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BERKELEY, Calif. — North Carolina may have fumbled away its best chance at an ACC win in Bill Belichick’s first season. By less than a half-yard.
The Tar Heels, who had been blown out in their first three games against Power 4 foes, lost a 21-18 heartbreaker Friday at Cal (5-2, 2-1 ACC). They had marched down to the Bears’ 13-yard line, trailing by three, with less than four minutes remaining, when receiver Nathan Leacock caught a short pass from Gio Lopez and broke open toward the end zone. But Cal’s Brent Austin punched the ball out just as Leacock was about to cross the goal line and recovered it in the end zone for a touchback.
Cal took over with 3:48 left and did not punt the ball back until six seconds remained. A desperate series of UNC laterals failed.
“We’ve been improving every week,” Belichick said after the loss. “I’m not going to back off that, I think that’s true. You can’t turn the ball over and win, it’s just too hard.”
HE PUNCHED IT OUT 😤
Brent Austin forces the fumble and stops the score!
📺 ESPN x @CalFootball pic.twitter.com/HEBhw4KAzK
— ACC Football (@ACCFootball) October 18, 2025
UNC (2-4, 0-2) came agonizingly close to a win that could have helped calm the waters surrounding a program that has elicited numerous controversies throughout Belichick’s first year. Just a day before the game, UNC’s administration confirmed that general manager Michael Lombardi had traveled to Saudi Arabia in August on an “exploratory fundraising trip.”
“I’m focused on the game,” Belichick said Friday when asked about Saudi Arabia. “I’m not going to deal with any of this whatever else.”
Belichick’s team came in having beaten two non-power conference foes (Charlotte and Richmond) but having lost to Power 4 foes TCU, UCF and Clemson by a combined score of 120-33. In the days after that loss to Clemson, with rumors circulating, Belichick put out a brief statement on Oct. 9 that read, “I am fully committed to UNC Football and the program we’re building here.”
At his weekly news conference Monday, Belichick called rumors of him discussing a buyout with UNC officials, “categorically false.”
“On the bye week, it felt like everybody was gunning after us,” UNC’s Lopez said Friday. “You just heard bad thing after bad thing, but we got closer as a team. We just developed and kept our head down, and got some good practice in. … It wasn’t the outcome we wanted, but it was a step in the right direction.”
Lopez also said Belichick addressed some of the rumors with the team.
“Coach Belichick has been really good for us, keeping us not worried about what’s going on outside, any rumors going on,” Lopez said. “He doesn’t have to address them, but he addressed some for us, telling us, ‘Hey, were here. We’re good.’”
Belichick also said Monday that his team was “making a lot of progress, and the process will eventually produce the results we want.” UNC did show signs of growth Friday. Its previously woeful defense held Cal’s standout freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele to just 21-for-39 passing for 209 yards and a touchdown, while the Bears rushed for just 2.6 yards per carry.
Lopez (19-for-35, 174 yards) struggled for most of the first three quarters before coming to life on an 11-play, 84-yard touchdown drive and two-point conversion that cut Cal’s lead to 21-18 early in the fourth quarter. Lopez completed passes of 20 and 31 yards on that drive. Then, after the defense forced a quick Cal three-and-out, he led his team another 53 yards on 11 plays before the dagger fumble.
UNC running back Benjamin Hall (14 carries, 68 yards, 1 TD) was a bright spot as well.
Belichick’s team returns home next week for an Oct. 25 game against No. 18 Virginia.
