The red-shirt sophomore South Alabama transfer, Gio Lopez , has fallen under pressure, both on and off the field. Injury? Lopez faced it. Red-zone turnovers? Lopez has been held accountable for the loss of Bill Belichick’s program in close games. However, he had his comeback, too. Against Virginia, Lopez looked more comfortable and confident. However, confidence had taken a back seat when Belichick and co. stepped into the gridiron for the Syracuse game. And not just him; tension prevailed throughout the North Carolina locker room.

Lopez and co. had to wait till the second half to lift North Carolina past Syracuse. “The guys just kept grinding,” Belichick told ESPN reporter Paul Carcatera after the game. “Once we got to the fourth quarter, we were able to run the ball and grind i

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