Taylor: Monday Showed Just How Steep The Climb Might Be

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Bill Belichick knew this wasn’t going to be easy. Taking over North Carolina was always going to be a challenge, but Monday’s 48–14 blowout at the hands of TCU showed just how steep the climb might be.

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To be fair, the game wasn’t lopsided right from the start, with Carolina able to feed off the energy and atmosphere that a hire like that provided. With four minutes left in the second quarter, UNC trailed just 10–7 and had a chance to build some momentum before halftime. Instead, quarterback Gio Lopez floated an ill-advised pass straight into TCU’s hands. The Horned Frogs returned it for a touchdown, and the wheels came off. What had been a competitive battle unraveled into a one-sided beating.

Still, UNC was dominated at the line of scrimmage, on both sides of the ball. The Tar Heels’ offensive front was bullied, with issues at center standing out most. Shotgun snaps were being rolled back to Lopez, disrupting timing and throwing off rhythm before plays even began. Against a physical, relentless TCU front, that kind of sloppiness was crippling.

Lopez himself didn’t look like a quarterback ready to handle the Power 4 stage, making the leap up from South Alabama several months ago. He was hesitant in the pocket, erratic with his accuracy, and, outside of the first drive, never looked comfortable leading the offense against Big 12 speed and pressure.

But with Lopez’s issues, it’s a bit of a chicken-or-the-egg scenario because I don’t believe offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens did him any favors, turning in an uninspired showing, leaning on predictable play-calling that TCU’s defense swallowed up with ease. Nothing about the game plan stressed the Horned Frogs, and as the score widened, UNC had no counterpunch.

It’s Game 1 against a TCU team that came in with continuity in its coaching staff and at quarterback, and overall just a better team on paper after Carolina fell behind the 8-ball in the first portal window. For Belichick, the challenge in Chapel Hill was never going to be small or an overnight fix, but after one glaring reality check, it’s clear: Belichick has his work cut out for him if Carolina is going to find success with him at the helm.