When Bill Belichick puts on a college headset for the first time this season, it won’t be a sleepy afternoon. It’ll be under the full glare of Labor Day’s national spotlight. And waiting for him is none other than Sonny Dyke and a TCU program still reeling from the scars of Coach Prime’s Colorado heartbreak two years ago. Are the Horned Frogs about to live deja vu all over again?

That thrilling 45-42 defeat at the beginning of the season, after a 13-2 in 2022, saw them slump to a 5-7 in 2023. In a sitdown with 365 Sports on July 9, Sonny Dykes dropped his stance on what he expects from Bill Belichick and the North Carolina opener. “To put it bluntly, I think we have an idea defensively,” he said of the first threat. “I mean his son (Steve Belichick) was the defensive coordinator last year at Washington. And Bill’s a defensive guy, so you have an idea.” Offensively, there’s more uncertainty. With Freddy Kitchens calling plays and a likely run-first quarterback at the helm, Dykes explained why he find the opener to be tricky.

The HC admitted it’s unclear how his combination will gel together, but did add that he understands the game of Bill Belichick. “Bill does what Bill does on both sides of the b— to an extent. So, there’s been a lot of prep that’s already taken place,” he said. But the full picture won’t come into focus until game week. Dykes, who led TCU to a 9-4 result in his third season,  is experienced enough to know that worrying and overanalysis will do more harm than good to a team that’s already feeling low mentally. “You’ve got to get your team ready to play and just have those guys go out and play at a high level. And if you do that, then that should be enough. And that’s really all you can do at the end of the day,” he said. Sonny Dykes didn’t shy away from the pressure either.

With the Labor Day spotlight and a national audience locked in, he admitted the magnitude of the moment is real. Recounting the chaotic Colorado defeat from 2023, when Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter upset the CFP runners up, Dykes felt it is about reacting to the game situation better. “The last time this happened for us was ‘23 with Deion Sanders, first game. And we did not handle that situation particularly well.” Now, here comes Belichick, arguably the most accomplished football coach alive, trading in Gillette Stadium for Kenan Memorial. And Sonny Dykes knows the stakes are just as high this time and is glad to have the quarterback room under control.

Sonny Dykes is haunted by Prime and hunted by Bill Belichick 

This time, TCU has a bit more certainty at QB. Josh Hoover returns after throwing for 3,949 yards last season, a lone silver lining in a forgettable 2024 campaign. With 27 touchdowns to 11 picks, he gives Sonny Dykes the comfort of offensive consistency that was sorely lacking when Colorado stole the headlines in 2023. And while the national attention will be on Bill Belichick, the Frogs’ HC wants his guys to own the moment.

“Our guys, mentally I don’t think we’re in a good spot,” he said. “And my job is to get those guys in a good spot mentally.” And if you ask CBSSports’ Chip Patterson, he’s already tipping his hat to TCU in Round 1. “Sonny Dykes, the Frogs come in very aware of the spotlight they will get, being opposite Bill Belichick in the opener,” he said. Awareness wasn’t their strong suit the last time the cameras were this bright. But this time, it’s a different story. 

This opener isn’t just about fireworks on September 1. It kicks off a two-year home-and-home, with a return bout already set for 2026 in Dublin, Ireland, as part of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic.