Two programs that entered the 2025 season with vastly different expectations found themselves in identical positions on Saturday afternoon in Chapel Hill. Clemson, once ranked No. 4 in preseason polls, had collapsed to 1-3 and unranked, searching desperately for answers after its worst start in over a decade. UNC, under first-year head coach Bill Belichick, stood at 2-2 with wins only against FCS opponents Richmond and Charlotte, sandwiched between blowout losses to TCU (48-14) and UCF (34-9). Both programs were limping, and both coaches were under the wrath of fans. And both of them need a win to salvage whatever has remained of their season.

But for one coach, it could not have been any worse. And it’s Bill Belichick. Just 11 seconds into the game, Belichick, who is hailed for his defensive prowess, watched his defense feel helpless as it was torched by a 75-yard touchdown on the very first play. This is the coach whose entire reputation has been built on his defensive dominance. But getting burned by a trick play would not have been on Belichick’s 2025 vision board.

The play itself was a cunning one. And the optics were captured by Chapel Fowler. He posted on X, “Whoa. Clemson scores a touchdown on its first play, and the sideline goes insane. WR Antonio Williams took a screen pass, hesitated, and threw a dot down the sideline to fellow WR T.J. Moore for a 75-yard TD. The trick play hits, and Clemson leads 7-0 immediately.” The Clemson sideline erupted as if they’d just won the ACC Championship, and for good reason. Dabo Swinney’s Tigers had been searching for any sign of life after their disastrous start to the season. 

Meanwhile, Belichick stood stone-faced on the opposite sideline, watching 70 new players, 40 transfers, and 30 freshmen he’d brought in to rebuild this program get completely fooled by a gadget play. The optics of the play were brutal for Bill Belichick. The defense had no cohesion, no synergy, and frankly, hasn’t been good this entire season. UNC has only won against FCS opponents, and when they are faced with an actual FBS opponent, the defense is shredded to pieces.

But as the game unfolds now, both teams are fighting for survival. Clemson needs this win to mark an end to their slippery slope and keep their bowl eligibility hopes alive. Belichick needs this to prove that he can compete in the college football landscape, and his genius is not just limited to the NFL. But as far as the opening play is concerned, this season is going to be a long one for UNC as its ACC slate unfolds.

The bigger picture behind the breakdown

UNC under Bill Belichick looks exactly like every analyst predicted before the season started. The Tar Heels stand with a 2-2 record following a devastating 48-14 loss against TCU, two wins against FCS opponents Richmond and Charlotte, and a brutal 34-9 demolition by UCF. Now they’re facing another limping program in Clemson, which entered the season ranked No. 4 but has collapsed to 1-3. But the question is, does this season accurately represent Belichick’s career trajectory? The answer is no.

The reason? Belichick had to make everything from the ground up in UNC. The legendary coach brought in a staggering 70 new players: 40 transfers and 30 freshmen, essentially overhauling the entire roster. But on College GameDay this week, he revealed he didn’t have any other choice. “We missed on a couple of recruiting classes,” Belichick said bluntly, “only have a handful of players starting from them.” These could potentially be shots fired at Mack Brown since he left an empty cupboard in Chapel Hill.

And this opinion is not only Belichick’s. Paul Finebaum, who shares a really close relationship with Mack Brown, also said that Mack Brown has left an empty cupboard for Belichick. And when you’ve to start everything from scratch, you’re bound to lose some points on trick plays like UNC did. After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day but nevertheless, Belichick is definitely a genius who can build Rome. It’ll just take a few years.