Dykes quips on UNC opener: 'Bad scheduling'

ORLANDO, Fla. -- TCU manager Sonny Dykes says his unit has already begun culling crippled portion from the New England Patriots, University of Washington and schools crossed the state to hole for their play opener against Bill Belichick and North Carolina.

If this has a spot of a déjà vu feeling for the Horned Frogs, that is due to the fact that they besides opened the 2023 play against a megastar shot manager making his FBS coaching debut: Deion Sanders and Colorado.

Asked what TCU did to beryllium enactment successful astir the aforesaid concern erstwhile again, Dykes told ESPN with a laugh, "Not definite however we pulled that off. It's called atrocious scheduling."

"Hopefully we'll fare amended than we did past time. We didn't play good past time, but we've got a 2nd chance."

In 2023, TCU was coming disconnected a nationalist title crippled nonaccomplishment to Georgia and ranked No. 17 successful the nation. But Colorado pulled the upset, 45-42, successful Sanders' debut successful a chaotic crippled that featured much than 1,000 yards of offense. Shedeur Sanders threw for a school-record 510 yards and 4 touchdowns.

The hype surrounding Belichick has been connected a akin level. The six-time Super Bowl champion took the North Carolina occupation past December, his archetypal caput coaching stint successful assemblage aft spending his full vocation successful the NFL. Belichick has not coached a crippled yet but determination is intrigue astir however the Tar Heels volition fare nether his leadership, peculiarly since this is simply a programme that has not won an ACC rubric since 1980.

But helium has been progressive successful wholly transforming the roster, successful a akin mode to Sanders. North Carolina has brought successful much than 50 caller players from the transportation portal, including South Alabama backmost Gio Lopez, and 8 caller violative linemen - galore with starting experience.

To statesman to fig retired what North Carolina volition look similar erstwhile they footwear disconnected connected Labor Day Night, Dykes said helium and his unit person watched erstwhile crippled portion of the Patriots, Washington - wherever son, Steve, served arsenic antiaircraft coordinator past year, successful summation to portion of each the caller players who person arrived via the portal.

"We're successful the process of trying to look astatine each those players, place their strengths and weaknesses, and fig retired however to onslaught the schemes and spell play a large game. That's the bully thing. You tin task the two-deep and say, 'These guys are going to beryllium the starters. You tin find the portion of wherever they were past twelvemonth and get a speedy presumption of what they're like. We've already begun doing that," Dykes said.

Unlike UNC, the Horned Frogs did not trust arsenic heavy connected the transportation portal this offseason and bring backmost back Josh Hoover, who acceptable a TCU play passing grounds successful 2024 with 3,949 yards. Hoover is the lone returning backmost successful the full state to mean 300 yards per crippled passing (303.8) and person a passer standing of astatine slightest 150. Dykes cited the seasoned radical helium returns, saying "that typically is simply a bully happening for us."

As for the opener, dissimilar the Colorado game, the 1 against the Tar Heels volition beryllium the lone primetime crippled connected Monday night. The nationalist spotlight volition beryllium connected them.

"It's a large crippled for our program. It's a large time for the Big 12, and we surely request to get disconnected to a bully start," Dykes said.