Which UNC Players Must Perform Well in Season Finale

The North Carolina Tar Heels will be on the road in the season finale against North Carolina State in Week 14. Last week, the Tar Heels' season ended after losing to the Duke Blue Devils. While there were positive performances in that game, there were also several disappointments.

Most notably, North Carolina's pass rush was unable to generate any sacks on Darian Mensah, who escaped pressure over and over again, converting several back-breaking third downs.

Nov 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah (10) rushes for a first down during the first half at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images

Nonetheless, the Tar Heels have an opportunity to fix those issues and capitalize on the chances that present themselves in the game against North Carolina State on Saturday.

With all that being said, let's take a look at some players who have to perform well against North Carolina State if the Tar Heels want to win in Week 14.

Gio Lopez

Last week marked the fifth consecutive game in which Lopez surpassed 200 passing yards. Before this past stretch, the junior quarterback had failed to throw for 200 yards in any other game this season.

Obviously, in football, the quarterback is the most important position on the field. Lopez will have to be decisive, accurate, and play on time against an underrated North Carolina State defense. If Lopez fails to meet these criteria, the Tar Heels will most likely lose on Saturday.

Melkart Abou-Jaoude

Abou-Jaoude entered last week's game against Duke with 10 sacks on the season. Despite that, the veteran passer failed to record one sack on Mensah, which proved to be costly in the end.

That cannot transpire again, especially considering who North Carolina State has at quarterback. CJ Bailey isn't as prolific a passer as Mensah, but his mobility creates even more issues for opposing defenses.

Head coach Bill Belichick mentioned this point during his press conference on Tuesday

Nov 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick watches play during the first half against the Duke Blue Devils at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images

"Offensively, [North Carolina State] has a lot of explosive players, starting with the quarterback [CJ] Bailey, he's a problem," Belichick said. "They have two really good running backs with [Hollywood] smothers and [Jayden] Scott. Smothers leads the league and yards after contact. He's hard to bring down. He's very good at the ball in his hands."

It will be more difficult to corral Bailey, but the Tar Heels' pass rush should be able to record at least one sack, which could make all the difference in what could turn into a defensive battle on Saturday.

North Carolina cannot afford to allow 30+ points in the season finale. If it does, the likelihood of the Tar Heels winning will be very slim.

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