Bill Belichick’s First College Win Sparks Questions: Is a New Coaching Legend Emerging?

In a surprising twist just days after a rare defensive collapse where Bill Belichick’s squad conceded 48 points—a blemish not seen before in his storied career—the spotlight shifts as he records his inaugural college victory, toppling the Charlotte 49ers. The North Carolina Tar Heels, known for their fast starts, didn’t disappoint this time, opening the scoring swiftly and maintaining control without letting the early lead spiral into chaos like their previous outing against TCU. Charlotte battled fiercely, narrowing the gap and threatening momentum, but missed opportunities and a late Tar Heel touchdown to push the halftime score to 17-3 eventually dimmed those hopes. With two seemingly manageable contests before diving into ACC play against Richmond and UCF, UNC’s path looks promising. Oddly enough, the fluctuating point spread—moving from an initial 21.5 to settling at 15.5—ended up giving UNC a nice cushion, a detail that emphasizes how dramatically perceptions shifted post-Monday night’s scoring debacle. Intrigued? LEARN MORE

Five days after giving up 48 points for the first time in his coaching career, Bill Belichick has gotten his first college win, over the Charlotte 49ers.

North Carolina beat Charlotte on Sunday night, 20-3.

The Tar Heels scored quickly, the same as they did against TCU. This time, the 7-0 lead didn’t morph into an avalanche for the opposing team.

Charlotte didn’t go away easily. After UNC built a 10-0 lead, the home team cut the margin to seven. Another promising drive ended in a missed field goal. When UNC scored late in the first half to make the score 17-3, it felt like it was over.

North Carolina has two more winnable games before starting the ACC portion of the schedule, against Richmond and UCF.

Before Monday night, the Tar Heels were 21.5-point favorites for Saturday night’s game. The line shifted quickly to 13.5 before settling in at 15.5. Which, given the final score, gave UNC the cover they wouldn’t have had if Monday night’s massacre hadn’t moved the number.