North Carolina opened the 2026 college football season with a statement victory Saturday, defeating TCU 15-10 in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic on a rainy afternoon in Ireland.
New Tar Heels quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. threw for 232 yards, while kicker Aeron Burrell made two field goals as North Carolina overcame an early deficit and shut down the Horned Frogs in the second half.
The victory gives coach Bill Belichick a winning start to his second season at North Carolina. The 74-year-old Hall of Fame coach, who won six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots, went 4-8 in his first season with the Tar Heels.
The win was especially meaningful after TCU dominated North Carolina 48-14 in Chapel Hill in prime time on Labor Day last season. This time, the Tar Heels controlled the second half and made the critical plays late.
TCU jumped out to a 10-3 advantage after scoring on its first two possessions. From there, however, the Horned Frogs’ offense stalled. TCU failed to score on its final eight possessions and repeatedly came up short in North Carolina territory.
Running back Jeremy Payne gave the Horned Frogs an early spark, finishing with 142 rushing yards. He ripped off a 48-yard run on TCU’s opening drive, and the Frogs piled up 111 rushing yards by halftime.
But North Carolina’s defensive front took control after the break. TCU managed only 26 rushing yards in the second half.
The Tar Heels took a 12-10 lead with 1:49 remaining in the first half when TCU punter John Hoyet Chance kicked the ball out of the back of the end zone after a snap sailed over his head, resulting in a safety.
North Carolina then added to its advantage early in the second half. Burrell’s 28-yard field goal pushed the Tar Heels ahead 15-10 after Melkart Abou Jaoude delivered a blindside sack on TCU quarterback Jaden Craig, forcing a fumble that Jaylen Harvey recovered at the TCU 31-yard line.
Abou Jaoude was one of the leaders of a dominant defensive effort. He recorded 10½ sacks last season, while Xavier Lewis added 4½ tackles for loss, including two sacks.
Craig, a Harvard transfer making his debut as TCU’s new quarterback, completed 20 of 32 passes for 175 yards. His biggest mistake came on TCU’s final possession.
After North Carolina had put together a 13-play drive that ended with Burrell missing a 42-yard field-goal attempt, TCU got one final opportunity.
The Horned Frogs drove deep into Tar Heels territory, but Payne was stopped on fourth-and-1 from the North Carolina 5-yard line on the previous possession.
TCU’s final chance ended with Craig facing fourth-and-2 from the North Carolina 10. Rolling left, Craig threw an incompletion when he appeared to have an opportunity to run for the first down.
North Carolina took over and ran out the final 4:05 to secure the victory. Offensively, Edwards, who transferred from Wisconsin, completed 16 of 28 passes for 232 yards. Jordan Shipp was his leading receiver with five catches for 71 yards.
Jaylen McGill provided North Carolina’s lone touchdown, scoring on a 9-yard run in the first quarter after the Tar Heels converted a fourth-and-7.
North Carolina’s offense wasn’t explosive throughout the afternoon, but the Tar Heels complemented Edwards with a defense that steadily improved as the game progressed.
The victory also marked a major change from last season. North Carolina never held a halftime lead against a Power Four opponent in 2025. Against TCU in Ireland, the Tar Heels went into halftime with a 12-10 advantage and never gave it back.
For Belichick, the victory represents an important early step in his effort to turn North Carolina into a more competitive program. After a difficult first season, the Tar Heels began Year 2 by avenging last year’s lopsided defeat and winning one of the biggest international games on the college football calendar.
The rainy conditions in Ireland made for a difficult opening test, but North Carolina’s defense, special teams and late-game execution proved to be the difference.
The Tar Heels leave Dublin with a 1-0 record and plenty of momentum, while TCU will be left to wonder how an offense that started so quickly failed to score over its final eight possessions.
