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Bill Belichick’s college football experiment again this afternoon took another brutal hit Saturday afternoon at Kenan Stadium. The Tar Heels fell to Clemson 38-10 in their first ACC game of the season, dropping the legendary NFL coach’s record to 2-3 in his first season leading at North Carolina.
The scene at the stadium was something one would never see during his glory days in Foxborough; fans were seen leaving before halftime of the game.
The six-time Super Bowl champion coach was hired by UNC in December 2024, he watched his side destroyed against a Clemson team that entered the game with its own struggles at 1-2 in conference play.
The Tar Heels under his watch have now suffered blowout losses to both TCU and Central Florida in non-conference play, with the programs only wins coming against Charlotte and Richmond.
Get Jordon in at LB at this point
— SleeperCFB (@SleeperCFB) October 4, 2025
Social media lit up with frustrated fans questioning everything from the hire itself to whether Belichick’s longtime girlfriend Jordon Hudson might provide better linebacker play than what they witnessed Saturday.
Tar Heel Nation Sounds Off as Belichick’s College Reality Check Continues
The fan reaction ranged from confusion to outright hostility. @dk0321 captured the sentiment that many are feeling: “lmfao yo why tf did he feel the need to do this at 73 man… conquered the hardest league in the world, had all the aura… should have just retired in 2017 at 65 and been on a yacht watching someone else going through this.”
Another fan, @TheEMillioEgBar didn’t mince words about the state of the program: “Safe to say that this era of Tar Heels football has been a total disASSter so far this season”
@CollinPull tweeted what many in Chapel Hill are thinking: “That’s crazy. UNC and Bill Belichick have been so bad this year! I don’t blame the fans for leaving in the 2nd QTR”
@RyanDeQuiroz noted: “It’s year one so he deserves some grace, but he brought the circus like expectations with him. Probably should’ve stayed out. Now we get to find out what he’s really made of.”
The reference to Jordon Hudson became a running theme, with @SleeperCFB asking: “Get Jordon in at LB at this point”
@MarkValorian assessment: “I have no idea why Belichik did this to himself…just dramatically tarnishing his legacy for nothing. It’s like a humiliation ritual.”
Richard Moreland brought up the ghost that will haunt Belichick throughout this college adventure: “Oh wow! That program is in shambles. Ok to say it was Tom Brady that made the Patriot successful now?”
@Theohmandan inject some reality into the conversation: “the insanity to even think Bill would be able a few months after taking the job, to contend with Clemson… what were peoples expectations for Bill this year? I was think 4-5 wins. was everyone else thinking playoffs? cause thats crazy”
The road ahead doesn’t get easier. ACC play intensifies from here, and recruiting battles just around the corner, if there is anything; these early struggles are evidence that the Belichick experiment won’t work.
Coach Belichick who has built his reputation on preparation and execution, these blowout losses represent everything he stood against during his NFL tenure. The empty seats in the second quarter spoke volumes about patience wearing thin in Chapel Hill.