CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina -- This was not at all how it was supposed to look under the lights at Kenan Stadium.

One of North Carolina football's most-anticipated home games of all-time turned into a stinker early, marred by a combination of miscues, missed tackles and faulty execution.

Fans were amped and North Carolina's royal family came out in droves, even a rare Michael Jordan sighting in a suite alongside Lawrence Taylor and Roy Williams emerged.

Why is Bill Belichick coaching college football? Exploring the NFL legend's motives ahead of UNC debut

John Talty

Bill Belichick and his first-year staff didn't get the memo, showing up to a party that was invite-only. Courtesy of a powerful statement by a veteran-heavy, well-coached TCU team that left a mark in Chapel Hill, it's back to the film room for a leader who had never witnessed his defense give up 48 points in a game -- the most the Tar Heels have given up in an opener ... ever.

The worst part? The Tar Heels looked completely out of sorts -- unprepared even -- outside of their opening possession, a nice and tidy 7-play, 83-yard drive spanning just 4:05.

The Horned Frogs owned the rest of the night, though North Carolina fans missed much of it. Midway through the third quarter, a smattering of fans in blue were barely recognizable amidst the purple in all sections. The end zone student section had nearly emptied by the time Devean Deal's 37-yard fumble return touchdown early in the second half was TCU's dagger during a stretch of 41 consecutive points.

A haunting performance such as this was always a possibility for a team with 70 new players following an offseason in transition, but no one on the North Carolina side envisioned this.

During a taped segment that aired on "College GameDay" over the weekend, Belichick told ESPN host Rece Davis he wasn't sure what to expect from his team in their opening game.

That admission, before the all-systems failure, was quite telling.

"I don't know if you ever think you're really ready. Opening day's always a tough day," Belichick said. "You prepare the best you can, then you move forward, whether in it's that game or succeeding games based on what you see."

The college game is different. Amateurs make errors that professionals, for the most part, do not. Coverage breakdowns are commonplace and players don't always respond to adversity with intentionality.

The early deficit snowballed after TCU safety Bud Clark's 25-yard interception return for a touchdown late in the second quarter provided his team with a two-possession lead.

This wasn't James Madison bad, but it felt similar for the Tar Heels. TCU erupted for 21 points in the third quarter, including a thunderous 75-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage by Kevorian Barnes. That put it away, an uppercut to the chin of the Tar Heels that left them woozy on the mat.

There's a lot to fix at North Carolina after this one for a program that appears to have more problems post-Mack Brown than many assumed -- perhaps even Belichick.