Bill Belichick, seemingly catching heat from all directions, hopes to cool the temperature of his seat when he leads North Carolina into a game against Cal on Friday in Berkeley, Calif.
The legendary NFL coach’s five-game college football tenure has been disappointing and reportedly dysfunctional.
The Tar Heels (2-3, 0-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) were blown out 38-10 in their league opener against visiting Clemson on Oct. 4, prompting speculation about the future of Belichick, 73, and his five-year, $50 million contract in Chapel Hill.
North Carolina’s three losses were by 87 points. Neither of the Tar Heels’ wins came against a power-conference opponent.
“Everybody’s most interested in the final score, and I’m at the top of that list,” he said. “But it’s a process. You build a culture, you build a program, and eventually the results will come. When will that happen? Hopefully as soon as possible. We’re working hard to get there.”
Belichick called rumors of his impending departure “categorically false.”
He added, “There’s zero truth to any of that. I’m glad I’m here. We’re working toward our goals. We believe very much in the process. We need to just keep working and grinding away, and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”
Also returning to action following a bye week, Cal has dropped two of its past three games after an encouraging 3-0 start to the campaign.
The Golden Bears (4-2, 1-1) need to win two of their remaining six contests to become bowl eligible for the third consecutive season.
The preseason media poll picked Cal to finish 15th in the 17-team ACC, but new Golden Bears general manager Ron Rivera thinks the program has a shot to be special.
“You know, the head coach’s arms have been tied behind his back,” Rivera said of ninth-year coach Justin Wilcox. “One arm’s been tied behind his back because we haven’t gotten the resources. We finally got the resources.
“So I want to tell everybody, ‘Let’s slow down, let’s focus on the rest of the year. We’re 4-2, OK?’ ”
The Tar Heels will need improvement on offense if they are to slow Cal’s momentum. North Carolina ranks last among ACC teams in scoring (18.8 points per game) and in passing (162.6 yards per game).
Cal averages 24.2 points per game, 14th in the ACC, and allows 22.5, eighth in the league.
Golden Bears quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele has thrown for 1,487 yards and nine touchdowns, but he has tossed seven interceptions while getting sacked seven times.
Kendrick Raphael paced the ground game with 414 yards (4.5 per carry) and four TDs.
It was unclear early in the week who would start at quarterback for the Tar Heels. Regular starter Gio Lopez missed the Clemson game due to a lower-body injury. Max Johnson stepped in and connected on 26 of 42 passes for 213 yards.
On the season, Lopez has 430 passing yards to go with three touchdowns and three interceptions. Johnson, who came off the bench in losses to TCU and UCF, has thrown for 383 yards and two TDs without an interception.
The first conference meeting will be the third all-time between the schools. The Golden Bears swept a home-and-home series in 2017 and 2018.
–Field Level Media
