Instant Analysis: UNC Depends on Defense in Clumsy Defeat of Stanford

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — North Carolina managed to overcome its clumsiness on offense long enough to pick up its second victory in a row on Saturday.

The Tar Heels defeated Stanford 20-15 in an ACC football rock fight at Kenan Stadium, relying heavily on another stout defensive effort powered by what amounted to a season-best sack party.

Gio Lopez’s 20-yard touchdown toss to running back Davion Gause put UNC ahead to stay at 10-3 in the third quarter. Meanwhile, the Carolina defense feasted on new Stanford starting quarterback Elijah Brown and piled up a whopping eight sacks, a season high in that category, including three by Tyler Thompson and two apiece from Melkart Abou Jaoude and Andrew Simpson.

UNC (4-5 overall, 2-3 ACC) forced two turnovers and until midway through the fourth quarter, had allowed the visiting Cardinal only Emmet Kenney’s field goal at the first-half horn. Across the last three games, the Tar Heels’ defense has allowed 10 points in regulation to Virginia’s offense, three points to Syracuse’s offense and now nine points to Stanford’s offense.

Lopez hooked up with Jordan Shipp for a 55-yard touchdown catch and run early in the fourth quarter, as Carolina went ahead 20-3. Lopez stood in under pass-rushing pressure to complete that throw, and Shipp galloped away as Stanford defensive back Jay Green slipped. Shipp made a move that had Stanford’s Jordan Washington missing as he raced into the end zone.

A season-worst 11 penalties, seven of them against the offense, didn’t help UNC. Lopez supplied 175 of his 203 passing yards in the second half. By halftime, the Tar Heels were misfiring terribly, and had managed just 47 total yards on their 18 plays, for 2.6 yards per play in the first half. UNC finished with 253 total yards on the game.

Stanford (3-7, 2-5), under interim coach Frank Reich, remained winless away from home. The Cardinal dropped to 0-6 in road games this season.

Teams Trade Field Goals During Inept First Half

The score was tied 3-3 at halftime, after Stanford kicker Emmet Kenney hit from 38 yards as the final seconds of the first half expired. This had become a game mired in the muck of offensive ineptitude by that juncture — a contest of who wanted it less, essentially — though UNC defense piled up six sacks during the opening half, including two apiece by ACC sack leader Melkart Abou Jaoude and Tyler Thompson.

It felt like a new low for a Carolina offense that has struggled through some ugly performances this season. The Tar Heels managed just 47 total yards on their 18 plays the first half, for 2.6 yards per play. UNC had twice as many sacks (six) as first downs (three) in the first half. And a roughing the passer penalty against Stanford on UNC’s first play of the game aided that meager first down total.

On third-and-12 earlier in the second quarter, Carolina had the lefty Gio Lopez rolling out to the right for whatever reason, and Stanford linebacker Matt Rose drilled him, causing a fumble. The ball was plenty exposed as Lopez tried to throw under pressure. The Cardinal recovered at the Tar Heels’ 26-yard line there, but couldn’t capitalize. Kenney missed wide right from 41 yards, as UNC continued to lead 3-0.

Carolina Cranks Up Sack Party Early On

UNC’s defense sacked Stanford quarterback Elijah Brown on his first three drop-backs to pass here on Saturday. The last of those arrived when linebacker Andrew Simpson nailed Brown with a strip sack, and Carolina defensive lineman Smith Vilbert came up with the recovery.

That turnover put the Tar Heels in excellent position, knocking on the door at the Stanford 7-yard line for their second possession of the game. But UNC didn’t do much of anything with the prime opportunity.

Gio Lopez was dropped for a 2-yard loss on first-and-goal, then he overshot tight end Jake Johnson in the back of the end zone on second-and-goal. After another incompletion, UNC had to settle for Rece Verhoff’s field goal from chip-shot distance there, and went ahead 3-0.

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