Sports
Bill Belichick’s UNC coaching debut ends in blowout home loss to TCU
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Bill Belichick had a “welcome to college football” moment on Monday night, as his North Carolina Tar Heels were blown out by the TCU Horned Frogs, 48-14, to begin the 2025 college football season.
It was a night filled with expectation, celebrity appearances and pure hype at Kenan Stadium, as Belichick’s first taste of being a college football head coach started on home turf in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels were hoping to usher in a new era with a victory to not only notch another first under Belichick’s resume, but get the program heading in the right direction from the jump.
The Horned Frogs had another thing in mind, though, as they were fazed by the screaming crowd of over 50,000, which included the likes of Randy Moss, Michael Jordan, Roy Williams, Lawrence Taylor and many more.
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Head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels looks on from the sideline during the first half of the game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Kenan Stadium on Sept. 1, 2025 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
The Belichick era began with an impressive North Carolina opening-drive touchdown, as the Tar Heels went 83 yards down the field with Caleb Hood capping it with his first score of the season.
But it was all TCU after that, scoring 41 unanswered points on their way to an easy victory.
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Horned Frogs quarterback Josh Hoover was dicing up the Tar Heels’ defense, and it started with a 27-yard strike to Jordan Dwyer, who was a favorite all night long in the pass game, for a touchdown that tied the game at seven apiece following the extra point.
TCU got more physical on defense, especially at the line of scrimmage, which hindered what UNC wanted to do when they had possession. The Horned Frogs held them to three straight three-and-outs, while taking the lead with a field goal early in the second quarter.
Josh Hoover #10 of the TCU Horned Frogs drops back to pass during the first half of the game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Kenan Stadium on Sept. 1, 2025 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
North Carolina seemed to get some momentum back when Hoover’s pass was too high for his intended receiver, and the Tar Heels’ Kaleb Cost made an acrobatic interception to flip the field.
But UNC quarterback Gio Lopez gave the ball right back to TCU, and it was in the worst way as veteran safety Bud Clark jumped a route and took the interception 25 yards to the house for a pick-six that made it 17-7. The Horned Frogs would end the half with a short field goal, taking a commanding 20-7 lead into the locker room as the crowd was stunned.
That feeling wouldn’t end, though, as the very first play of the second half was a 75-yard touchdown run by Horned Frogs star running back Kevorian Barnes, who went untouched down the right sideline to break the game open.
UNC was unable to come back at that point, as the Horned Frogs continued to run up the score with running back Trent Battle rushing for 28 yards to make it 34-7, and Lopez was sacked by Jonathan Bax, leading his Horned Frogs teammate Devean Deal to scoop up the fumbled football and run it back 37 yards for yet another touchdown.
North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick on the sidelines in the first quarter at Kenan Stadium on Sept. 1, 2025. (Bob Donnan/Imagn Images)
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At that point, Belichick switched quarterbacks, going with Max Johnson, who led a touchdown drive late in the third quarter to add some points for the Tar Heels. But the game was out of reach, and it’s clear the Tar Heels have much to work on heading into next week.
Meanwhile, Hoover showed out in front of many NFL scouts, going 27-of-36 for 284 yards with two touchdown passes and one interception thrown. Barnes had 11 carries for 113 yards, while Dwyer hauled in nine receptions for a whopping 136 yards to help TCU’s cause.
No one expected Belichick to immediately turn the program around and get them to compete for a national title, but this was a shocking result to be dominated at home to kick off his collegiate coaching career.
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Adidas announced the release of the “U.S. denim jersey” on Monday, a throwback-inspired shirt that’s reminiscent of the classic away tops worn by the United States men’s national team in the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
Featuring the iconic washed-denim look adorned with quintessentially ’90s stars, the jersey arrives just ahead of the U.S. hosting the World Cup for a second time this summer, alongside Mexico and Canada as co-hosts.
