UNC receiver Nathan Leacock fumbled a potential go-ahead touchdown catch on the goal line, and the Tar Heels saw their chance to earn a first ACC win in 2025 slip away late in the fourth quarter in a 21-18 loss at Cal Friday night.
The fumble came as Carolina was trying to complete a comeback from a 21-10 deficit at the beginning of the fourth quarter. The Tar Heels had played by far their most competitive game against Power Four competition to that point, despite a fumble on the offense’s first play from scrimmage. Cal quarterback Jaron-Keawa Sagapalutele ran in a short touchdown on the Bears’ ensuing drive to put UNC in an early 7-0 hole.
Carolina answered later in the quarter on a rushing touchdown from Michigan transfer Ben Hall, who finished the night as the team’s leading rusher with 68 yards. Cal would take the lead again before the end of the quarter, this time with Sagapolutele finding receiver Jacob De Jesus on a seven-yard strike. De Jesus ended the night as the leading receiver for either side with 13 catches for 105 yards.
UNC kicked a field goal to cut the Cal lead to 14-10 at halftime, but the Bears scored again on their opening drive of the second half to increase the lead to 21-10. The score would stay that way until the early fourth quarter, when Tar Heel running back Davion Gause capped off an 11-play, 84-yard drive with a four-yard touchdown run. Hall would add two points on a short pass from Lopez to bring UNC to within 21-18 with 12:14 remaining.
After forcing a Cal punt, Carolina got the ball back again with excellent field goal position, taking over at the UNC 47-yard line. The Tar Heel offense stayed humming, piecing together yet another strong drive that looked bound for the end zone. Gio Lopez, playing his best game as a Tar Heel, found a streaking Leacock over the middle inside the 10-yard line. Leacock broke away from a Cal defender and approached the goal line, but another Bear punched the ball free from Leacock’s hands just before he reached the end zone. A stumbling Leacock failed to regain possession in the end zone, and Cal pounced on the fumble.
By the time UNC got the ball back again, only six seconds remained on the clock and the Tar Heels were pinned at their own 19-yard line with no timeouts. The game was over, and a miserable 2025 season continued.
Lopez finished the night 19-35 for 167 yards while adding 11 yards on the ground. Kobe Paysour was the Tar Heels’ leading receiver with six catches for 101 yards – the first UNC receiver to hit the century mark this season.
The loss drops UNC to 2-4 overall and 0-2 in ACC play this season. The Tar Heels will be back in action when they host Virginia at Kenan Stadium Saturday, October 25 at 12 p.m.
Featured image via Associated Press/Chris Seward
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