Bill Belichick took the job at UNC this past winter with the expectation of turning them into a real contender. UNC went 23-14 over the final three years of Mack Brown’s tenure. After a rough start on opening night, a 48-14 blowout at home at the hands of TCU.
The opening night drubbing led to a host of hot takes and social media noise, but since then, Belichick and UNC have settled in. The Tar Heels have outscored their opponents 61-9 over the last two games, and though the competition has been lower, you can only play who’s on your schedule.
Belichick’s Patriots teams were known for taking care of inferior opponents. Ahead of a week 4 showdown with UCF, podcast host Aaron Torres sees some familiar characteristics in the Tarheels.
Patriots DNA Emerging at UNC
Torres has seen the trademarks of Belichick’s teams showing up in the past two weeks in Chapel Hill. “To Bill Belichick’s credit, this kinda looks like a Bill Belichick-type team in New England.”
After allowing TCU to run all over them for 258 rushing yards and 7.4 yards per carry in Week 1, UNC’s defense dramatically improved. It held Charlotte to just 21 yards on 29 rushing attempts, a measly 0.7 yards per carry. This defensive turnaround represents classic Belichick adjustments and shows the Patriots’ DNA taking root.
The concerning Patriots parallel, however, comes on offense, which is struggling much like Bill’s final few years in New England. “The offense, 127th nationally in total offense. Worst among Power Four teams.”
The turnaround has helped Belichick steady the ship the last two weeks, but the competition will ramp up this week. However, Torres thinks UNC can cause some problems for the Knights.
Can UCF Move the Ball Against UNC?
The Knights come into this game as seven-point favorites, but Torres isn’t sold on UCF. “I think they’re okay. I do worry about their ability to move the ball against North Carolina.”
UNC is 72nd in the nation in run defense, allowing 143.3 yards per game. However, if you remove the TCU game, their average would put them in the top 20. UCF has been effective on the ground so far this season, but they have also played some smaller and less talented programs.
For both teams, a win on Saturday would undoubtedly be their best of the season. UCF head coach Scott Frost knows that UNC presents a new challenge for his 2-0 team, which he commented on when reflecting on its 68-7 win over North Carolina A&T. “It was a bit of a mismatch physically. It’s good to experience success, but it’s going to be a lot harder to make those plays and score like that against a better opponent,” Frost said.
Belichick and Frost both want a big early-season win this weekend. They will kick it off at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 20, 2025, in Orlando.