Xavier Lewis explodes in UNC football win vs TCU

DUBLIN — Xavier Lewis was still in his full UNC football uniform in the center seat at the front of the press conference room inside Aviva Stadium. 

After putting together an MVP performance that helped the Tar Heels earn a 15-10 win against TCU in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic to open the 2026 season on Aug. 29, it’s understandable that Lewis wasn’t quite ready to change clothes. 

“I was just in the locker room talking,” Lewis said with a smile when asked why he was still wearing his shoulder pads. 

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The 6-foot, 260-pound Raleigh native had plenty to discuss and celebrate with teammates after logging seven tackles, including 4 ½ for loss and two sacks for the Tar Heels (1-0). In his dominant effort against the Horned Frogs (0-1), Lewis nearly matched his total of eight tackles in 11 games last season.

“Last year was just a start for me, just to get out on the field. I was a third-down, passing situational guy last year,” Lewis said. “Just to be able to come out here and have the staff put their trust in me to play on all downs … I just embrace the role to come out and ball out. I feel like everything that I put on display was something that I could’ve done.” 

UNC coach Bill Belichick didn’t want to single out Lewis, shifting attention to the “team defense” that limited the Horned Frogs to 26 rushing yards in a scoreless second half after TCU had 111 rushing yards and 10 points before halftime. 

But Belichick did mention Lewis first, referring to him as “X,” when discussing the Tar Heels’ defense. 

“We had a lot of plays up front from X, Leroy (Jackson), Isaiah (Johnson) and the guys on the edge – Melkart (Abou Jaoude) and (Jaylen) Harvey,” Belichick said. “You don’t stop the run game without good team defense. There’s not one guy that can stop the running game.” 

Lewis also pointed the attention elsewhere, saying “it was a great effort from the defensive line” before smiling and acknowledging “I had a little bit to do with it.”

Following the career-best performance, it’s clear Lewis just wanted to savor the moment a little longer in the locker room. He was still smiling as he walked out of the press conference room, ready to celebrate the Tar Heels’ final night in Dublin before heading back to Chapel Hill.

Rodd Baxley covers North Carolina Tar Heels athletics for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding UNC? Send them to rbaxley@usatodayco.com.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Xavier Lewis explodes in UNC football win vs TCU