Bill Belichick's first NFL head coaching experience was for the Cleveland Browns, and they suffered a 26–14 defeat against the Cowboys. As Belichick told ESPN's Holly Rowe pregame, his only hope for his North Carolina debut on Monday night against TCU was that the game would be a more favorable one than that loss back in 1991.
It wasn't.
TCU jumped out to a 41–7 lead midway through the third quarter, and fans started heading for the exits at Kenan Memorial Stadium before the fourth quarter even began. There was a sense of gloom in the crowd after North Carolina's passing game went defunct after the opening drive, and when TCU broke open the game with a big touchdown to open the third quarter, the crowd could be seen depleting rapidly.
Twenty two minutes remaining and the UNC fans and students have seen enough. pic.twitter.com/VcHZHUWSyX
— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthew_CFB) September 2, 2025
For those who remained in their seats, many were regularly stuck doing the surrender cobra with a look of pure disappointment etched on their faces.
Checking in on UNC fans... pic.twitter.com/N3kJSObLnF
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) September 2, 2025
It was a night to forget in Chapel Hill on the onset of the Belichick era.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Defeated UNC Fans Made for the Exits During Third Quarter of Bill Belichick's Debut.
