Bill Belichick wasted no time making an impact at North Carolina, securing his first big win against TCU in Dublin, a game that told us a lot more than just the final score. That Tar Heel defense, man, it was seriously underrated, and it showed up big against what the game proved was an overrated TCU squad with a brand-new offense.
Sonny Dykes’ New Offense? Not So Much.
Talk about a rough start for Sonny Dykes and TCU. Their revamped offense under coordinator Gordon Sammis, with Harvard transfer Jaden Craig at quarterback, looked lifeless. They only managed 10 points, which is their fewest in 31 games, and Craig’s 175 passing yards were the lowest for the Horned Frogs since that national championship blowout against Georgia back in 2022. That 27% offensive success rate? Yeah, that’s the absolute lowest since Dykes took over in 2022. It’s a brutal first impression, and losing that Ireland game has been a straight-up bad omen in the past. Remember Scott Frost getting fired 12 days after Nebraska lost in 2022? Or Florida State collapsing to 2-10 in 2024 after winning 13 games the year before? This could be ugly for Fort Worth.
Emerging Stars and Crushed Dreams
While TCU was stumbling, some teams were making big statements. Virginia’s new transfer quarterback, Beau Pribula, dropped a career game in a blowout win that absolutely crushed NC State’s hopes of being an ACC dark horse this season. Brutal for them, but what a debut for Pribula. Mike Norvell’s seat at Florida State didn’t get any cooler, either, after the Seminoles needed four whole quarters just to put away New Mexico State. No. 14 USC gave us an early look at how impactful their top-ranked freshman class can be in a win against San Jose State, which is always exciting to see. And don’t sleep on North Dakota State making their FBS debut by rolling Jacksonville State, or Memphis grabbing an important road win against UNLV and former five-star QB Jackson Arnold.
Week 0 definitely gave us plenty of first impressions, some big surprises, and a few major warning signs right out of the gate. This is just the beginning, but it’s clear some teams already have a lot to figure out fast.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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