TCU Tops Tar Heels, 48-14, To Start 2025 Season

Monday, September 1

Chapel Hill, N.C.

8 PM

North Carolina

0-1 , 0-0

TCU

1-0 , 0-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

TCU

North Carolina

Photo by: Grant Halverson

September 1, 2025 | Football

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By: Matt Bowers

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.—TCU overcame an early deficit and scored 41 consecutive points to beat North Carolina, 48-14, on Monday night in Kenan Stadium, spoiling the college debut of first-year Tar Heel head coach Bill Belichick in the process.

The game proceeded according to a Carolina script in the early going. The Kenan Stadium faithful roared after a dominant opening drive by the Tar Heels, who marched 83 yards in seven plays for a 7-0 lead just minutes into the season.

Very little went right for UNC (0-1) afterward, however, as the Horned Frogs (1-0) dominated the rest of the first half and led, 20-7, at the break. The Tar Heels managed just 20 offensive yards before halftime after their opening drive.

On the first play of the second half, Kevorian Barnes ran off-tackle to the right side for a 75-yard score to make it 27-7 TCU and suck the life out of the Carolina crowd.

"There was a great atmosphere here for the game tonight," Belichick said. "The fans had tremendous energy, and I
know we played competitively, but then [we] just couldn't sustain it. So obviously, we have a lot of work to do. We need to do a better job all the way around—coaching, playing, all three phases of the game. And I know we're a lot better than that, so we need to work on those things and show it on Saturday and turn it around. But give TCU credit, they came in and did a good job, and they were clear that their team tonight deserved to win, and they did it decisively."

Horned Frog quarterback Josh Hoover completed 20 of 25 passes in the first half and finished 27 for 36 for 284 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Jordan Dwyer caught nine passes for 136 yards and a TD, and Barnes ran 11 times for 113 yards and a score as the Frogs averaged 7.4 yards per carry and piled up 258 yards on the ground.

TCU out-gained Carolina, 542-222 (including 258-50 on the ground), and won its fifth game in a row.

Gio Lopez started under center for Carolina and completed 4 of 10 passes for 70 yards and an interception in two-plus quarters of work. He went to the injury tent after a sack in the third quarter and did not return to the contest.

Max Johnson relieved Lopez and led the Tar Heels to a score in his inspirational first appearance since nearly losing his leg after an injury in the 2024 season opener at Minnesota. Johnson connected with his brother, Jake Johnson, for a two-yard score to cap an 80-yard drive.

Jordan Shipp caught four passes for 84 yards to lead the UNC receivers. Caleb Hood led Carolina on the ground with 10 carries for 31 yards.

Inside the Numbers
• TCU's 48 points were the most UNC has allowed in a season opener in its football history.
• Monday's game was Carolina's first non-Saturday season opener at home since Monday Sept. 21, 1941, and just the fourth such game in school history (joining season openers in 1894, 1902 and 1941).
• In the ACC era (since 1953), Carolina is 40-33 in season openers and 49-24 in home openers.
• Carolina head coaches in their first game leading the program are now 26-12-2 all-time.
• ESPN's full-blown coverage of the game included a special, one-hour College Football Countdown pregame show live from the sidelines in Chapel Hill featuring host Matt Barrie with commentators Tedy Bruschi, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee, Randy Moss, Nick Saban and Pete Thamel. ESPN's top announcing crew of Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit and Holly Rowe called the game from Kenan Stadium.
• Carolina's revamped 2025 roster features 70 new players and 38 returners. The newcomers include 40 transfers and 30 freshmen.
• Belichick's college debut Monday night came 34 years to the day after his first game as an NFL head coach with the Cleveland Browns.
• UNC leads the series with TCU, 3-1. Monday's game was the first meeting between the two schools since Oct. 4, 1997, in Fort Worth, Texas.

Up Next
The Tar Heels face a quick turnaround before a road game in five days. Carolina will travel to play at Charlotte on Saturday Sept. 6 at 7 p.m.

How It Happened
First Quarter
• Carolina started the game with three consecutive runs for 20 yards, then Shipp caught back-to-back passes for 58 yards. Two plays later, Hood ran it in for an eight-yard score and a 7-0 lead.
• After a three-and-out on its first possession, TCU responded nicely on its second drive, tying the score at 7-7 after a six-play, 58-yard drive in under three minutes with 4:08 left in the period.

Second Quarter
• After TCU took a 10-7 lead on 32-yard field goal early in the second quarter, Bud Clark returned a Lopez interception 25 yards for a touchdown and a 17-7 Horned Frog advantage with 3:57 left before the break.
• TCU added another field goal as the clock expired for a 20-7 lead at halftime.
• After a sluggish start, the TCU passing attack steadied its footing and out-gained the Tar Heels, 193-58, through the air in the first 30 minutes.
• Lopez completed 2 of 6 passes for 58 yards in the first half.
• Hoover completed 20 of 25 passing attempts to seven different receivers through two quarters.
• After UNC's initial scoring drive to start the game, Carolina finished the half with 17 plays for 20 yards, one first down and no third-down conversions.

Third Quarter
• The Horned Frogs' Barnes ran for a 75-yard score on the first play from scrimmage of the second half to make the score 27-7.
• On its subsequent possession, Trent Battle ran it in for a 28-yard score and a 34-7 score midway through the quarter.
• TCU forced a Lopez fumble on a third-down-and-long play on UNC's next drive. Davean Deal scooped up the ball and rumbled in from 31 yards out to make it 41-7.
• Johnson replaced Lopez at quarterback for the Tar Heels midway through the third quarter. He connected with his brother, Jake, to make the score 41-14 TCU with 29 seconds left in the period.

Fourth Quarter
• TCU extended its lead to 48-14 at the 9:21 mark of the fourth on a four-yard pass from Hoover to DJ Rogers.

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