At halftime in Dublin, North Carolina had already checked off three boxes that had haunted the program before. The offense was moving.
The defense was making stops. And the Tar Heels were avoiding the cheap mistakes that can wreck a game before it ever really settles in.
That combination carried Carolina to a 15-10 win over TCU in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic at Aviva Stadium, a result built on a first half that ended with the Tar Heels in front 12-10 and a second half that featured one more field goal and a defense that held firm.
New quarterback Billy Edwards did exactly what Carolina needed him to do early, distributing the ball efficiently and keeping the offense on schedule. He finished with 152 passing yards on short and medium throws, and he found Jordan Shipp and Jelani Thurman four times apiece. The Tar Heels also got a cleaner game than they were accustomed to, with just two penalties in the first half and only one turnover that did no damage.
The defense matched that tone. TCU scored just one touchdown, and Melkart Abou Jaoude and Xavier Lewis spent plenty of time in the Horned Frogs’ backfield. Carolina’s red area defense also did its job, forcing TCU to settle for less than it wanted.
For center Christo Kelly, the first half brought a wave of emotion. As Carolina headed into the locker room with the lead, he was animated, chest bumping teammates and soaking in the moment.
"I just felt a lot of emotion at the moment," Kelly said. "Last year was tough.
But you have to put that aside. That first half was a glimpse at what we can be.
We beat against each other day after day, we go through all these workouts, all the training leads up to playing in this game.
"We have a relentless attitude, we're never going to quit, we're always going to keep fighting. We had this unwavering belief that we were going to win this football game.
We have a relentless mindset. It was so much fun to finally get out there in a real game and show some success."
By the end of the night, Kelly was still in that same mood, this time hugging Bill Belichick after Carolina finished the job with a second-half field goal and another strong defensive stretch.
"We love our coach," Kelly said. "He's doing an incredible job, empowering people to take ownership of what we want this program to be.
He is such a special guy. He's humble, he's demanding, he's a winner and he empowers everyone on the team.
We have such good camaraderie and team culture, and it starts with him."
Belichick said the Tar Heels had a lot to like from the opener, especially on fourth down, in the red zone and in the way they handled the game’s physical demands.
"We've got a long way to go, but we certainly saw some good things tonight," Belichick said. "We got a lot of big plays on fourth down, something we didn't do too much of last year.
Our red area defense was solid, and we were able to keep them out of the end zone some. We played good team defense.
A lot of credit to the guys up front. TCU had a good running game and gave us problems in the first half.
Then we settled down.
"I thought the discipline of our players was a big factor in the game. We didn't have many penalty yards and that forced TCU to have to beat us. We did not get the pre-snap penalties and the post-whistle penalties that are very much in our control.
"Obviously, we didn't play competitively enough against TCU last year, and we came with a whole different attitude. We were ready to fight for 60 minutes, and we did that."
The opener also carried a broader sense of renewal around the program. Belichick spent the last 12 months reshaping the operation, and the staff now includes veteran coach and offensive specialist Bobby Petrino. Running back Benjamin Hall said the atmosphere around the building has changed as Carolina worked through winter conditioning, spring practice and summer player-led workouts together.
"I think the whole building feels a little rejuvenated, revitalized and a new energy after last year," Hall said. "Putting the record aside, we were just a few plays away from winning some more games. It's just a new environment, and I think it's been a blessing to be a part of it."
Carolina returns to Chapel Hill on Sunday and now has two weeks before East Tennessee State visits Kenan Stadium for a noon kickoff on Sept. 12. The Tar Heels will also bring home a trophy made of Waterford crystal, a fitting keepsake for a trip that ended with a win and a statement about where the program believes it is headed.
"I think we can find a case for this trophy somewhere," Kelly said. "I think it will look pretty good back home in Chapel Hill."
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