A quick look at TCU, Carolina’s opponent in Monday’s opener

By R.L. Bynum

When North Carolina closes out college football’s Week 1 on Monday night against TCU, it will face plenty of challenges from the Horned Frogs, who are 3½-point favorites.

The depth chart is redacted on TCU’s media notes, but there’s plenty to know about the program ahead of the 8 p.m. kickoff (ESPN).

Experienced coach
TCU, which will arrive in Chapel Hill on Sunday, is entering its fourth season under Coach Sonny Dykes, who has delivered 27 wins in his first three years in Fort Worth, the second-most by any coach in school history through three seasons. The 2022 National Coach of the Year, this is his 17th season as a head coach. Two of his previous stops were at current ACC schools — SMU and California. He is one of six active head coaches to take four programs to bowl games.

Record-breaking quarterback
Leading the TCU offense is redshirt junior Josh Hoover, in his third season as the starting quarterback. The 6–2, 200-pound Hoover, who is on the watch list for five national awards, set the program’s single-season passing record in 2024 with 3,949 yards on 313 completions, throwing for 27 touchdowns against 11 interceptions. He has 42 career touchdown passes in 19 starts. Hoover is 204 yards away from moving to fifth on TCU’s all-time passing list.

New faces at receiver, renewed focus on the run
The Frogs will feature a new group of wide receivers after losing Jack Bech (Los Angeles Raiders), Savion Williams (Green Bay Packers) and JP Richardson (Chicago Bears) to the NFL. That trio combined for 76 starts and more than 5,400 receiving yards.

Boise State transfer wide receiver Eric McAlister led the nation last season with 92.3% of his receptions resulting in first downs (minimum 20 catches). He’ll go up against UNC linebacker Andrew Simpson, who played with McAlister last season with the Broncos.

The running game was also a focus in the offseason after TCU averaged just 113.9 rushing yards per game last year, its lowest mark since 1997. Historically, Dykes’ teams have been more balanced, averaging 158.5 rushing yards per game in his career as a head coach.

Defensive leader in the secondary
On defense, senior safety Bud Clark is back after recording a career-high 68 tackles last season and leading all safeties in the nation with a 90.1 coverage grade. His 11 career interceptions are two shy of TCU’s all-time top 10.

Return to North Carolina
This is TCU’s first trip to North Carolina since 2002, when it lost 31–28 to East Carolina as a Conference USA member. The Frogs play 11 Power 4 opponents this year, tied for the most nationally. They are 10–6 since 2015 in those games and 4–1 on the road. TCU enters the season on a four-game winning streak, winning six of its last seven in 2024.

North Carolina has won all three meetings, with the last a 31–10 victory in Fort Worth, Texas, on Oct. 4, 1997. TCU has played at Kenan Stadium twice: a 27–17 loss on Sept. 3, 1994, and a 21–14 loss on Oct. 12, 1940.