CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Exactly 34 years to the day after coaching his first NFL game with the Cleveland Browns, Bill Belichick made his debut at the college level with the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Belichick was informed of that stat in a pregame ESPN interview, and offered a tongue-in-cheek response.
“I hope it goes a lot better than the game against Dallas and Jimmy Johnson,” Belichick said. “They crushed us. So I hope it goes better than that.”
It didn’t.
Belichick’s Browns only fell 26-14 to the Cowboys in 1991 and it was a one-score game in the fourth quarter. On Monday night in Chapel Hill, his Tar Heels were throttled by TCU, 48-14, and trailed by 34 points as early as the third quarter.
Things got off for a quick start for North Carolina, as Gio Lopez engineered an 83-yard touchdown drive on the opening possession, but then the Horned Frogs stormed back for the next 41 points.
The Tar Heels couldn’t do anything well after that first drive.
Lopez had a pair of turnovers that went for TCU touchdowns — a pick-six and fumble return — and the North Carolina defense allowed a 75-yard touchdown run to Kevorian Barnes and a 28-yard scamper to Trent Battle. Both Horned Frogs were untouched. TCU wideout Jordan Dwyer caught nine passes for 136 yards and a touchdown. UNC couldn’t stop the run or the pass all night.
North Carolina didn’t convert a third down until they were trailing 41-7 and Lopez had left the game in the third quarter. Most of the stadium had emptied by then. They went 1-for-10 on third down for the evening.
There were smaller miscues too.
Punter Tom Maginness dropped a snap, the Tar Heels were whistled for pre-snap penalties like a false start and delay of game, and missed tackles were an issue all night. It was a sloppy performance across the board.
All told, TCU ran for 258 yards, threw for 284 yards, and out-gained North Carolina 542 to 222 in the blowout.
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