Former UNC star Eric Ebron is admitting his alma mater got its "ass kicked" on Monday night ... but he tells TMZ Sports he's still nowhere near pressing the panic button on the Bill Belichick era.
The ex-Tar Heels tight end sat down with us just a few days after North Carolina got whipped, 48-14, by TCU ... and while he said it was no doubt a disappointing start, he's staying patient with his old school's new sideline manager.
Ebron explained with all of the new faces in a bunch of new places -- he actually somewhat anticipated the outcome.