Bill Belichick's North Carolina inches short of first ACC win again, this time in overtime loss to No.
- - Bill Belichick's North Carolina inches short of first ACC win again, this time in overtime loss to No. 16 Virginia
Andy BackstromOctober 25, 2025 at 9:49 PM
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North Carolina's Benjamin Hall dives short of the goal line on a 2-point conversion attempt, resulting in a 17-16 overtime loss to Virginia on Saturday at Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill, NC. (Photo by Nicholas Faulkner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) (Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Only inches stood between the nose of the football and Bill Belichick collecting his first win over a power conference opponent, an ACC opponent and a ranked opponent in one fell swoop Saturday afternoon in Chapel Hill. But for the second week in a row, Belichick's North Carolina Tar Heels suffered goal-line heartbreak.
Last time around, a Cal defender knocked the ball from the grasp of UNC wide receiver Nathan Leacock right before he crossed the plane for a potential go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter. This time around, Tar Heels running back Benjamin Hall fell just short of the pylon on a potential game-winning 2-point conversion attempt in overtime against No. 16 Virginia.
UNC couldn't outlast the cardiac Cavaliers in a defensive struggle. A 17-16 loss dropped the Tar Heels to 2-5 and 0-3 in ACC play to start the Belichick era.
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🔥 OVERTIME, OUR TIME 🔥📺 @accnetwork pic.twitter.com/txsxeAnSOI
— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) October 25, 2025
UVA, meanwhile, improved to 7-1 and a perfect 4-0 in league play. The Cavaliers have now won three of their past four games in overtime. Their game last week was likely headed for overtime, except a safety late in the fourth quarter broke a tie and gave them a win over Washington State.
UVA is only the 10th team since overtime was introduced in 1996 — and the first since Texas Tech in 2022 — to win three overtime games in a season, according to ESPN's David Hale.
The nail-biting stretch started with UVA upsetting then-No. 8 Florida State. Tony Elliott's Cavaliers could be college football's 2025 Cinderella.
Belichick's first season at UNC, on the other hand, is far from storybook.
It's been dominated by drama off the field. The product on it hasn't been the distraction it's needed to be, with the Tar Heels still searching for their first win over a power conference opponent.
It felt like that kind of victory literally slipped through their hands before overtime Saturday.
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CLARY IN THE CLUTCH 🤯📺 @accnetwork pic.twitter.com/mrcnlQvLcg
— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) October 25, 2025
Tacked onto a 7-yard run by UNC running back Demon June, a UVA face mask penalty propelled the Tar Heels to midfield with 22 seconds remaining and the game deadlocked at 10-10.
Neither team had scored in the second half, but UNC had a shot to win the ACC tilt in regulation.
That was, before quarterback Gio Lopez's well-thrown deep shot was bobbled and then intercepted. Lopez heaved a pass downfield for Madrid Tucker. The true freshman wideout, who clocked out with a game-high eight receptions, had the ball in his hands until UVA cornerback Emmanuel Karnley broke up the pass and safety Antonio Clary secured the tip-drill interception.
Lopez was also picked off on a deflection late in the third quarter. That interception occurred in the red zone, ending a Tar Heels drive that precipitated from linebacker Andrew Simpson picking off UVA quarterback Chandler Morris.
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INTERCEPTION, @m17m__‼️His first career INT comes in the red zone 😤📺 @accnetwork pic.twitter.com/scysZId47l
— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) October 25, 2025
UNC made life hard for Morris on Saturday. He finished only 20-of-35 for 200 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception.
UVA entered the Week 9 matchup having allowed five sacks all season. UNC more than doubled that total, battering Morris, who also appeared to injure his shoulder while diving to limit Simpson's interception return.
Morris was clearly hurting down the stretch, but he rushed for a key first down on third-and-7 in overtime. That set the stage for a direct snap to running back J'Mari Taylor on second-and-goal. Taylor faked a pitch to Morris and found his way to the end zone for what ultimately became the game-winning touchdown.
UNC had its chances against UVA. The Tar Heels have been knocking on the door of their first ACC win the past two weeks.
They still haven't been let in, though. That's why they remain in the league's cellar seven games into Belichick's first season running the ship.
Source: "AOL Sports"
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