Patriots
“Coaching, playing, all three phases of the game, just wasn’t up to what it needs to be.”
“We’re on to Charlotte.”
Bill Belichick didn’t evoke any of his catchphrases or trademark blunt musings as he fielded questions from Kenan Memorial Stadium on Monday evening.
But considering the optics that played out at Chapel Hill, the legendary head coach should already be looking to turn the page after a disastrous debut as head coach of the Tar Heels.
In what stood as his first-ever game as head coach of a college-football program, Belichick and the Tar Heels were dealt a 48-14 loss to TCU in a nationally-televised broadcast.
The 48 points relinquished by the Tar Heels’ defense were the most points given up by a Belichick-coached team in a single game. In total, the Horned Frogs outgained UNC, 542-222, in total offense — with the Tar Heels only converting on 1 of 10 third-down opportunities.
“You know, we need to do a better job all the way around — coaching, playing, all three phases of the game, just wasn’t up to what it needs to be,” Belichick told reporters postgame. “I know we’re lot better than that. So we’ll need to work on those things and show it on Saturday . . . , but give TCU credit, they came in and did a good job, and they were clearly the better team tonight. They deserved to win, and they did it decisively.”
For all of the excitement emanating out of Chapel Hill since Belichick took the reins of the program nine months ago, things went south in a hurry for the former Patriots head coach and his new team on Monday.
The Tar Heels opened the game with a…