the Horned Frogs. He completed 27 passes out of 36 attempts for 284 yards and two touchdowns and one interception.
Kevorian Barnes shined in the run game. He made 11 carries as he ended the night with 113 yards on the ground, scoring a 75-yard touchdown to begin the third quarter. From the receiving corps, Jordan Dwyer and DJ Rogers took advantage of their chances. Dwyer produced nine receptions for 136 yards and a touchdown, while Rogers provided five catches for 43 yards and a score.
The Horned Frogs will look forward to their next matchup, being at home. They host the Abilene Christian Wildcats on Sept. 13 at 8 p.m. ET.
