By R.L. Bynum
Gio Lopez could play on Saturday against Clemson, Coach Bill Belichick said at his weekly press conference on Tuesday.
Lopez has struggled to find a rhythm, completing 42 of 67 passes for three touchdowns and three interceptions and a 122.42 passer rating, with 45 net rushing yards. He injured his right leg in the 34–9 loss at UCF on Sept. 20.
“We’ll see what he’s able to do [at Tuesday’s practice],” said Belichick, adding that Lopez didn’t practice last week. “He didn’t do much last week, but working hard, getting treatment. We’ll see where he is today.”
Max Johnson hasn’t started since the 19–17 opening-game victory on Aug. 29, 2024, at Minnesota, when he went 12 of 19 for 71 yards and an interception with a touchdown run before suffering a horrific leg injury in the third quarter.
“I don’t know what we’re going to see from Gio. Max is getting reps,” Belichick said. “All three quarterbacks are. We’ll see how all of that plays out. We’ll see how Gio is available as we go through the week.”
Johnson has been the backup for the Tar Heels (2–2) through four games behind Gio Lopez.
“We have two experienced quarterbacks and two freshmen,” Belichick said, referring to freshmen Bryce Baker and Au’Tori Newkirk. “So, the two experienced quarterbacks are ahead of the freshmen at this point. Those freshmen are gaining ground, and they’re making improvement on a steady basis as well.”
Johnson has appeared in both of Carolina’s losses, also against TCU, after Lopez got hurt. In a small sample size, Johnson is 20 of 30 for 170 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions and a 136.27 passer rating.
“Gio was unable to practice last week, so we practiced with the guys that we have,” he said. “We’ll see how that goes [Tuesday], figure it out for this coming game.”
Johnson suffered a broken right femur in the Minnesota game and endured months of rehab before finally returning to full football activities last summer.
| Team | ACC | All |
|---|---|---|
| No. 16 Virginia | 7–1 | 10–2 |
| No. 12 Miami | 6–2 | 10–2 |
| No. 25 SMU | 6–2 | 8–4 |
| No. 24 Georgia Tech | 6–2 | 9–3 |
| Pittsburgh | 6–2 | 8–4 |
| Duke | 6–2 | 7–5 |
| Louisville | 4–4 | 8–4 |
| Wake Forest | 4–4 | 8–4 |
| California | 4–4 | 7–5 |
| Clemson | 4–4 | 7–5 |
| N.C. State | 4–4 | 7–5 |
| Stanford | 3–5 | 4–8 |
| Florida State | 2–6 | 5–7 |
| North Carolina | 2–6 | 4–8 |
| Virginia Tech | 2–6 | 3–9 |
| Syracuse | 1–7 | 3–9 |
| Boston College | 1–7 | 2–10 |
Friday’s result
No. 4 Georgia 16, No. 24 Georgia Tech 9
Saturday’s results
N.C. State 42, North Carolina 19
No. 12 Miami 38, Pittsburgh 7
Louisville 41, Kentucky 0
Clemson 28, South Carolina 14
Boston College 34, Syracuse 12
Duke 49, Wake Forest 32
Florida 40, Florida State 21
No. 16 Virginia 27, Virginia Tech 7
California 38, No. 25 SMU 35
No. 9 Notre Dame 49, Stanford 20
Saturday’s ACC championship game
No. 16 Virginia vs. Duke in Charlotte, 8 p.m., ABC
| Month/ date | Score/ time | Opponent | Record/ TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| September | |||
| 1 | L, 48–14 | vs. TCU | 0–1 |
| 6 | W, 20–3 | at Charlotte | 1–1 |
| 13 | W, 41–6 | vs. Richmond | 2–1 |
| 20 | L, 34–9 | at UCF | 2–2 |
| October | |||
| 4 | L, 38–10 | vs. Clemson | 2–3, 0–1 ACC |
| 17 (Fri.) | L, 21–18 | at California | 2–4, 0–2 |
| 25 | L, 17–16, OT | vs. No. 16 Virginia | 2–5, 0–3 |
| 31 (Fri.) | W, 27–10 | at Syracuse | 3–5, 1–3 |
| November | |||
| 8 | W, 20–15 | vs. Stanford | 4–5, 2–3 |
| 15 | L, 28–12 | at Wake Forest | 4–6, 2–4 |
| 22 | L, 32–25 | vs. Duke | 4–7, 2–5 |
| 29 | L, 42–19 | at N.C. State | 4–8, 2–6 |
Photo by Joshua Lawton
tarheeltribune.com 