Bill Belichick press conference video after UNC win vs TCU in Ireland
Following UNC football’s win vs. TCU in Ireland, coach Bill Belichick discussed the Tar Heels’ performance. Here’s the full video.
- North Carolina upset TCU 15-10 in their Week 0 college football matchup.
- The win provided some relief for UNC coach Bill Belichick after a difficult 2025 season.
- Don’t overreact to the win. TCU’s poor quarterback play had much to do with this result.
In Bill Belichick lingo, North Carolina is on to East Tennessee State.
Let’s linger for a moment, though, on what UNC achieved in Week 0. It used a pair of fourth-down stops in the second half to upset TCU, 15-10, in a result that earned a hint of vindication for Belichick and the Tar Heels after a rough 2025 season and a drama-filled offseason.
On this edition of “College Football Unfiltered,” presented by Sports Seriously, USA TODAY Sports’ Blake Toppmeyer, John Brice and Paul Myerberg unpack this win and what it means (or doesn’t mean) for North Carolina. They also turn toward Week 1 and debate whether Lane Kiffin’s efforts to roster cut NFL players at LSU will be worth the headache.
You listen to episodes of “College Football Unfiltered” at USA TODAY Sports on YouTube, on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
WATCH THE FULL EPISODE:
Here’s a portion of the Belichick conversation:
Are we ready to buy stock in Bill Belichick, UNC?
Myerberg: It’s Week 0. Let’s not overreact to one game. I don’t really put a whole lot of stock in what this result means for either team. If we’re to take anything from this, obviously TCU needs better quarterback play. It didn’t get that in this game from transfer Jaden Craig. As for UNC, this win is absolutely on par with Belichick’s first Super Bowl win. I’m being sarcastic. It’s a win, but I didn’t come away thinking North Carolina has figured it all out.
Brice: I thought this was more of a story of TCU losing the game, but also UNC offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino helping Belichick stave off the heat for at least one week. Petrino doesn’t have a great offense at North Carolina to work with, but he made the most of what he had. I don’t think there’s a ton you take from this contest in terms of thinking North Carolina is going to be vastly advanced from where it was a year ago, but it certainly has some nice pieces along its defensive line.
TCU had chance after chance to take control of this game, and it had a chance to win the game late, and found a way not to win. Credit North Carolina for surviving, but also, a bad week of headlines for TCU was punctuated with just a really nasty, ugly loss.
Toppmeyer: I’ll hold off on buying stock in North Carolina, but I’m selling stock in TCU. Craig, the transfer quarterback from Harvard, struggled. Credit North Carolina for those fourth-down stops. Those were particularly notable, because of how bad UNC was on fourth-down defense last season.
As for TCU, maybe this is a coincidence, but losing in Dublin in a season opener has been the kiss of death for teams the past several years. Nebraska, in 2022, lost in Ireland to start the season. Scott Frost got fired a few weeks later. Florida State, in 2024, lost in Ireland to start the season. The Seminoles went on to have a terrible year. Kansas State lost in Ireland to open last season and wound up 6-6. So, I’m not ready to commission the statue of Chapel Bill, but this result is a bad omen for TCU.
Later in the episode
∎ The hosts award a game ball to one team for securing the most impressive Week 0 victory.
∎ As Kiffin and LSU plot to bring in players cut from NFL teams in the preseason, one question lingers: Is the juice worth the squeeze?
Where to listen to SEC Football Unfiltered
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. John Brice and Paul Myerberg cover college football for USA Today Sports. Check out their podcast, College Football Unfiltered.