Defense Dominates, 20-3, At Charlotte For Belichick's First Win

Saturday, September 6

Charlotte, N.C. (Jerry Richardson Stadium)

7 PM

North Carolina

1-1 , 0-0

Charlotte

0-2 , 0-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

North Carolina

Charlotte

Chris Culliver celebrates his first-quarter touchdown

Photo by: Andy Mead

Defense Dominates, 20-3, At Charlotte For Belichick's First Win

September 6, 2025 | Football

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By: Matt Bowers

CHARLOTTE— North Carolina limited Charlotte to 21 yards rushing and beat the 49ers, 20-3, on Saturday night at Jerry Richardson Stadium.

The victory was Bill Belichick's first as a college head coach and improved Carolina to 1-1 this season. Charlotte fell to 0-2 before the largest home crowd in its history.

UNC allowed its fewest points since blanking Idaho in 2012 and didn't permit a touchdown for the first time since 2020.

Four different Tar Heel players ran five or more times in a balanced offensive attack that posted 148 yards on the ground. Meanwhile, UNC's defense held the 49ers to 21 yards on 29 rushing attempts (a paltry 0.7 yards per carry) after allowing 258 yards and 7.4 yards per carry in its loss to TCU.

Gio Lopez started again under center for Carolina despite leaving the TCU game with a second-half injury. On Saturday night, he began with a bang, connecting with Chris Culliver for a 51-yard touchdown in the opening minute. Lopez posted an efficient, 17-for-25 passing game, throwing for 155 yards and a score while also rushing nine times for 44 yards.

Nine different Tar Heels caught passes from Lopez, including three each by Culliver, Caleb Hood and Javarius Green.

Former Tar Heel Conner Harrell, who transferred to Charlotte after the 2024 season, started at quarterback for the 49ers and completed 17 of 29 for 140 yards. Grayson Loftis relieved Harrell and connected on 8 of 12 for 110 yards with two interceptions.

Carolina took a quick, 7-0 lead in the first minute on a 51-yard touchdown catch by Culliver and led the entire game. The Tar Heel defense held the 49ers under 25 yards rushing in the opening two quarters but allowed Charlotte to mount long drives while controlling the clock late in the half.

The Tar Heels seized momentum when Charlotte missed a field goal after a six-minute drive late in the second quarter. Carolina took over with 2:51 to go and punched the ball downfield for the biggest score of the game. Davion Gause's 12-yard touchdown run with 13 seconds remaining in the second gave the Tar Heels a 17-3 lead at the break.

The UNC defense excelled in the final 30 minutes. The 49ers moved 55 yards on 10 plays before punting on the first possession of the second half, but Carolina held Charlotte to three consecutive punts and back-to-back interceptions on five second-half possessions.

Up Next
The Tar Heels will return home next weekend to host Richmond on Saturday Sept. 13 at 3:30 p.m. in Kenan Stadium.

How It Happened
First Quarter
• The game started 30 minutes late after a weather delay caused by rain and thunderstorms in the Charlotte area.
• The Tar Heels struck quickly on a 51-yard scoring pass from Lopez to Culliver, capping a three-play, 75-yard drive in under a minute after the opening kickoff for a 7-0 lead.
• After Charlotte punted on the subsequent drive, Carolina went 34 yards in seven plays and kicked a field goal to make the score 10-0.

Second Quarter
• To start the second period, the 49ers ground out an 11-play, 60-yard march down the field before settling for a 39-yard field goal to pull within a score at 10-3.
• Charlotte's defense stopped the Tar Heels before mounting another 11-play march on its next possession, but the drive sputtered with a missed field goal.
• Carolina took advantage of the special teams miscue, taking the ball 11 plays and 80 yards before Gause ran it in from 12 yards out with 13 seconds left before the break to take a two-touchdown lead into intermission.

Third Quarter
• Charlotte again moved the ball on the first drive of the second half, mounting its third consecutive drive of 10 or more plays. This one sputtered before the 49ers turned it over on downs at the UNC 20-yard line.

Fourth Quarter
• Reece Verhoff's 33-yard field goal for Carolina with 10:46 left in the game were the first points by either team in nearly 20 minutes of game time.
• Charlotte drove inside the UNC 10 yard-line before Greg Smith's interception ended the threat.

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