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UNC football vs. TCU game preview, prediction, betting and more
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- UNC football vs. TCU game preview, prediction, betting and more
It's finally here. The start of the 2025 college football season is upon us as is the start of the Bill Belichick era at North Carolina . The Tar Heels will officially end the Week 1 slate of games by hosting TCU on Monday night in primetime in Chapel Hill.
It's a standalone game for the Tar Heels as all the attention will be on their program come Monday night. And rightfully so.
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The hiring of Belichick was one of the biggest storylines in college football this offseason as he made the transition from the NFL to the college game. He brought in his son, Steve, to run the defense and hired Michael Lombardi as general manager. In addition to that, he also hired some former players as well as assistants.
But Belichick and North Carolina's first test won't be an easy one.
TCU is no slouch and will present a tough test for the Tar Heels. Hailing out of the Big 12, and is coming off an 9-4 season overall, including 6-3 in the Big 12. They capped the season off with a win over Louisiana in the Isleta New Mexico Bowl.
They have an experienced quarterback in Josh Hoover and a good defense that can make life difficult on you.
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With the season finally here, let's take a look at our preview for the game.
Key to victory
UNC football defensive coordinator Steve Belichick during a press conference on Aug. 6, 2025, inside the Kenan Football Center.
Defense. There are a lot of questions for the Tar Heels on both sides of the ball this season, so I really could have gone a few different ways here. But to me, I need Steve Belichick's defense to play good on Monday night.
TCU's offense is a tough one as Belichick stated but it's not like they are a powerful offense that should average 35+ a game or anything this year. Instead, they will have a good ground game that looks to control the line of scrimmage and win in the trenches. For UNC, they need to dominate the trenches to win this game.
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Something to watch
Sep 28, 2024; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; South Alabama Jaguars quarterback Gio Lopez (7) rolls out against the LSU Tigers during the second quarter at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Who will step up on UNC's offense? The Tar Heels lost some production from last season, mainly in the form of running back Omarion Hampton . But they will need others not only at running back but other positions to step up.
One player that we should see make an impact is transfer quarterback Gio Lopez . He was named the starter after transferring from South Alabama. Lopez will lead the offense and hopefully get things going for the Tar Heels.
What you need to know
WHAT? TCU Horned Frogs (0-0) AT North Carolina Tar Heels (0-0)
WHEN? Monday, Sept. 1 at 8 p.m. ET
WHERE? Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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TV? ESPN
RADIO? SiriusXM (198 TCU broadcast, 84 UNC broadcast)
WEATHER? 74 degrees, cloudy
LINE? TCU -3.5
LAST MEETING? UNC won 31-10 on Oct. 4 1997
ALL-TIME SERIES? UNC leads 3-0
PREDICTION? UNC 23, TCU 20
UNC football 2025 schedule
Sept. 1: vs. TCU
Sept. 6: AT Charlotte
Sept 13: vs. Richmond
Sept. 20: AT UCF
Oct. 4: vs. Clemson
Oct. 17: AT Cal
Oct 25: vs. Virginia
Oct 31: AT Syracuse
Nov. 8: vs Stanford
Nov. 15: AT Wake Forest
Nov. 22: vs. Duke
Nov. 29: AT NC State
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC football vs. TCU: Game preview, prediction, betting and more
