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UNC vs. TCU final score, results: TCU spoils Bill Belichick's Tar Heels debut with blowout win

Daniel Chavkin

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UNC vs. TCU final score, results: TCU spoils Bill Belichick's Tar Heels debut with blowout win image

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With much hype entering Monday night, Bill Belichick’s North Carolina debut got off to a rough start as TCU trounced the Tar Heels 48-14.

North Carolina got off to a solid start as the offense marched down the field and scored a touchdown on the first drive of the game, but it was all downhill from there. TCU’s defense proceeded to completely stifle North Carolina while the Horned Frogs’ offense found success both in the air and on the ground.

TCU quarterback Josh Hoover was arguably the best player in the game, as he went 27 for 36 with 284 passing yards, two touchdowns and one interceptions. He particularly had a strong connection with Jordan Dwyer, who totaled nine catches for 136 yards and a touchdown.

On the other side, North Carolina had a tough night all around. Quarterback Gio Lopez, who transferred from South Alabama in the offseason, struggled to do much of anything through the air as he produced just four completions for 69 yards. He also turned the ball over twice, one via interception and one via fumble, as TCU returned both turnovers back for a touchdown.

The game was the opposite of a typical Bill Belichick game, since the Tar Heels were sloppy in all three phases. While North Carolina has an unusual amount of new player, the team still disappointed with how disjointed everything was.

Moving forward, North Carolina has a few lighter games starting with Charlotte this week. However, it's clear that there is still much work to do in Chapel Hill.

The Sporting News tracked live scores, updates and highlights from Bill Belichick's first game as UNC's head coach against TCU. Here's what happened.

UNC vs. TCU football score

 

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UNC vs. TCU live updates, highlights from Bill Belichick's college debut

FINAL: TCU 48, UNC 14

11:16 p.m.: TCU converts a 4th-and-4 instead of punting away to continue this drive and likely bleed the clock.

11:12 p.m.: Hoover's night is done as TCU has pulled its starters as the offense will try to run out the clock here.

11:10 p.m.: UNC once again goes three-and-out as there are now under eight minutes left in the game.

TCU 48, UNC 14

11:04 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! Hoover finds Rogers for another Horned Frogs' score.

11:02 p.m.: Nate Palmer's first two carries for TCU are huge gains, which is then followed by another big Jonathan Dwyer reception. TCU is set up with first-and-goal.

10:57 p.m.: FUMBLE! Johnson and Gause muff an exchange on a handoff as TCU forces its third turnover.

10:56 p.m.: Johnson begins this new drive with another completion for a first down as the Tar Heels look to build off their previous score.

10:49 p.m.: Thanks to an offensive pass interference, UNC is able to force a TCU punt near their own goal-line.

10:47 p.m.: Looks like Gio Lopez suffered an injury, which is why UNC went to Johnson at QB.

End of third quarter: TCU 41, UNC 14

10:42 p.m.: TCU gets the ball back but will let the quarter expire with a running play.

TCU 41, UNC 14

10:39 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! Johnson finds his brother, tight end Jake Johnson, to score UNC's first points since the opening minutes.

10:38 p.m.: Johnson finds an open receiver to get into a 4th-and-short, then Davion Gause is able to run for the first down in the red zone.

10:33 p.m.: Johnson takes a tough hit but is able to complete a first-down pass to Jordan Shipp. He then finds Javarius Green for a big play to get back into the red zone.

10:29 p.m.: Johnson's lateral pass is ruled a fumble recovered by TCU but it is under review as it appears it should be a forward pass.

10:28 p.m.: Belichick has made a QB change as Max Johnson is now in the game for Gio Lopez.

TCU 41, UNC 7

10:22 p.m.: FUMBLE! Lopez turns it over for the second time tonight and TCU once again returns it for a score.

10:20 p.m.: Gio Lopez finally completes his third pass of the game to get a first down, but Caleb Hood takes a big hit on the play. 

TCU 34, UNC 7

10:16 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! It's Trent Battle's turn to score as he runs 28 yards to the endzone, incrasing the lead to 27.

10:12 p.m.: A holding penalty puts TCU back for a third-and-20, but Hoover is able to complete to Chase Curtis to move the chains. Curtis, however, was injured on the play. 

10:09 p.m.: TCU is having its way with the UNC defense as the Horned Frogs are once again past midfield.

10:02 p.m.: UNC runs the ball three times but can't convert the first down and is forced to punt yet again.

TCU 27, UNC 7

9:58 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! Kevorian Barnes takes the first play 75 yards for the score to make the lead 20 points.

9:57 p.m.: We are back with the second half as TCU gets the ball looking to extend its two-score lead.

Halftime: TCU 20, UNC 7

9:35 p.m.: FIELD GOAL! TCU ends the half with a field goal to go up by 13 points.

9:32 p.m.: TCU is in field goal range as Hoover gets three more completions with 13 seconds left in the half.

9:29 p.m.: Hoover finds two open receivers on this drive as TCU is looking for points before halftime.

9:27 p.m.: Gio Lopez is having trouble finding success through the air as he throws an incomplete pass on third down, forcing a TCU punt. The Tar Heels punter almost fumbled on fourth down but is able to recover to avoid disaster. 

9:21 p.m.: Benjamin Hall picks up 10 yards on the ground for UNC's first first down since the first drive of the game.

