Demon June dominance, key observations UNC football win vs Syracuse
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
UNC football gave coach Bill Belichick a treat on Halloween night in the form of the Tar Heels’ first ACC win of the 2025 season.
Surging with a dominant second-half showing, UNC rolled to a 27-10 win at Syracuse inside the JMA Wireless Dome to snap a four-game losing streak in the team’s final road trip outside the state of North Carolina.
The Tar Heels (3-5, 1-3 ACC) overcame a halftime deficit and outscored the Orange (3-6, 1-5) with a 21-0 advantage in the second half, scoring on their first three drives after halftime before running the final 8:21 off the clock to kneel it out.
Entering the game with an 0-5 record against Power 4 opponents, UNC put together its best performance of the season to secure its first P4 victory, leaning on a balanced offense and continued defensive dominance to overwhelm the Orange.
Here’s a breakdown of the Tar Heels’ five standouts in their first ACC win with Belichick.
Running back Demon June breaks game open for UNC football
UNC running back Demon June (which is pronounced Du-MAHN) was da-man against Syracuse. The freshman from Jacksonville made a splash with a big game vs. FCS opponent Richmond, but hadn’t quite gotten going since that breakout performance. June changed that against the Orange, racking up 80 yards in the first half before producing two TDs in the third quarter, including a 72-yard catch-and-run TD on a screen pass to flip the momentum. He finished with 182 total yards, including 101 rushing yards.
QB Gio Lopez didn’t have a turnover, threw multiple TDs
For the first time this season against a Power 4 opponent, quarterback Gio Lopez didn’t have a turnover. Lopez completed 15 of 19 passes for 216 yards and two touchdowns at Syracuse, also adding 33 rushing yards to extend several drives. UNC’s signal-caller contributed to four explosive plays, including a 15-yard run on the first play of the game. He had a 44-yard pass to Kobe Paysour before the 72-yard TD to June and a 21-yard scoring strike to Jordan Shipp to cap the scoring. Lopez had full command of the offense, leading the team to three straight scoring drives to start the second half before burning the final 8:21 to get to the victory formation.
Melkart Abou-Jaoude continues to rack up sacks for Tar Heels
The Tar Heels had eight sacks across their first six games, but they’ve racked up nine sacks in the last two weeks. Defensive end Melkart Abou-Jaoude has played a big part in that shift, logging five of those sacks. Abou-Jaoude had three sacks against Virginia before adding two more vs. Syracuse. The junior defensive lineman finished with a team-best six tackles, including 2 ½ for loss.
Jordan Shipp steady as UNC’s top wide receiver
Arguably UNC’s best postgame interview, wide receiver Jordan Shipp displayed tremendous leadership as the Tar Heels endured a four-game losing streak. Following the overtime loss to No. 16 Virginia, Shipp said he wanted to get right back on the field as soon as possible. He made his presence known against the Orange, serving as Lopez’s top target with six catches for 64 yards and a touchdown. The sophomore has caught 13 passes, averaging 10.1 yards per catch in the last two games.
Kaleb Cost patrols defensive backfield with breakups
With UNC’s defensive linemen pushing Syracuse’s offensive line throughout the game in an attempt to rattle a pair of freshmen quarterbacks, it left the Tar Heels’ defensive backs in a lot of man-to-man situations. Syracuse completed just four passes for 39 yards and UNC had three pass breakups, including two from junior defensive back Kaleb Cost, who was second on the team with five tackles. Cost has become one of UNC’s most consistent defenders.
Rodd Baxley covers North Carolina Tar Heels athletics for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding UNC? Send them to rbaxley@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: UNC football vs Syracuse final score, key observations
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos