UCF fans have had this one circled on their calendars since the middle of December.
That’s when North Carolina announced the hiring of six-time Super Bowl coach Bill Belichick as the Tar Heels’ new coach.
Few coaches are as big a lightning rod for national attention as the 73-year-old Belichick. He’s been called everything from “Billy GOAT” to “The Hoody” during his nearly four-plus decades in the NFL and has coached three Hall of Famers in Tom Brady, Randy Moss and Junior Seau.
Even his girlfriend, 24-year-old Jordon Hudson, has earned him and, to a lesser extent, North Carolina attention.
It’s why Saturday’s contest is being broadcast on Fox, rather than FS1 or FS2.
Yet, UCF isn’t exactly rolling out the red carpet for Belichick and the rest of the Tar Heels.
“We’re not putting anything more into it than it’s just our next test,” UCF coach Scott Frost said. “I hope our kids see it that way. I think they do. I think they’re on a very similar trajectory to us.”
The last time a UCF home game attracted this level of attention was when Deion Sanders, also known as Coach Prime, led Colorado to the Bounce House on Sept. 28, 2024.
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The atmosphere was electric with excitement as Fox’s “Big Noon Kickoff Show” was on campus.
However, that excitement quickly faded when the Buffaloes surged to a 21-7 lead by the end of the first quarter. Travis Hunter dazzled fans with a strong performance, even striking a Heisman Trophy pose midway through the third quarter, ultimately leading to a commanding 48-21 victory over the Knights.
Considering that, the players have been staying balanced leading into the week.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a really big game. It’s the next game,” receiver Duane Thomas Jr. said. “We’re going to prepare for each team the same way. I mean, playing against Belichick, we all know about him. He’s had a lot of success in the game of football. There’s a lot of respect for him, but we play nameless, faceless opponents.”
Cornerback Antione Jackson has noticed a different focus this week.
“I can see we’re more locked in. We’re preparing better for them and we just got a whole different mindset. It’s just another game to us and we’re just ready,” Jackson said.
UCF wouldn’t be the first team that isn’t buying into the hype surrounding North Carolina.
TCU coach Sonny Dykes told ESPN reporter Holly Rowe, following his team’s 48-14 win over the Tar Heels in the season opener, that the Horned Frogs felt “disrespected” leading up to the game.
“I think we all felt a little disrespected, maybe, coming in,” Dykes said. “There was a lot of conversation and none of it was about us. I think we all were highly motivated. Our players were certainly excited to play.”
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UCF defensive coordinator Alex Grinch recognizes that players are eager to play in games like these, but he emphasizes the importance of not letting that excitement turn into a distraction, as it could undermine the team’s chances for success.
“One of the things we talked about with the guys is we’re not looking for entertainment, we’re looking for execution,” Grinch said. “We have to make sure that our roles as they apply to Saturday game days aren’t the outside noise.”
Grinch also doesn’t want players to get too high or too low, depending on the outcome.
“I’ve been involved in too many games over my 23 years to kind of fall into that trap on either side of it,” Grinch explained. “The doom and gloom when you don’t get the outcomes, or the euphoria when you get one. It’s the next one and it’s big, there’s no doubt about it and we’re excited, thrilled.”
Please find me on X, Bluesky or Instagram @osmattmurschel. Email: mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com. Sign up for the Sentinel’s Knights Weekly newsletter for a roundup of all our UCF coverage.