TCU 17, UNC 7

9:17 p.m.: PICK-SIX! Gio Lopez gives the ball right back as TCU's Bud Clark takes the ball 25 yards for the the touchdown.

9:11 p.m.: INTERCEPTION! On third-and-short, Hoover overthrows his receiver on a screen pass and UNC comes up with the interception.  

9:08 p.m.: On third-and-long, Hoover and Dwyer connect for a very impressive 21-yard throw-and-catch. TCU is back into UNC territory.

9:02 p.m.: UNC is still finding trouble on offense as TCU's defensive line is winning each play. It's another three-and-out for the Tar Heels.

TCU 10, UNC 7

8:56 p.m.: FIELD GOAL! TCU gets its first lead of the game.

8:54 p.m.: Jordan Dwyer is getting the better of Marcus Allen on the outside, but Dwyer's pass interference is too much for TCU to overcome. A promising TCU drive will end in a field goal attempts.

8:52 p.m.: Hoover gets another 10 yards on a pass to to his tight end DJ Rogers as TCU is now in the red zone.

8:49 p.m.: TCU RB Kevorian Barnes is finding running room on the ground as the Horned Frogs continue to move the ball down the field.

End of first quarter: UNC 7, TCU 7

8:43 p.m.: Hoover is finding success through the air as he throws for another first down. He has completed seven of his first eight pass attempts.

8:41 p.m.: TCU have taken control of this game as UNC goes three-and-out with two failed runs and an incomplete pass.

UNC 7, TCU 7

8:36 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! Hoover finds Jordan Dwyer for a 27-yard score after establishing the run earlier in the drive.

8:33 p.m.: UNC corner Marcus Allen commits a pass interference on a TCU wide receiver to jumpstart the drive.

8:27 p.m.: The Tar Heels offense looks much different on the second drive as the unit kept going backwards. A TCU sack on Gio Lopez on second down essentially ended the drive as UNC punts.

8:21 p.m.: UNC's defense stifles TCU with an incomplete pass on third down to force a punt on the drive.

8:19 p.m.: TCU's Josh Hoover finds Eric McAlister for a first down on the Horned Frogs' first play on offense.

UNC 7, TCU 0

8:14 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! What a drive by UNC as Caleb Hood scores the opening points. Hood had 35 yards on three carries on the opening drive.

8:12 p.m.: Gio Lopez finds Jordan Shipp deep down the field as UNC is now within TCU's 30-yard-line just minutes into the game.

8:10 p.m.: UNC begins the game with two runs that culminate in a first down as the Tar Heels look to get momentum going.

8:09 p.m.: We are underway from Chapel Hill! UNC gets the ball to open the game.

8:00 p.m.: Three of ESPN's talking heads are going with UNC tonight, while Desmond Howard is picking TCU to win.

7:50 p.m.: Michael Jordan and Lawrence Taylor have both made it to Chapel Hill for the game.

7:30 p.m.: ESPN's pregame show spoke about how Belichick will impact college football.

7:10 p.m.: It appears Belichick changed into his signature sleeveless hoodie before the game.

6:50 p.m.: Belichick has brought some of his typical tricks with him to Chapel Hill, including not revealing his depth chart to the media.

6:20 p.m.: Tar Heel fans showed out big time for the first Old Well Walk of the season.

6:05 p.m.: North Carolina is certainly leaning into Belichick's fame ahead of the first game.

5:45 p.m.: Bill Belichick has arrived to the stadium waering what appears to be a jacket instead of his typical hoodie sweatshirt.

5:30 p.m.: Belichick's debut is a big moment in North Carolina football history, so many celebrities are expected to be in attendance.

5:10 p.m.: North Carolina is pumped for its first season under Bill Belichick, as the program posted a hype video on social media.

MORE BILL BELICHICK NEWS:

How to watch Bill Belichick's college coaching debut

UNC vs. TCU start time

  • Date: Monday, September 1
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. PT

Bill Belichick's North Carolina debut will close out Week 1. It is the only game of the night and the final game of the first full week of the 2025 College Football season.

What channel is UNC vs. TCU on today?

  • TV Channel: ESPN
  • Live Stream: Fubo

ESPN will broadcast UNC vs. TCU, as Rece Davis and Kirk Herbstreit will be on the call for the game. Those looking for an alternate viewing option can use Fubo, which offers a free trial for new users.

UNC football schedule 2025

Here a look at North Carolina's first five games of the 2025 season.

DateOpponentTime (ET)TV Channel
9/1vs. TCU8:00 p.m.ESPN
9/6@ Charlotte7:00 p.m.ESPN+
9/13vs. Richmond3:30 p.m.ACC Netword
9/20@ UCFTBDTBD
10/4vs. ClemsonTBDTBD

TCU football schedule 2025

Here's how TCU will open the college football season in 2025.

DateOpponentTimeTV Channel
9/1@ North Carolina8:00 p.m.ESPN
9/13vs. Abilene Christian8:00 p.m.ESPN+
9/20vs. SMUTBDTBD
9/26@ Arizona State9:00 p.m.FOX
10/4vs. ColoradoTBDTBD

Daniel Chavkin

Daniel Chavkin is a Digital Content Producer for The Sporting News. A 2018 graduate from the University of Maryland, he has previously written for Sports Illustrated, NBC Sports and NFLTradeRumors.com.