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TCU Overwhelms North Carolina, 48-14, To Spoil Bill Belichick's Debut In Chapel Hill

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Football

(BCSNN) — Josh Hoover threw for 284 yards and two touchdowns, and TCU’s defense scored twice as the Horned Frogs rolled past North Carolina 48–14 on Monday night at Kenan Stadium, spoiling Bill Belichick’s college coaching debut.

Hoover completed 27 of 36 passes and connected with Jordan Dwyer nine times for 136 yards, including a 27-yard touchdown in the first quarter. The Horned Frogs (1–0) built a 41–7 lead by the end of the third quarter, fueled by a balanced offensive attack and a pair of defensive scores that broke the game open.

TCU’s defense delivered a 25-yard pick-six by Bud Clark late in the second quarter and a 37-yard scoop-and-score by Devean Deal early in the third, both off turnovers by UNC quarterback Gio Lopez. Lopez exited the game at halftime with a back injury after completing 4 of 10 passes for 69 yards.

Max Johnson replaced Lopez and completed 9 of 11 passes for 103 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown to J.J. Johnson. Johnson’s return marked his first action since suffering a season-ending leg injury in last year’s opener. Despite the late score, the Tar Heels (0–1) were outgained 542–222 and committed three turnovers.

Kevorian Barnes led all rushers with 75 yards on just six carries, including a 75-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second half. Trent Battle added 58 yards and a 28-yard touchdown, helping TCU average 6.9 yards per carry. UNC’s Caleb Hood scored on an 8-yard run in the first quarter and finished with 31 yards on nine attempts.

The Horned Frogs converted 7 of 12 third downs and held UNC to just 14 first downs. TCU kicker Kellen Lemmerman added two field goals and six extra points, capping a complete performance in all phases. “They were clearly the better team tonight,” Belichick said postgame. “They deserved to win and they did it decisively”.

Next Up
TCU will return home to face UTSA on Saturday, while North Carolina travels to Charlotte for a non-conference matchup. Belichick and the Tar Heels will look to regroup after allowing the most points in a home opener in program history.