Max Johnson authored the feel-good story of Bill Belichick’s awful UNC debut

There was at least one salvageable moment from the Tar Heels’ lopsided loss to the TCU Horned Frogs in the first game of the Bill Belichick era.

North Carolina scored two touchdowns in the 48-14 defeat in Chapel Hill, but the Tar Heels’ second trip to the end zone came with a bit of a feel-good story, despite the score. 

Quarterback Max Johnson had come into the game after starter Gio Lopez was injured in the third quarter.

Johnson proceeded to lead North Carolina down the field in a 10-play, 80-yard touchdown drive that was completed with a 2-yard throw into the end zone to receiver Jake Johnson, his younger brother. 

They are the sons of Super Bowl-winning quarterback Brad Johnson.

While play normally would have been just a blip on the radar in a blowout loss, but it held some extra meaning for Max Johnson, who suffered a catastrophic leg injury during last season’s opener and worked his way back to being healthy for this season. 

The injury had been so bad that there was a time he thought he might actually lose his leg and he had to undergo five surgeries after the injury. 

Speaking with reporters last month before the season, Max Johnson expressed gratitude just to be back out on the field again. 

“I was just so joyful to be out [at practice on Aug. 2],” Johnson said. “I couldn’t stop smiling. It wasn’t like there was such a mental block [with rehab], just the daily grind of kind of being in the training room and continuing to work on scar tissue massages, the STEM machines, the running on the water treadmill, it was just the daily grind that kind of helped me get over the mental block as you would say.

“I didn’t really have just like ‘Oh I’m never going to be able to do this again’ even though it took me a while to start walking. I remember taking my first steps and just being so happy in that moment. And man, I was just so happy to be out there today with my teammates again. I kind of felt like myself again.”

Lopez, a South Alabama transfer, had started Monday’s game.

He completed 9-of-11 passes for 103 yards and an interception.

Lopez, who also fumbled a ball that was returned for a touchdown, at one point went over an hour or real time without a completion in the game before exiting in the third after taking a big hit on the fumble.

Belichick praises Johnson after the game but did not want to speculation on who will be starting at QB against Charlotte on Saturday