One of my New Years’ resolutions for 2025 was to write more, to journal once a month. I dealt with some minor mental health challenges in 2024: some general anxiety, some continued PTSD or whatever it is from my broken arm on the hockey rink, some soul searching at work. Through it all, I found journaling to be incredibly therapeutic for me. I call it “getting lost in my keyboard”, just like I’m doing now. I can sit in my comfy blue recliner with some music on and just find myself wandering around the keys, looking for a story to tell. 

Along the way, I wrote about everything from my other resolutions, to Super Bowl Sunday, to my long-awaited return to Philadelphia to see the Flyers, to a best man’s speech, to my inspirations for the 11 Day Power Play. But by the end of the summer, I developed a bit of writer’s block; I didn’t know what to write or what to “get lost in my keyboard” about. As the summer turned to fall, football returned, and I came up with a fresh idea: to journal a season with my beloved North Carolina Tar Heels football team.

After all, 2025 was set to be a remarkable season in Tar Heels history. Carolina did the unthinkable: they hired legendary NFL head coach Bill Belichick to lead the team, to revitalize and professionalize the Tar Heels’ program, to transform Carolina into the self-proclaimed “33rd NFL team”.

It was remarkable: after decades of mediocrity and fleeting success here and there, a six-time Super Bowl champion coach, perhaps the best coach ever, was going to coach MY team. A team I love and support steadfastly. A team our family has held season tickets for dating back to 2007. Coach Belichick was going to come and transform my beloved mediocre football program into a professional-style powerhouse.

Maybe.

We all agreed the Belichick “experiment” would either be a remarkable triumph, or a massive failure, with no in-between. And the inaugural season of the Belichick Era had its fair share of highs and lows:

Week 1: TCU 48, North Carolina 14

It was one of the most memorable pregame atmospheres I can remember as a UNC football fan. Fans on the shuttle bus and in the pregame security lines excitedly chanting “TAR”, followed by “HEELS”! Tons of anticipation in the air at Kenan Stadium, a loud, excited crowd, an overflowing student section in the “Tar Pit”. A national TV game on “Monday Night Football”, for the first time ever in Chapel Hill, I believe. It rivaled Mack Brown’s first game back in 2019, in which we dramatically beat Miami. 

The big question mark was how this would all go; how six-time Super Bowl champion head coach Bill Belichick would fare in college. How UNC would react to being in the national spotlight once again. How this experiment of turning UNC into the self-proclaimed “33rd NFL team” would go. 

And after the first drive, all 50,500 of us thought it would go splendidly. An easy touchdown on our first drive, followed by a defensive stop, rare by UNC standards. I cautiously thought we might have a chance in a game I didn’t expect to win. 

The rest of the first half was rather dull. Water finding its level, with little offense and giving up a couple touchdowns. And then the second half happened. It was kind of like a train wreck: something you can’t help but watch. Except it just pulverized your car at the crossing and now it’s heading directly for your house. 

Not good. Another embarrassment for UNC on a national stage. Another missed opportunity to take a step forward into the national spotlight. Perhaps that’s our destiny as a college football program. But I’m genuinely interested to see if, for a change, we actually improve throughout the course of the season. 

Week 2: North Carolina 20, Charlotte 3

Hey, we got a win! Not the most impressive win against one of the newest and weakest FBS programs, but a win nonetheless. 

The defense allowed its fewest points since 2012, which is wild to think about, but true nonetheless. Offensively, we were inconsistent and underwhelming. In no instance should a power 4 conference team only score 20 points against a smaller and weaker FBS team. That’s concerning. 

But a week after I asked, “Will we improve throughout the course of the season?”, I can confidently say that this week, the answer was “yes”. And that’s a recipe for happiness. 

Week 3: North Carolina 41, Richmond 3

Hey, we got a win and I saw a win in person! Might be the last one of the season, but hey, it’s a win nonetheless. 

Defense looked good again, but it’s Richmond. Freshman RB Demon June looked good, and he might be my new favorite player for UNC. 

You know who didn’t look good (again)? Quarterback Gio Lopez, the transfer from South Alabama. He hasn’t looked confident all season. Too indecisive, too jumpy, and even today against a FCS team, too inaccurate with his passes. I get that we’re paying him over a million dollars in NIL money, but he just doesn’t look good. 

But we won. And it was a beautiful day in Chapel Hill with my family. And that matters far more than any win or loss. But I thought, “boy, it’s gonna be a long season”, far worse than the 7 wins I originally projected. 

Week 4: Central Florida 34, North Carolina 9

Woof. Didn’t expect to win this game but hooooooboy was this one ugly on offense. Gio Lopez had no chance at QB. He ended up injured at the end of the game, and you never want to see anyone hurt, but perhaps it was a merciful ending to his day (or season?) under center. 

