Lopez was taken off the field on a cart, his head buried in his hands as he sat in the front seat, clearly in distress.It was a tough outing for Gio Lopez in Orlando, Florida, which took a turn for the worse in the third quarter of UNC’s non-conference matchup against UCF.
After tossing two interceptions in the first half, Lopez was hoping to ignite his offense. On a crucial fourth-and-one play, he decided to keep the ball and managed to pick up the first down. Unfortunately, the play ended painfully when several UCF defenders appeared to fall on his leg.
Lopez immediately went down, staying on his hands and knees as medical staff quickly surrounded him. He was eventually assisted off the field, limping noticeably on his left leg.
Gio Lopez went down. He was on his hands and knees and surrounded by multiple trainers. He was helped off and seemed to be hobbling on his left leg.
Max Johnson taking over.
— Shelby Swanson (@shelbymswanson) September 20, 2025
Lopez was clearly in pain on the field and needed help to make it to the sidelines. He was noticeably limping and was replaced by Max Johnson, who stepped in to lead the offense.
For now, the extent of Lopez’s injury remains uncertain, and it’s unclear how North Carolina will choose to move forward. If he’s able to return, will Bill Belichick and the Tar Heels put him back in, or will they stick with Johnson in hopes of jumpstarting the offense?
Stay tuned with the Keeping It Heel team for ongoing updates on Gio Lopez’s injury status.
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