Gio Lopez threw two second-half touchdown passes and North Carolina’s defense was in control for most of the game in a 20-15 victory against Stanford on Saturday in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Jordan Shipp made five catches for 83 yards and a touchdown, as the Tar Heels (4-5, 2-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) won back-to-back games. They picked up their first ACC home victory of the season.
Lopez was 18-for-25 for 203 yards for a North Carolina offense that was limited to 50 rushing yards.
Redshirt freshman Elijah Brown, making his first start, was 27-for-39 for 284 yards with a touchdown and an interception for Stanford (3-7, 2-5), which dropped its third game in a row. Brown was sacked nine times, while Micah Ford rushed for 68 yards on 17 carries.
Stanford’s second fourth-quarter touchdown came with 1:48 left on Brown’s 24-yard toss to CJ Williams. The Cardinal fumbled on a failed two-point conversion play.
Stanford regained possession at its own 20-yard line with 42 seconds remaining and out of timeouts following a North Carolina punt. However, a sack pretty much ended it.
Earlier, North Carolina drove 75 yards to begin the second half, using 12 plays to break a tie on Lopez’s 20-yard pass to Davion Gause. The Tar Heels didn’t have a possession longer than six plays in the first half.
Following Khmori House’s interception, Rece Verhoff booted a 48-yard field goal in the opening minute of the fourth quarter for a 13-3 lead.
Lopez then threw a 55-yard touchdown pass to Shipp, who had his career-long reception.
Stanford scored its first touchdown on the ensuing possession on Cole Tabb’s 1-yard run capping a 75-yard march. A two-point conversion pass failed.
While the score was tied 3-3 at the half, the Tar Heels already had collected six sacks, including three on the first three times Brown dropped back to pass.
North Carolina’s first-half sack total was double the number of the team’s three first downs on offense.
Emmet Kenney, who missed from 41 yards in the second quarter, was good from 38 yards away to end the first half as the Cardinal ran off the final 4:27 of the half with a 16-play drive.
North Carolina won despite a season-high 11 penalties.
