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Bill Belichick evaluates Gio Lopez's play in loss to Cal

Stephen Samraby: Steve Samra10/18/25SamraSource
Gio Lopez
(Eakin Howard-Imagn Images)

North Carolina’s skid continued Friday night, as Bill Belichick and the Tar Heels dropped their third straight game in a 21-18 loss to Cal. Despite a fourth quarter push, UNC couldn’t finish the comeback, falling to 2-4 on the season.

Belichick’s squad had opportunities down the stretch, including a chance to take the lead late, but untimely mistakes and missed chances proved costly. Quarterback Gio Lopez finished 19-of-35 passing for 167 yards, but the offense struggled to convert in key moments, like a fumble from Nathan Leacock with North Carolina in the red zone costing the team the game with under four minutes remaining.

Afterwards, Belichick evaluated the play of his transfer quarterback as a whole: “We’ll take a look at it on film,” he explained. “We definitely dropped some passes. I’m sure it wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t for any of us, coaches or players. But again, I thought we played competitively.

“I mean, we had the ball on the one-inch line with a chance to take the lead in the fourth quarter. So I wouldn’t say it was, I mean, that’s what it was. And then we couldn’t get the ball back until it was only 13 seconds left.”

Alas, Lopez and the Tar Heels have struggled mightily over the past couple of weeks. There’s been flashes of promise at times, but it’s mostly been a rough go of it in Chapel Hill for the former South Alabama signal caller. The offense has failed to generate points, and the defense hasn’t been able to stop many opponents in 2025.

Lopez has shown potential in his first season as the starter for the Tar Heels, but his stats aren’t super inspiring. Through six games, he’s completed 59.8% of his passes for 795 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions, while adding 80 rushing yards and one score on the ground.

All in all, Belichick has praised his young quarterback, but he’s continually emphasizing the need for cleaner execution. It’s all part of a bigger issue, as the program is led by one of football’s most accomplished minds, but the results aren’t there yet.

In the meantime, Belichick has maintained his trademark tone postgame, despite the losses piling up. Moving forward, the Tar Heels will look to regroup next week as they aim to snap their losing streak. There’s time to turn things around, even if it looks bleak at the moment.