Bill Belichick was a fingertip from his first major victory in Chapel Hill. One desperate dive for the pylon separated triumph from heartbreak.
On a two-point try to win the game in overtime, UNC quarterback Gio Lopez hit Benjamin Hall in stride at the 5-yard line, but Hall’s attempt to churn his legs through a storm of Virginia helmets and into the end zone fell inches short, sealing a 17-16 win for No. 16 Virginia (7-1, 4-0 ACC) and sending UNC (2-5, 0-3) home with an agonizingly close defeat for the second week in a row.
🔥 OVERTIME, OUR TIME 🔥
📺 @accnetwork pic.twitter.com/txsxeAnSOI
— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) October 25, 2025
An official review upheld the call that Hall was just short. Last week, UNC lost by three at Cal after fumbling the football at the goal line in the final minutes. The Tar Heels fell to 0-5 against Power 4 opponents this season.
For Virginia, the win kept it in the thick of the ACC and College Football Playoff races. The Cavaliers are one of two undefeated teams in conference play, along with Georgia Tech.
Both defenses controlled the game, with neither team scoring in the second half after entering the break tied at 10. UNC had its chances, fumbling at the goal line in the first quarter, missing a field goal in the third and throwing an interception late in the fourth while trying to drive for a game-winning score.
But in the end, it was that final reach from Hall that sealed it. After Virginia’s J’Mari Taylor ran for a touchdown on the first possession of overtime, UNC responded with a Lopez touchdown pass to Davion Gause. The Tar Heels went for the win rather than play another overtime but came up just shy.
What the win means for Virginia
The No. 16 Cavaliers remain one of the top contenders for the ACC championship. The lone loss for Virginia was in Week 2 at North Carolina State, but that matchup was scheduled as a non-conference game, so it doesn’t count in the ACC standings.
SMU’s last-second 13-12 loss at Wake Forest leaves the ACC with Virginia and Georgia Tech at the top. The Yellow Jackets and Cavaliers will not meet in the regular season. SMU, Pitt, Duke and Louisville are among the next group of teams jumbled together.
Virginia has already secured a successful season. The last time the Cavaliers won at least seven games was in 2019, when they won the Coastal Division and played in the Orange Bowl. Virginia’s six-game winning streak is its longest since a seven-game stretch in 2007.
UNC’s offense falls short
In the last two weeks, North Carolina has become a team defined by almosts. The Tar Heels have started to learn how to stay in games, but still trip over the barricade of finishing a full 60 minutes.
UNC’s defense was ferocious Saturday. After linebacker Mikai Gbayor admitted earlier this week that North Carolina needed to generate more pressure on opposing quarterbacks, the Tar Heels responded with a season-high six sacks, and even held a Cavaliers offense that averaged 40 points per game to a season-low 17. Around midway through the third quarter, the Tar Heels delivered a goal-line stand that momentarily swung the tide.
The offense looked the part for a half, with Lopez throwing for 173 yards before halftime — more than in any full game this season — and UNC moved the ball with tempo. But in the final stretch, mistakes resurfaced as the Tar Heels came away empty.
Belichick’s defense did enough to win, but his offense struggled to find the closing plays to hand its coach his first ACC victory.
