North Carolina pulled off a 15-10 upset over TCU in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, with Bill Belichick making his presence felt on the sidelines. The 74-year-old coach watched from beneath an Irish sky as his defense stepped up, stopping TCU on crucial fourth-down conversions in the third quarter, including a fourth-and-1 at the 6-yard line and fourth-and-2 at the 10-yard line with four minutes remaining. Tar Heels defensive tackle Xavier Lewis credited their preparation, saying they focused on beating opponents off the ball.

The win marked significant improvement from North Carolina's 134th-ranked fourth-down defense in Belichick's first season, allowing just 156 yards after halftime compared to 125 in the first quarter. TCU coach Sonny Dykes acknowledged the improvement, noting how his team's 48-14 loss to North Carolina last season contrasted with this competitive effort. Belichick, ever the observer, praised the scout team and defensive front, adding his trademark touch when discussing the game's artisan trophy crafted by Waterford artisans: 'The Super Bowl trophies are... a little different.' The victory provided rare levity for a program that finished 134th out of 136 teams in fourth-down stops last season.