Credit to UNC’s backup quarterback Max Johnson for coming in and looking competent. Coming off a broken leg in last season’s opener, it’s nice to see him have some success. He should start the rest of the season, God and Bill Belichick willing. 

This team just isn’t that good. They never stood a chance with Lopez at QB, and the defense has continued to show signs of progress, but then they commit a roughing the passer penalty and completely blow a coverage for a touchdown too. “Sometimes maybe good, sometimes maybe s***”, as an Italian soccer coach once said. 

This offensive line still stinks though. This team will struggle to 3-4 wins this season unless things materially improve. Credit to former coworker Patrick and his 2017 “national champions” on a well-deserved win. We clearly didn’t deserve it. 

Week 6: Clemson 38, North Carolina 10

I wish I had thought of this joke but I can’t take credit for it. This came after the UCF loss, from fellow UNC fan Hunter Oakley on Twitter:

“Clemson is dogshit.

That being said in two weeks when they come to Chapel Hill they will look like the 1985 Bears and beat the dogshit out of us.”

Right you were, Hunter. Right you were. 

Week 8: California 21, North Carolina 18

Blessedly this game was a 10:30 pm kickoff on the East Coast, so I was halfway through my dream, playing in the PGA Championship, when the backbreaking fumble occurred. 

Apparently a better effort from the Heels, and we came within a yard of taking the lead with under 4 minutes to play, but turnovers are absolutely BRUTAL to any football team. There were two such catastrophic turnovers: an opening play fumble and WR Nathan Leacock’s gaffe on the 1-yard line, that cost us another game. 

You can coach and prepare fundamentals all you want, but it’s still up to the players to hold onto the dang ball. This game was an improvement, no doubt, to others thus far this season, but it seems as this is going to be a season cursed, with only two or three total wins on the horizon. 

Week 9: Virginia 17, North Carolina 16

Football is often described as a “game of inches”. That was painfully true on this fall Saturday in Chapel Hill. Much like last week, turnovers and mere inches painfully cost the Tar Heels a chance to win against a ranked Virginia team. 

Kobe Paysour’s first quarter fumble at the one yard line derailed a strong touchdown drive, and undoubtedly cost at least three points. Gio Lopez unwisely tried to force a pass across his body late in the third quarter, which was deflected, bounced off Shanard Clower’s face mask, and caromed into a Virginia defender’s hands. Another short field goal opportunity wasted. And at the end of the game, Gio Lopez’s great throw into the redzone bounced off Madrid Tucker’s hands, and again into the waiting arms of a Cavalier defender. Another game winning opportunity thwarted. 

But despite all those missed chances, having likely left ten or more points on the board, the Heels still had a chance to win. And they came up inches short. Literally, two or three inches short. The “game of inches” worked against them, and they fell short of #16 Virginia in overtime. 

The good news: the defense looked fantastic against Virginia. Six sacks, an interception, and a strong effort to give up only ten regulation points, thirty less than UVA averaged. And at times, the passing offense looked smoother and worked well downfield. 

The bad news: Freddie Kitchens is still the offensive coordinator, and Gio Lopez is still the quarterback. 

I pray that those change at season’s end.

Week 10: North Carolina 27, Syracuse 10

The narrative has changed. No longer is this a season from hell where Bill Belichick looks disastrously lost. We’ve now reached the “this team is getting better every week” phase. And it showed Halloween night against Syracuse. 

The defense looked much improved. Now admittedly, Syracuse’s offense was flat out pathetic. But still, no big plays given up. Only one disastrous penalty taken. Less than 150 yards of offense allowed. No touchdowns. 

In the second half, the offense looked much improved. Screen passes that went for losses in prior weeks turned into double digit gains. Gio Lopez had season highs in yards (216), accuracy (79%), and passer rating (209.2). And the playcalling expanded to some clever counters, tosses, and downfield throws that actually connected. 

And Demon June ran like a man possessed on this Halloween night. 101 yards and a touchdown on the ground, another 81 and a touchdown through the air. And he’s only a true freshman! He’s my favorite Tar Heel in 2025 and has all the makings of the next great Carolina back. 

A 21-0 second half propelled the Heels to their first ACC win of the season. Not perfect, but much better! Things continue to look up for this young team with another winnable game next week against Stanford. 

Week 11: North Carolina 20, Stanford 15

I dunno, I was at a wedding in Asheville this weekend; didn’t see a single play. But hey, we won again!

Week 12: Wake Forest 28, North Carolina 12

This was an odd game where nothing seemed to go Carolina’s way. An early Wake Forest fumble was recovered…by Wake Forest and 55 yards later, the Heels trailed 7-0. 

