Overview
- North Carolina lost 17-16 in overtime after Bill Belichick chose a two-point try and Gio Lopez’s pass to Benjamin Hall was ruled short of the goal line.
- The Tar Heels matched Virginia’s overtime touchdown with a Lopez-to-Davion Gause score before the decisive conversion attempt.
- UNC’s defense showed progress by holding Virginia to roughly 259 yards and recording six sacks, but red-zone turnovers and a missed field goal proved costly.
- Belichick defended the decision by saying he was “just trying to win the game,” reflecting increased scrutiny of in-game choices after recent close losses.
- North Carolina fell to 2-5 overall and 0-3 in the ACC, with multiple reports indicating any decision on Belichick’s future will come after the season, when a firing could carry an estimated $20 million buyout.