Would it be too early to say that UNC’s Bill Belichick experiment has failed, or should we wait a bit more? UNC just got demolished by UCF with a 34-9 loss as their record came crashing down to 2-2. The offense only went for 217 yards with 2 red zone interceptions across TCU and UCF defeats. That is the context of why a 73-year-old legendary coach has failed so far in his first college season. The debut against TCU could be filed under the ‘first-week jitters’ column, but the loss against UCF was much more comprehensive. And with this, Belichick’s close friend, Urban Meyer, has given a reality check on him.
Meyer’s critique lands differently because Belichick has influenced his entire coaching career. His practices, recruitments, evaluations—everything has a Belichickian taste. Meyer said they spent a lot of time together during Belichick’s Florida days, and that Belichick’s defensive mind had footprints on his own approach to the game. When thought against that backdrop, the history makes the criticism more notable.
“They’re worse on tape than I thought they would be,” Meyer said about the current condition of UNC’s defense. He added context, “And I’m not saying just because you can say, well, we have really bad players.’ Okay, you brought in 70 new people. But I’m seeing things that just, you know, just misfits on defense.”
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The quality of defense has been a recurring theme in Belichick’s short tenure. While it is true that UNC is a patchwork of whatever they could acquire from the transfer portal, the coaching and play-calling have yielded no results whatsoever on the field. TCU rained 41 unanswered points in the opener, while UCF eased to a 20-3 halftime lead. The defense is deficient in spacing, communication, and tackling.
Meyer went on to explain what misfits were, adding, “That means they’re not if, as a linebacker takes on a block, he’s supposed to send that to the unblocked safety. So, if the safety’s inside, I’m taking on the blocker with my inside shoulder to force it to him, it’s not happening.” These are core fundamental issues. It’s football 101. The defense has displayed zero signs of synergy and cohesion. It looks like individual pieces are doing their work, but not meshing in together.
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Then Meyer hit the nail in the coffin, saying, “And then on the offensive side, it’s a train wreck. So I don’t know. I don’t think it ends well. Hate to say that.” And that sums it all up. Belichick’s start cannot be worse than this. UNC has been outscored 82-13 in its two games against power conference opponents. And they’ve been struggling on both fronts.
Well, how does it end for Belichick at UNC? Contractually speaking, the first three years are guaranteed with $10 million per year. But practically, it’s about whether Bill Belichick can align UNC with his plan and work on fundamental defensive issues. There are a lot of ACC games ahead and plenty of road to redeem; it’s just a matter of whether they’ll be able to do it or not.
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Bye-week ultimatum in Chapel Hill
The big dreams in Chapel Hill have shattered after four weeks. The 2-2 start is etched in the minds of every fan who hoped for ACC contention under Belichick. And that’s the pulse echoed by Tim Donnelly. “Six wins. Six is what it takes,” Tim Donnelly said on 99.9 The Fan, adding that with eight conference games ahead, “if you lose any of those now, you’re stealing one from Virginia or Clemson or Duke or State… When are they going to get a backbone? Because if they don’t gain it during this bye week, I don’t think it’s going to grow organically.”That’s the standard that is set for North Carolina as they come out of the bye week.
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The national conversations around them aren’t kind either. USA TODAY Sports has declared UNC as the ACC’s early-season “frauds.” Blake Toppmeyer has gone so far as to say that, “Unless you’re a degenerate gambler or own a closet full of Carolina blue, you might not have realized Bill Belichick’s Tar Heels played this weekend,” referring to the UCF game.
Now, the quarterback, Gio Lopez, is almost out; veteran Max Johnson will be taking the field, hopefully. But still, for a team that hasn’t scored even 20 points against Power Four opponents, demanding six wins with 8 ACC games left is asking a bit too much. Anyway, that’s the verdict, and UNC has to do it anyway. If they manage to win against some big names, good for them, and if not, then analysts around the nation who forecasted this disaster would get the last laugh.