All eyes were on Bill Belichick and North Carolina football as the first-year head coach made his college coaching debut against TCU.
The Horned Frogs quickly spoiled what was supposed to a celebratory game for Belichick, as the oldest coach in college football kicked off a new chapter of his illustrious coaching career. Coach Sonny Dykes and TCU defeated North Carolina 48-14 on Monday, Sept. 1, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
REQUIRED READING: Bill Belichick’s North Carolina debut turns into debacle with blowout loss to TCU
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Dykes, who led the Horned Frogs to the national championship game in 2022 in his first season with the program, said TCU felt disrespected due to the national attention surronding North Carolina leading up to the Week 1 matchup.
“I think we all felt a little disrespected, maybe, coming in,” Dykes told ESPN’s Holly Rowe after the game. “There was a lot of conversation and none of it was about us. So, I think we’re all highly motivated, our players are certainly excited to play.
“Thought we did a great job of – North Carolina came out and executed really well on the first drive, we got down early and it looked great for us. Our guys just hung in there and we really prepared well. Really proud of our guys, they put a lot of work in and it showed up today. “
The Horned Frogs won six of their final seven games to end the season in 2024, and kicked off the 2025 season with a big season-opening win over North Carolina, showing they might just be among the top contenders for a wide-open Big 12 championship.
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TCU returns third-year starter Josh Hoover, who’s one of the most underrated quarterbacks in college football after passing for 3,949 yards with 27 touchdowns to 11 interceptions last season. The Horned Frogs also deployed a strong rushing attack against the Tar Heels, taking 35 carries as a team for 258 yards with two touchdowns.
Kevorian Barnes led the way on the ground with 11 rushes for 113 yards and a score against North Carolina. Hoover passed for 284 yards with two touchdowns to an interception in his first start of the season.
The Horned Frogs certainly had some fun with the win, given their perceived disrespect they felt, which was made evident by Dykes comments.
TCU even reposted a clip on X of Belichick and North Carolina’s first episode of their upcoming Hulu docuseries similar to “Hard Knocks,” making quite the joke after its huge win.
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“When does episode one come out?” the Horned Frogs’ X account wrote.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sonny Dykes says TCU felt ‘disrespected’ before North Carolina game
