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Words are hard to find for the egg that was laid in Kenan Stadium on Monday night for the debut of the most successful coach in NFL history. The 48–14 drubbing at the hands of Texas Christian was very bad, worse than the five-touchdown margin indicated.
CHAPEL HILL — All day before the game and for one drive, the thrill and the anticipation of the Belichick era hit a fever pitch. That excitement quickly gave way to frustration and disbelief.
Cut day in the NFL didn’t go well for several former UNC players, but many have made practice squads heading into Week 1. Eight other former Tar Heels are listed as starters or possible starters.
Seth Trimble is now a business owner. He delivered the scoop on the news with his Instagram post on Sunday, announcing that he is the owner of the Ben & Jerry’s location in downtown Chapel Hill.
There are a lot of unknowns about UNC’s opener Monday night, but you can be sure about the TCU offense: It’s built to stretch the field horizontally and vertically, forcing the Tar Heels to defend every blade on the natural grass that has returned to Kenan Stadium.
Elina Aarnisalo’s connection with Carolina coach Courtney Banghart goes back years — long before she set foot in Chapel Hill. Banghart relentlessly pursued the dynamic 5–10 combo guard from Helsinki, Finland, calling her once a week for two years before losing her recruiting battle with UCLA.
Bill Belichick on a college sideline? Sonny Dykes still can’t quite believe it, but that’s the challenge TCU faces Monday when the Horned Frogs travel to North Carolina for their season opener.
CHAPEL HILL — The tradition of swagger and toughness in the defensive backfield runs deep at Carolina. This year, the Tar Heels’ secondary is leaning into that legacy, proudly adopting the nickname “Rude Boys,” a moniker that dates back to the 1990s when UNC’s defense ranked among the nation’s best.
Here is a look at UNC’s football opener Monday against TCU by the numbers.
CHAPEL HILL — Bill Belichick is less than a week away from his first game as North Carolina’s head coach. In typical Belichick fashion, with no emotion on his face, he said he was excited. We’ll take his word for it.
CHAPEL HILL — The nickname started with a no-look pass in practice. The starting job came minutes before Gio Lopez fielded questions from the media as deftly as he eludes a pass rush. When North Carolina takes the field against TCU on Monday night, it’ll be a new era in Chapel Hill with Lopez, a transfer from South Alabama who his teammates now call Magic, starting at quarterback.
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).
Thirteen former Carolina players — including running back Michael Carter, linebacker Chazz Surratt and eight rookies — were released Tuesday as NFL teams trimmed their rosters down to 53.
Kayla McPherson came to Carolina as a four-star point guard full of star power, but after four years in Chapel Hill defined by promise and perseverance as she battled injuries and endured six surgeries, she announced Tuesday that she is retiring as a player.
Steve Newmark grew up in Chapel Hill, rode his father’s shoulders during the 1982 NCAA championship celebration on Franklin Street, and once got permission to skip a college exam to watch the 1993 Final Four with his family. He says honoring the UNC athletics traditions will require bold changes that some Carolina fans might resist.
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