Desmond Howard reacts to first half of Bill Belichick debut, UNC halftime deficit

Bill Belichick and North Carolina trailed TCU 20-7 at halftime of the Tar Heels’ season opener on Monday night. The Tar Heels have failed to get anything going after the first drive of the game.

Desmond Howard reacted to the first two quarters during ESPN’s halftime broadcast. The College GameDay host revealed what the Tar Heels need in order to erase the Horned Frogs’ two-score lead in the second half.

“When Carolina came out, they were in rhythm. They were going through TCU defense like a hot knife through butter. … I think you have to get back to the basics,” Howard said at halftime. “I think it comes down to physicality up front. TCU, I spoke to some players on the sideline. They said, ‘We’re bringing a different level of physicality to the game after that first drive. We settled down, we regroup and then we got back to TCU type of football.’

“Meaning, control the trenches — offensive line and defensive line. They’re gonna have to make some adjustments, North Carolina, coming out of halftime.

North Carolina struck first, driving the ball 83 yards on seven plays capped by a Caleb Hood touchdown run. For the rest of the half, they went just 20 yards across 17 plays.

In total, TCU finished the first half out-gaining the Tar Heels 247 yards to 103. Quarterback Josh Hoover was efficient, completing 20 of 25 passes for 193 yards, one touchdown and an interception. They also added 54 yards on the ground.

For North Carolina, QB Gio Lopez finished the first half completing two of his six passing attempts for 58 yards and a pick-six. Both receptions went to the same receiver, Jordan Shipp. The Tar Heels added 45 yards on the ground as well.

It’s not to first half that Bill Belichick and company drew up during the first college football game of his head coaching career. The longtime head coach came in with the reputation of one of the greatest NFL coaches of all time, and a ton of fanfare came with it.

Given his legacy as a six-time Super Bowl winning head coach with the New England Patriots, fans hoped that Belichick could bring that same success to Chapel Hill. However, he was 70 new players on his roster and a brand new staff — something he’s never had to do all at once in the NFL.

The Tar Heels will look to get back in the game when the second half kicks off from Kenan Stadium. The final two quarters will be aired live on ESPN.