3 positive takeaways from the UNC football program's victory over Charlotte

The first win is in the books for the UNC football program!

While there's still plenty of room for improvement for this year's squad, there were some positive takeaways that you hope the program continues to build upon as the season progresses.

Here are three positive takeaways from the UNC football program's victory over Charlotte.

Gio Lopez played a lot better

Lopez will likely be the first to admit that he struggled against TCU in his Tar Heel debut.

While the competition on Saturday night wasn't as strong, Lopez did some really good things both through the air and on the ground.

On the first drive, North Carolina did a great job of scripting plays to get him in a groove right from the jump. After completing two short passes, Lopez aired it out, connecting with Chris Culliver for a 51-yard score.

Overall, Lopez completed 17 of 25 passes for 155 yards and the aforementioned touchdown pass. He also did work with his legs, rushing for 44 yards on 9 carries, helping the Tar Heels extend multiple offensive drives.

While some are still calling for Max Johnson to be the starter, Lopez showed flashes of why North Carolina was so adamant on bringing him to Chapel Hill via the transfer portal. The hope now is that the Tar Heels continue to play to his strengths, not limiting the offense by being conservative.

Let our guy air it out a bit!

Has a new RB1 emerged?

Demon June didn't have a carry against TCU. In fact, he only played on special teams in his college football debut.

That all changed on Saturday night, largely in part to what June was able to do with the football in his hands.

The true freshman led the Tar Heels with 52 yards rushing on 9 attempts. His first two carries went for 16 and 19 yards, respectively, as both instances June, a 5-foot-11, 215-pounder, burst through the hole, showcasing his above-average speed.

Of course, North Carolina is likely to go with a running back by committee approach. They have four to five running backs (including June) who they believe can make a signficant impact.

However, if June keeps running like he did against Charlotte, it might not be long before he grabs the workhorse running back spot for the UNC football program.

The defense bends but doesn't break

Yes, we're aware that the level of competition wasn't nearly as high as it was in the season opener, but you have to take the positives however you get them.

North Carolina's defense is still very much a work in progress, but give this group credit for finding ways to get the job done.

Thaddeus Dixon is an absolute stud at cornerback, as evident by his first two games as a member of the UNC football program. In this game, North Carolina had 11 different guys record three or more tackles, a sign that a handful of guys are active on the defensive side of the ball.

Heck, even Marcus Allen, who got absolutely bullied by TCU, had a bounce back performance, making some great plays when he was targeted.

Sure, you'd love to see this group get more pressure on the quarterback. One sack in two games simply isn't going to cut it. However, allowing just three points on a night where Charlotte had multiple chances to score is a major positive.

The hope is now this unit will continue to gel, developing into a formidable unit over the upcoming weeks of football.