CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Bud Clark had a first-half pick-six and Kevorian Barnes had a 75-yard touchdown run on the first second-half snap to help TCU spoil Bill Belichick’s college coaching debut by rolling past North Carolina 48-14 on Monday night.
The 73-year-old Belichick had won six Super Bowl titles in a 24-year run as head coach of the NFL’s New England Patriots. His Tar Heels (0-1) scored on the game’s first possession, but the Horned Frogs steadily took control to drive a full-house hostile crowd to the exits well before the fourth quarter.
Clark’s 25-yard return late in the second was the first of two defensive touchdowns for the Horned Frogs (1-0), the other being Devean Deal’s 37-yard scoop-and-score in the third.
TCU’s Josh Hoover threw for two scores while Jordan Dwyer finished with nine catches for 136 yards and a 27-yard first-quarter TD. Trent Battle added his own score by running untouched around the left side for 28 yards as TCU built a 41-7 lead.
Caleb Hood ran for a score for the Tar Heels’ first touchdown under Belichick. South Alabama transfer quarterback Gio Lopez completed 4 of 10 passes for 69 yards before exiting the game after halftime with a back injury.
TCU outgained UNC 542-222 in total offense.
The buildup to the season here had included plenty of added buzz, including the school selling out all its season tickets — at an elevated price — and single-game seats for the season. The game also attracted ESPN to hold a pregame studio show from the Kenan Stadium sideline, where Belichick stopped by before the game to share a hello with former Alabama coach Nick Saban and the rest of the crew.
Belichick also roamed the field during pregame warmups as though taking it all in for the better part of a half-hour. At one point, he stood on the UNC end of the field with general manager Michael Lombardi watching the Tar Heels, then shared a quick handshake with Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner Jim Phillips as he made his way toward midfield.
Once there, he shook hands with members of the officiating crew and stood near midfield watching the Horned Frogs players as they went through warm-up drills.
The game also attracted notable former UNC figures from years past, including NBA legend Michael Jordan — who won a national championship under Dean Smith here in 1982 — and former UNC star linebacker Lawrence Taylor, who played under Belichick when Belichick was an assistant and eventually defensive coordinator with the New York Giants during the 1980s.
The takeaway
TCU: It was quite a reversal for the Horned Frogs, who lost two years ago as the “other” team in the Colorado debut of former NFL superstar Deion Sanders but took over this one in a stretch of 41 unanswered points.
UNC: Belichick had overhauled the roster, with UNC bringing in roughly 70 new players between transfers and incoming recruits. This was a sign it will take time to make good on UNC’s bet that he can elevate its football program.
Up next
TCU: The Horned Frogs get a week off before returning with a home game against Abilene Christian on Sept. 13.
UNC: The Tar Heels have a short turnaround, visiting the state’s biggest city with a trip to Charlotte on Saturday.
