UNC's Gio Lopez Needs to Come Through in the Clutch

UNC quarterback Gio Lopez has thrown for 1,425 yards, eight touchdowns, and five interceptions in his first year playing in the ACC. The 6-foot and 203-pound signal caller from Madison, Alabama, has not had the best under Bill Belichick, who is also marking his first year at the collegiate level as head coach.

The two are both running the course together in ACC football, and have resulted in a 4-6 record with two games left in the season. Two victories punch their ticket to becoming bowl eligible. Hence, this is why Lopez has to come up clutch. Despite all of the things that have happened on and off the field, this is his moment to shine with two high-level performances.

Oct 25, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick with the team before the game at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Lopez's best game to date is his outing against Syracuse. He threw for 216 yards on 15 completed passes, including two touchdowns. He had a completion rate of 78 percent and a quarterback rating of 86. UNC went on to win 27-10 on the road that night and followed that game with a victory over Stanford, 20-15, at Kenan Stadium.

With UNC fighting Duke for the Victory Bell and NC State on the road to close the regular season out, those two games are important in their own individual ways — beyond the fact that they are within the Triangle, too. But UNC-Duke, well, is UNC-Duke and will always have fire, even if it's in football, and the Wolfpack has had North Carolina's number for quite some time.

Lopez Can Write a Positive Ending for His First Year in Chapel Hill

The narrative has been up and down, but mostly down for Lopez. And just like how wide receiver Jordan Shipp said after the Stanford contest, he is battling a lot, but that adds more to the story as to why this last two-game stretch is important for Lopez to come up big at the end of the year.

To put it simply, Lopez can be remembered as the quarterback in Belichick's first year that fell short of a bowl game, or he can be remembered for going the distance and defeating two Triangle opponents for an opportunity to extend the season further. The task will not be easy, as Duke and NC State are tough teams, but anything is possible.

Nov 8, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels wide receiver Jordan Shipp (1) with a catch and run for a touchdown as Stanford Cardinal cornerback Jay Green (5) defends in the fourth quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

How will Lopez do? Will his rise to the moment? Or fall once (or twice) more? There is a lot at stake for the young quarterback.

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