“With the U.S. Denim jersey, we set out to capture the side of American soccer that has always been distinctive and original,” said Inigo Turner, design director at Adidas football. “This design leans into that spirit with bold graphics, fearless color and a belief that the game here should look and feel like it belongs to the people.”
The full U.S. denim collection by Adidas also includes denim shorts with a star motif, a denim track top with paneling, and a denim cap with star details.
Calling back to the legends who donned the memorable 1994 tops, promotional photos include former USMNT standouts such as Cobi Jones and Alexi Lalas. The collection will be available for purchase from Adidas on March 10.
Speaking of inspiration from the 1994 World Cup, and in contrast to the denim away jersey, the red-and-white striped home kit from that tournament may be what Nike designers looked to for the upcoming home jerseys for this year’s World Cup.
Although no kits for the USMNT have yet to be unveiled, a post on social media went viral over the weekend after a local grocer displayed a red-and-white striped kit for the U.S.
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The Dallas Cowboys are reportedly set to bolster their defensive line with an intriguing trade involving the Green Bay Packers on Monday.
The Cowboys agreed to acquire Pro Bowl defensive tackle Rashan Gary for a 2027 fourth-round draft pick, according to multiple reports. The deal comes as the team lost out on trying to acquire Maxx Crosby from the Las Vegas Raiders. He was dealt to the Baltimore Ravens last week.
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Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Rashan Gary (52) during the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field on Nov. 23, 2025. (Jeff Hanisch/Imagn Images)
The Packers selected Gary with the No. 12 overall pick of the 2019 draft out of Michigan. He improved dramatically over the course of seven seasons as he started out as a defensive end, moved to linebacker and then back to the defensive line.
Gary was a Pro Bowl selection in 2024 when he had 7.5 sacks, 47 tackles and a fumble recovery in 17 games. In 2025, Gary played in 16 games. He had 7.5 sacks, 45 tackles and a fumble recovery.
Green Bay Packers defensive end Rashan Gary (52) celebrates after the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Nov. 17, 2024. (Daniel Bartel/Imagn Images)
He signed a four-year contract extension with the Packers during the 2023 season. He will be owed $18 million in 2026 and $21 million in 2027.
Dallas was 7-9-1 in the first season with Brian Schottenheimer as the head coach. The team’s defense was shaken up before the season began when the team traded Micah Parsons to the Packers.
Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer looks on before the game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado, on Oct. 26, 2025. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)
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The Cowboys were 32nd in points allowed and 30th in yards allowed during the 2025 season.
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Former Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez said the club’s president Joan Laporta scuppered the return of all-time great Lionel Messi in 2023 to avoid a power struggle.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner left Barca for Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 and then two years later moved to MLS side Inter Miami.
“Leo was signed, in January 2023 after winning the World Cup, we got in touch and he told me he wanted to come back,” Xavi told Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia late on Sunday.
“We had the green light from La Liga (financially), but it was the president who threw it away…
“Laporta told me, word for word, that if Leo came back he was going to wage war against him and that he couldn’t allow that. And then suddenly Leo stopped answering my calls because he’d been told that it couldn’t be done.”
Xavi said everything was ready for Messi’s return, there was “no doubt” in a football sense and “we were going to do a last dance, like (former NBA star Michael) Jordan’s”.
Laporta, who resigned as president a few weeks ago to run for re-election this week, suggested Monday former coach Xavi was bitter and said Messi’s father and agent Jorge had told him the superstar had decided not to come back.
“With Xavi I saw we were going to lose and with (current coach Hansi) Flick that we will win,” Laporta said at a presidential debate Monday.
“I understand that (Xavi) is hurt — with the same players Flick wins.”
Laporta said he sent a contract to Jorge Messi who later came to his house and told him that “here there would be too much pressure” if the forward returned.
Messi is Barcelona’s all-time top scorer with 672 goals and won a club-record 34 trophies at Camp Nou.
Laporta also claimed Barca rejected a 250 million euro ($288 million) offer from PSG for teenage superstar Lamine Yamal, reported to have been made in the summer of 2024.
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