All Tar Heels

Social Media Reacts to UNC's Near Upset of UVA

North Carolina suffered a heartbreaking 17-16 overtime loss to Virginia. The Tar Heels had multiple opportunities to win but came up short in key moments.
Grant Chachere|
Oct 25, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels defensive lineman Isaiah Johnson (94) sacks Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Chandler Morris (4) in the second quarer at Kenan Stadium.
Oct 25, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels defensive lineman Isaiah Johnson (94) sacks Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Chandler Morris (4) in the second quarer at Kenan Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

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North Carolina Tar Heels

North Carolina (2-5, 0-3 ACC) suffered a heartbreaking 17-16 overtime loss to No. 16 Virginia (7-1, 4-0 ACC). The Tar Heels had multiple opportunities to win but came up short in key moments.

Despite North Carolina outgaining UNC 353-259, the Tar Heels had two trips in the redzone that resulted in turnovers, a missed 50-yard field goal attempt at the end of the first half that would have given them the lead and were stopped on the potential game-winning two-point conversion in overtime.

Here are some of the reactions.

It's Finally Happened

UNC
Oct 25, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Gio Lopez (7) warms up before the game at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

A growing trend in college football has seen students in the stands go shirtless and wave their shirts above their heads. The tradition, which signals fan frustration with their team’s play, started during Indiana’s 38-3 loss to Rutgers in 2021.

Now, with Indiana ranked No. 2 in the country after going 2-10 that year, the practice has become a rallying cry for struggling teams, suggesting that better days are possible.

When that clip went viral of the Indiana students went viral again this season, some members of the Oklahoma State student section started doing it, and it eventually spread all across the country.

Now, it has reached Chapel Hill. It started with two students.

It didn’t take long for the section to grow. Dudes rock.

UNC Fumbles An Inch Away From the Endzone ... Again

Just when North Carolina appears to make progress, disaster strikes. For the second consecutive week, the Tar Heels fumbled at the one-yard line just before scoring a potential touchdown. Last week, Nathan Leacock’s possible game-winner slipped away when Cal cornerback Brent Austin knocked the ball free late in the fourth quarter. The Bears recovered in the end zone and held on for a 21-18 win.

Though the circumstances were a bit different, it happened again.

Gio Lopez completed a 13-yard pass to Kobe Paysour, who reached out for the pylon and it looked like he scored, but they ruled him down at the 1-yard line. When they went to review it to see if he scored, however, they ruled that he fumbled before the ball crossed the pylon and called it a touchback, resulting in UVA getting the ball.

The Tar Heels just seem to be snake bit.

UNC Screws Up in the Redzone Again

UNC
Oct 25, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels wide receiver Jordan Shipp (1) with the ball as Virginia Cavaliers safety Antonio Clary (0) and cornerback Emmanuel Karnley (19) and Virginia Cavaliers cornerback Dre Walker (1) defend in the second quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

After a bad pass interference call that led to a goal-line stop and an interception by Andrew Simpson that put UNC deep into UVA's territory, UNC finally looked like it was going to exercise its red zone demons.

On third down, the Tar Heels turned it over again. Gio Lopez’s red-zone pass bounced off Shanard Clower and was picked by Virginia defensive end Mitchell Melton, squandering yet another UNC scoring chance.

ESPN's David Hale told me that North Carolina leads the country in red-zone turnovers. They have had three in the last two games. While the offense has improved, the Tar Heels can't capitalize when they need to the most.

The Ball Don't Lie

With the game tied 10-10, Virginia faced a critical fourth-and-short situation with 11:33 remaining in the third quarter. Morris threw a pass down the field, and cornerback Marcus Allen made a great play on the ball and intercepted it. However, Allen was called for a defensive pass interference penalty, and many fans online were upset because it was nowhere close to a penalty.

Even worse, the referees on the field announced that the player who committed the penalty was "No. 15." There were two problems: Allen does not wear No. 15, nor did any player on UNC's defense have that number.

Fans at Kenan Stadium were booing loudly for the remainder of the the drive, until North Carolina stopped them on the one-yard line, or rather, the Cavaliers dropped two potential touchdown passes. The ball doesn't lie.

OVERTIME!

Carolina went into overtime for the first time since 2023. It wasn't something we expected going in, but it shows the overall improvement of the Tar Heels. Although freshman wide receiver was this close to being the hero had he caught the ball.

After Virginia scored first in overtime, Gio Lopez hit Davion Gause for a 9-yard touchdown pass. North Carolina went for two, but Ben Hall was stopped just short of the goal line. Had Hall been able to extend the ball a bit further, the Tar Heels would have pulled off a major upset.

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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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