TCU scores first touchdown of 2026 college football season
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
After falling behind early to Bill Belichick and North Carolina in the 2025 season opener, TCU raced to a 48-14 blowout in Chapel Hill.
The Tar Heels and Horned Frogs are kicking off the 2026 season on Saturday in Dublin. While they exchanged field goals on their opening drives, the Heels went three-and-out on their second drive, opening the door for the Horned Frogs to score the first touchdown of the college football season.
After a 33-yard return, TCU was positioned at the UNC 25, then needed just four plays to get it into the end zone. A short carry by Jon Denman from two yards out gave the Horned Frogs a 10-3 lead after the extra point.
Here’s the video:
TCU and UNC finished in opposite directions in 2025. While the Horned Frogs ended up with a 9-4 record and a victory in the Alamo Bowl, the Tar Heels slumped to a 4-8 mark in Belichick’s first season.
To say the offseason has been a dramatic one for UNC is an understatement. It’s meant major scrutiny for the program and, by extension, Belichick, who is squarely on the hot seat unless he can improve the state of the Tar Heels program.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
