Bill Belichick casts heavy shadow over Fenway Bowl

Before a new era begins at North Carolina, there is one more football game to play.

That comes when the Tar Heels meet UConn on Saturday in the Fenway Bowl — at Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox.

There is no doubt that much of the bowl game will include the backdrop of Bill Belichick becoming North Carolina’s coach beginning in the 2025 season. Adding to the buzz is the fact that the game will played practically in the backyard of where Belichick coached the New England Patriots to six Super Bowl wins.

The distractions could be numerous for the Tar Heels (6-6), who lost their final two games of the regular season.

“I want to compliment the guys on working to get better each and every day,” interim coach Freddie Kitchens said. “We’re just trying to do a good job staying where our feet are. I think the guys have done a good job of kind of knocking out some of the distractions.”

Since the departure of coach Mack Brown, Kitchens, who will remain with the program on Belichick’s staff, has overseen the North Carolina team. Belichick and Kitchens are in regular communication.

“He asks questions. I answer the questions,” Kitchens said, “so he’s fully aware of everything dealing with this program.”

UConn (8-4) certainly doesn’t want to be an afterthought in this bowl.

“It’s Fenway, (so) it’s going to be awesome,” Huskies coach Jim Mora Jr. said.

The Huskies are trying to match the program’s highest win total since moving to the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2000. UConn posted nine victories in 2003 and 2007.

“You guys can look back with a lot of pride that you’ve hopefully changed the trajectory of this program for a long time to come,” Mora said of his message to the team.

The trajectory for North Carolina, on the other, is that of a program in transition.

Kitchens is finishing his second season as North Carolina’s run game coordinator and tight ends coach. He is part of a group of assistants coordinating the offense for the bowl as 2024 coordinator Chip Lindsey departed for Michigan earlier this month.

“We try to draw on things we can control,” Kitchens said. “I expect them to play well and hopefully they expect themselves to play well.”

Kitchens has declined to discuss specifics regarding how the offense might be designed for the Connecticut game.

North Carolina defensive coordinator Geoff Collins remains in that position for Fenway Bowl.

“Nothing really has changed from a defensive staff or special teams staff,” Kitchens said.

Kitchens said that most players who entered the transfer portal have continued to work out with the Tar Heels and that he anticipates they will play in Boston.

One player who stepped away is running back Omarion Hampton, who ranks fourth all-time in rushing yards (3,565) for North Carolina. He has declared for the NFL draft after gaining 1,660 rushing yards — second in the nation behind the 2,497 of Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty of Boise State — and 15 touchdowns this season.

Mora said the Huskies will be without running back Durell Robinson (731 rushing yards), who is transferring to Auburn. Robinson is among at least 10 UConn players in the transfer portal, some of whom expressed interest in playing in the bowl.

“They want to finish this thing out,” Mora said.

The Huskies still have leading rusher Cam Edwards (756 yards) but will be without defensive lineman Dal’Mont Gourdine, who sustained a broken foot during a late-November practice.

North Carolina has won all three of its meetings with UConn, most recently earning a 12-10 win on Sept. 12, 2009, in East Hartford, Conn.

UConn is 0-3 against Atlantic Coast Conference members this year with losses to Duke, Wake Forest and Syracuse.

ACC teams (Louisville, Boston College) won the first two Fenway Bowls. Connecticut lost a regular-season game at the ballpark in November 2017, falling to Boston College.

Kitchens said he has been outside Fenway Park on a visit to Boston but never inside the gates.

–Field Level Media