All Tar Heels

Social Media Reacts to UNC's Second Straight ACC Win

All of the best reactions from social media during UNC's win over Stanford.
Grant Chachere|
Nov 8, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Gio Lopez (7) hands the ball off to running back Davion Gause (37) in the second quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Nov 8, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Gio Lopez (7) hands the ball off to running back Davion Gause (37) in the second quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

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North Carolina Tar Heels

North Carolina wins its second game in a row over Stanford by a score of 20-15 at Kenan Stadium on Saturday night.

Gio Lopez completed 18 of his 25 passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns. Here are all the reactions from social media.

The Defense Carrying the Weight

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Nov 8, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Stanford Cardinal running back Micah Ford (20) is tackled by North Carolina Tar Heels defensive end Smith Vilbert (8) in the first quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

North Carolina's defense has been one of the best in college football this season as it is 25th in rush defense, 30th in total defense and 55th in pass defense.

It's no surprise that the Tar Heels held Stanford to just 42 yards in the first quarter, including only 12 yards on 14 rushing attempts. They also forced a turnover when linebacker Andrew Simpson blitzed up the middle, strip-sacked Stanford quarterback Elijah Brown, and the ball was recovered by Smith Vilbert, who returned it to Stanford's 10-yard line.

However, the Tar Heels could not convert on the red zone opportunity, gaining only two yards on their next three plays and settling for a field goal. The offense struggled throughout most of the game, especially in the first quarter, managing only 17 yards on three possessions.

The Tar Heels would finish with nine sacks as a team. Abou-Jaoude and Tyler Thompson both had three sacks.

That was the dagger. Despite heavy pressure, Gio Lopez delivered a 55-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Shipp. Shipp caught the ball, took advantage when his defender slipped, reversed field, broke several tackles and reached the end zone.

Gio Lopez Returns to Pre-Bye Week

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Nov 8, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Gio Lopez (7) looks to pass as Stanford Cardinal safety Scotty Edwards (21) defends in the second quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Of any player on the football field, there is no player more heavily scrutinized than the quarterback of a football field. That has been true of Gio Lopez whose play has been average at best, when he's at his best.

However, he has improved over the last three games, but he completely regressed. Lopez completed five of his eight passes for 28 yards, an average of 5.6 yards per completion. He also lost a fumble when he scrambled to his right and was stripsacked by Stanford linebacker Matt Rose. While he was bailed out by his defense, that play led to a barage of angry tweets.

It should also be noted that Lopez is a lefty. Why did he roll out to his right when he is left-handed? The world may never know.

Greg Barnes of Inside Carolina also threw out the idea of a quarterback change at the half.

Demon June's Lack Of Activity

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Oct 31, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels running back Demon June (12) runs between Syracuse Orange linebacker David Reese (left) and linebacker Anwar Sparrow (12) in the third quarter at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

One noticeable thing from the game was the lack of opportunities that were given to true freshman running back Demon June. He only had two carries for five yeards in the first half. This is after a he had 13 carries for 101 yards and a touchdown in Carolina's 27-10 victory over Syracuse last week.

North Carolina's Offense is Alive to Some Degree

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Nov 8, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Gio Lopez (7) hands the ball off to running back Davion Gause (37) in the second quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

After a sluggish first half that saw them gain only 47 yards (not a typo), the Tar Heels came out firing in the second half. North Carolina put together a 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive capped by a beautiful 20-yard scoring pass from Lopez to running back Davion Gause. Gause ran a sharp wheel route that created just enough separation for Lopez to make the throw with ease. Gause had three receptions for 51 yards on the drive.

That was the dagger. Despite heavy pressure, Gio Lopez delivered a 55-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Shipp. Shipp caught the ball, took advantage when his defender slipped, reversed field, broke several tackles and reached the end zone.

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Grant Chachere
GRANT CHACHERE

Grant Chachere holds a B.A. in Mass Communication from Louisiana State University and has a passion for college sports. He has served as a reporter and beat writer for various outlets, including Crescent City Sports and TigerBait.com. Now, he brings that passion and experience to his role as the North Carolina Tar Heels beat reporter On SI.

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