Game Day Tune-Up: Belichick’s Chance at Redemption

Bill Belichick and the UNC football team are set to square away with the Richmond Spiders (1-1) on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. inside Kenan Memorial Stadium. The Tar Heels have begun a new chapter of football with Belichick as the head coach, with a record of 1-1. Their loss to TCU ended with fans leaving earlier and a 34-point blowout in the final score. Days later, it was able to regroup and do enough to win over Charlotte, even if at times they were sloppy on the defensive end.

Sep 6, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Gio Lopez (7) looks for a receiver against the Charlotte 49ers during the second half at Jerry Richardson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Earlier this week, Belichick was able to speak to the media before his third contest as a college coach.

"You know, Richmond's an impressive team to watch," said Belichick during his opening statement. "You know, Coach Huesman has done a good job there, and they have a very, you know, experienced staff on the offensive side of the ball, of course, with, you know, with Russ and his son, Jacob (Huesman), and Coach (Justin) Wood, Coach (Drew) Anthony, on defense, special teams, they're very sound. They haven't given up in really any big plays defensively, done a good job in the kicking game, made some plays. They're a good return team."

Sep 1, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick with TCU Horned Frogs head coach Sonny Dykes after the game at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

"They tackle well, and offensively, they have a balanced running game between the quarterback and running backs," Belichick added. "And then, you know, mix that in with some play action and, you know, getting the ball to receivers, especially guys like [Isaiah] Dawson and, you know, on some plays, explosive plays that you know, we'll have to defend. So really, really good program. They've had a lot of success there, and I can see why. They're a team that when you watch them again, you see the discipline, the toughness, the consistency."

Richmond’s Quarterback Has Major Size

Richmond quarterback Kyle Wichersham stands at a massive height of six-foot-four and weighs in at 260 pounds. The Metairie, Louisiana native, through two games, has thrown for 266 yards on 34 completions (averaging 5.4 yards) and has one touchdown, but has surrendered two interceptions after 49 pass attempts. Wichersham has also been taken down in the backfield twice.

"Yeah, I mean, he's kind of like a Ben Roethlisberger-looking guy," said Belichick, commenting on Wickersham. "I mean, he's really big, and, you know, he's strong, he's a physical runner. He's got, you know, stiff arm, long arms, tough guy to tackle. And he's a good downhill runner, so he doesn't shy away from contact. You gotta bring him down."

Aug 31, 2024; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Richmond Spiders quarterback Kyle Wickersham (16) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Virginia Cavaliers during the first half at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

"So, you know, that'll be a big challenge for us, no doubt about it. They have a lot of other explosive players too, and that gives them a good balance where they can get the ball outside to their skill players or their running backs and then he carries it and I'd say the other thing is impressive about Richmond is their receivers; they do a great job of blocking. A lot of times, you count on those secondary players to be able to come up and get involved in the run force."

"They make it really hard for you to do that. They do a great job blocking. Again, the team's very well disciplined and tough. They're physically tough, so that'll be a big challenge for us."

UNC quarterback Gio Lopez had a much better outing against the 49ers, passing and using his legs to gain positive yardage. Lopez gears up for his third start as a Tar Heel, and with the efforts of Offensive Coordinator Freddie Kitchens, plus Belichick, of course, North Carolina could see improvement and possibly score more than 20 points while facing the Spiders.

Given that a magical opening drive has happened twice already, the odds of another one going down Saturday night are fairly high. However, from that point forward, UNC needs to find consistency if it wants to become a good, or ever great, football team — because there are still areas of concern, both on offense and defense. Belichick and the Tar Heels continue to "stack days," and Saturday gives them another chance to do so.

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