Grading North Carolina’s Offensive Performances vs Blue Devils

Saturday's defeat to the Duke Blue Devils was demoralizing for the North Carolina Tar Heels. Not only did the defeat occur on home soil on Senior Night, but the loss also officially eliminates North Carolina from bowl eligibility this postseason.

Although it is quite difficult to see the bright side in a result like this, it must be said that this was arguably the best offensive performance of the season for the Tar Heels. There are still areas that will need improvement next week and fast-forwarding to next season, but there is a foundation to build off of.

With all that being said, here are how multiple players graded out against the Blue Devils on Saturday.

Gio Lopez

Stat line: 21-of-27 for 204 yards and one touchdown; 9 rushes for 20 yards and one rushing touchdown

Lopez demonstrated some strong growth and the ability to string together several passes in a row. On the first drive, the junior quarterback completed all six passes for 65 yards and capped it off with a rushing touchdown. He also went through a stretch across the third and fourth quarters when he completed 10-of-11 passes for 108 yards.

While there were periods of positive play, there were still times when Lopez either held onto the ball too long or was simply not accurate enough in key situations.

Nov 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Gio Lopez (7) rushes around the end during the first half against the Duke Blue Devils at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images

Overall, he played a solid game, and although it came in a loss, this was arguably his best outing of the season.

Grade: B+

Jordan Shipp

Stat line: 8 receptions for 83 yards and one touchdown

Shipp has been the most consistent pass-catching option for the Tar Heels this season. That was apparent again, as the sophomore receiver was dominant throughout the game, specifically in the third quarter when he caught multiple passes of 15+ yards, including a 20-yard touchdown followed by a successful two-point conversion.

He can operate at all levels of the field, and that was also evident on multiple occasions on Saturday night against a short-handed Blue Devils' secondary.

Grade: A-

Kobe Paysour

Stat line: 5 receptions for 63 yards

The senior wide receiver has been the clear second option behind Shipp this season, but he came up with several big-time catches in critical situations. His stat line could have been much more impressive if he had not dropped a 30+ yard touchdown, which was an absolute dot by Lopez.

Nonetheless, you cannot complain much about Paysour's performance on Senior Night, as the veteran wide receiver was more than serviceable against Duke.

Grade: B

Davion Gause

Stat line: 8 carries for 63 yards and one touchdown

Similar to Lopez, this was Gause's best showing of the season, as he averaged 7.9 yards per carry against the Blue Devils.

In the fourth quarter, the sophomore running back took three straight carries for 11+ yards, including a 12-yard touchdown, which gave the Tar Heels a 25-24 lead.

Oct 28, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a North Carolina Tar Heels helmet on the field before a game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Guase was incredibly efficient and explosive throughout the game, and he could be the bell cow for North Carolina next season.

Grade: B+

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