Coach Belichick and the Tar Heels are victorious over the Horned Frogs
DUBLIN — North Carolina relied on a stout defensive performance to beat TCU 15-10 on Saturday in the 2026 college football opener at Aviva Stadium.
The Tar Heels survived an upset bid by the Horned Frogs in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. Field position, physicality at the line of scrimmage and costly mistakes decided the game. North Carolina dominated TCU defensively over the final three quarters.
TCU took an early lead when running back Jon Denman scored on a 2-yard run late in the first quarter, giving the Horned Frogs a 10-3 advantage.
North Carolina answered on the ensuing drive. After converting a fourth-and-6 with a deep throw, running back Jaylen McGill found a gap for a 9-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 10-10 before the end of the first quarter.
The teams traded defensive stops throughout the second quarter, but special teams provided the breakthrough before halftime. Deep inside its own 10-yard line, TCU had a high snap sail into the end zone. Punter Jon Hoyet kicked the loose ball out of the back of the end zone for a safety, giving North Carolina a 12-10 lead.
The Tar Heels extended the lead midway through the third quarter after a defensive takeaway. Defensive lineman Melkart Abou Jaoude strip-sacked TCU quarterback Jaden Craig near midfield and recovered the fumble. Kicker Aeron Burrell converted a 28-yard field goal to make it 15-10.
TCU threatened late in the third quarter after North Carolina running back Kyren Williams lost a fumble in Tar Heel territory. North Carolina’s defense delivered a goal-line stand. On fourth-and-goal from the 5-yard line, Xavier Lewis and Isaiah Johnson stopped running back Jeremy Payne for a 1-yard loss as time expired in the third quarter.
TCU’s final drive stalled in the fourth quarter when Craig threw an incomplete pass while scrambling under pressure in the end zone.
Lewis paced the Tar Heel defense with seven tackles, 4 1/2 tackles for loss and two sacks. He was named game MVP. North Carolina improves to 1-0 and returns to the United States next week to face Virginia at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. TCU falls to 0-1.