By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina’s quarterback situation is unclear after Monday night’s loss to TCU left plenty of questions.
Redshirt sophomore Gio Lopez earned the starting job out of camp and flashed his mobility on the opening drive, but he had plenty of mistakes and came out after a big hit that led to a fumble. He hobbled off the field with a back injury.
When senior Max Johnson entered, the offense found a steadier footing, giving the staff plenty to think about as the Tar Heels turn toward Saturday’s trip to Charlotte (7 p.m., ESPN+) in a battle of 0–1 teams.
Coach Bill Belichick struck a measured tone when asked about Lopez and the team’s overall response to the setback. He didn’t say that Lopez would start, and he didn’t say he wouldn’t. Lopez is listed as the starter on UNC’s first public depth chart, which was released Thursday.
“I talked to Gio this morning,” Belichick said during his Wednesday press conference at the Kenan Football Center. “He’s doing pretty good.”
Lopez completed only 4 of 10 passes for 69 yards and one interception while taking two sacks.
“We all have plays we’d like to have back from the game — calls, passes, tackles, you name it,” Belichick said. “You can’t participate in a game like that and not feel like there are some things you could have done better.”
Belichick emphasized that practice reps this week will be critical in determining how the quarterback rotation shakes out.
“We’ll see how it goes,” he said. “We haven’t practiced yet this week, so we’ll see what things look like [Wednesday] when we get out there.”
Johnson’s performance against TCU highlighted his toughness and experience. He connected on 9 of 11 passes for 103 yards and a touchdown and wasn’t sacked.
Quarterbacks coach Matt Lombardi called it a proud moment for a player who has weathered his share of setbacks.
“Max is the ultimate competitor, extremely tough,” Lombardi said. “The work he’s put in to come back and play was a special story. Couldn’t be more proud of him. He’s earned the right to do that and to perform well. He’s just tough as nails, and it’s awesome to see at this level.”
Lopez, meanwhile, remains firmly in contention despite the rocky debut. Lombardi pushed back on the idea that the playbook needs to be rewritten to suit him after he didn’t get much of a chance to show off his running ability.
“I think we’re going to look at everything in terms of the offense,” he said. “It’s not necessarily about Gio’s skill set. He can do everything in our eyes. At the end of the day, we’re going to do what gives us the best chance to win.”
The competition between Lopez and Johnson was close throughout camp, but Lombardi didn’t want to get specific about it. The TCU game did little to settle the conversation. Belichick and Lombardi both framed the decision as part of an ongoing evaluation, one that continues into this week of practice.
Photo by Smith Hardy
tarheeltribune.com 