Later on, it appeared the Heels stopped Wake on a crucial 4th down play, only for the referees to award Wake a first down that eventually led to another touchdown. Another controversial call occurred in the 3rd quarter, when UNC RB Jaylen McGill appeared to catch a pass inside the 10-yard line between his legs. The referees overturned that call too, and a potential touchdown for Carolina instead resulted in a blocked field goal. 

This isn’t to say the Heels got screwed though; Wake Forest clearly played a better game. The Heels’ offense continued to stumble along and failed to reach the end zone for the first time since 2016. And the positive momentum the Heels have built over the past four weeks disappeared. 

Not all was lost, though. Rece Verhoff set a program record with a 57-yard FG at the end of the first half. He will be the unsung hero of this first Belichickian team, a steady and accurate kicker from the transfer portal. And fellow Charlottean, high school golf co-captain, and Wake Forest grad Dan hit his parlay bet! Maybe he’ll buy me a sympathy beer sometime?

Week 13: Duke 32, North Carolina 25

It was a perfect fall day in North Carolina. Warm, sunny, with all of the exciting vibes you’d want from a rivalry game. Even the buses were ready for the big game!

And it was quite an exciting afternoon at Kenan Stadium. Plenty of scoring to go around. Back and forth, with both teams gaining momentum at different points in the game. The difference came down to the kind of things that separate good football teams from bad football teams. 

Good football teams have strong performances on offense. Carolina did, at times. Actually it was one of Gio Lopez’s best games as a Tar Heel, both passing and running. But the Heels had long stretches of mediocrity and fell apart at the end of the game. 

Good football teams get off the field on 3rd and 4th and long. Carolina didn’t. Duke converted two fourth downs on its opening TD drive, another on a back-breaking fake field goal late, and scored points on 5 of their 7 drives. Carolina, by comparison, only scored on 4 of 8 drives. 

Good football teams play disciplined football and don’t let penalties ruin the game. Carolina didn’t, racking up 12 penalties for 103 yards, including a roughing the kicker call on a missed Duke field goal, and an ineligible player downfield call at the end of the first half that erased a 1st and goal. 11 points out the window. Can’t happen. 

In a must-win game, Carolina played better. Their offense functioned better. They got some big second half stops, and they held a 4th quarter lead with 3 minutes to go. But the bottom line is, against Duke, and for much of 2025, Carolina proved they were not a good football team. 

Week 14: NC State 41, North Carolina 19

And so ends the worst Tar Heel football season in 8 years. The State game was pathetic, nothing more to say. 

On the evening of September 1, I wondered whether the Heels would improve throughout the season following a 34-point drubbing on Monday Night Football. And the answer is…..

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

On one hand, the Heels’ defense got better on paper. During the Mack Brown era from 2019-2024, the Heels finished 85th on average in terms of yards allowed per game, and 83rd in points allowed per game. 2025 was better: 43rd in yards allowed and 68th in points allowed, respectively. 

But the offense was flat out dreadful. The Heels finished with only 287.1 yards per game (9th worst in FBS), and 17.3 points per game (13th worst). Offensive playcalling was largely inept, and offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens should lose his job. 

So too should QB Gio Lopez, who will likely stay around given his reported 2-year, $4 million NIL deal. But he looked largely lost out there this season, far from the standard of recent Carolina quarterbacks, and a mile away from what we need to succeed in 2026 and beyond. The Heels have freshman QB Bryce Baker waiting his turn, and incoming four-star recruit Travis Burgess too. One of them needs to be under center next September. 

The Heels did far more bad than good in 2025, but there were some bright spots. Melkart Abou Jaoude emerged as one of the ACC’s finest pass rushers, compiling 10.5 sacks to lead the league. Jordan Shipp has become the vocal leader of the offense and clearly the best player on that side of the ball. And kicker Rece Verhoff was solid too, including his school record 57-yarder against Wake Forest. And the Heels were legitimately two yards away from two more wins, a 6-6 record, and a bowl game: a result that would undoubtedly feel better than the brutal gut punch that the 2025 season turned out to be.

I know not if the Bill Belichick experiment will pan out in Chapel Hill. He and GM Mike Lombardi will need time to recruit and build a culture, especially with 35+ incoming freshmen in 2026. But until then, I will long for more happy days at Kenan Stadium. For a brighter future where we look like those great 1997 and 2015 and 2022 Carolina teams looked. Where we consistently churn out NFL talent, and where we contend for ACC Championships. 

Those days will come. Maybe soon, maybe not. But they’ll come. And I’ll be there with the rest of the Dotson family, clad in my Carolina blue #23 jersey, with 50,000 of my fellow Carolina fans. We’ll sing “Hark the Sound” and take photos of the blue Bell Tower after wins. And we’ll once again celebrate what makes Carolina football great. 

Someday.