CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Relief. Satisfaction. Happiness.
Relief for No. 21 Carolina to win an opening game against a Power 5 school with so much riding on it after suffering four straight losses to end the 2022 season.
Satisfaction for living up to the hype that always seems attached to the program and doing so as advertised behind a star quarterback and much-improved defense.
Happiness that the 31-17 win over unranked South Carolina capped off a great weekend in prime time on national TV (sorry, Spectrum customers) and eases the pain of a week that began with a tragic shooting on UNC’s campus.
It took going to Charlotte to pull off the trifecta in a city that loves the Tar Heels, who turned back a determined opponent that brought more garnet and black than light blue onto the streets and into Bank of America Stadium. By the fourth quarter, like Poof the Magic Gamecock, they were all gone from their seats and back on the streets to drink it off.
Too bad much of Chapel Hill and the state could not watch the game in their homes due to the feud between Disney (owner of ABC and ESPN) and Spectrum (the cable giant and part of Charter nationwide). They missed Lee Corso on College Gameday putting on the big Rams head and predicting a victory.
CORSO IS PICKING THE TAR HEELS WITH HIS FIRST PICK OF THE SEASON‼️ pic.twitter.com/UfYAkXP9m1
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) September 2, 2023
This Tar Heel town got going for some at Middle C Jazz Club owned by UNC alum and music empresario Larry Farber, whose hot spot sold out for two shows Friday night featuring Brandon Stevens and The Soul of Marvin Gaye. Also there was Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, who went to Carolina with Michael Jordan. “Never thought he would get that good!” she said. “Back then, Dean Smith was the guy.”
As expected, Drake Maye was the guy the next night, completing his first 10 passes containing an eight-play, 75-yard drive for a 7-0 lead. In the second half, he hit underrated tight end John Copenhaver in the end zone (great catch in traffic) to give the Heels what was to be an insurmountable 31-14 advantage.
Despite tossing two interceptions on under-thrown balls in the second half, Maye finished with 269 yards and two TDs without getting sacked and ran for 25 more on six yards per carry. It augurs well for his place in the Heisman race. He hit nine different receivers, seven and a touchdown to Kobe Paysour, who beat the Gamecocks secondary and was wide open for a 34-yard scoring bomb.
North Carolina wide receiver Kobe Paysour (8) runs in for a touchdown as South Carolina defensive back Keenan Nelson Jr. (18) looks on during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Erik Verduzco)
Paysour now has 15 catches in Carolina’s last two games, including eight against Oregon in the Holiday Bowl last December. He was replacing Josh Downs in San Diego, and this time got more targets without transfers (suspended) Tez Walker and (injured) Nate McCollum, both listed as No. 1s on the pre-game depth chart. Walker, subject of national headlines with his NCAA ineligibility, could not dress out but cheered his teammates wildly from the sideline.
Sixth-year running back British Brooks (who Mack Brown pumped up all week) started and had 103 yards, combining with Maye to set up two 1-yard TD slams by sophomore Omarion Hampton. Brooks missed last season with an injury, served as a student coach and aspired to that profession until he received an NCAA waiver to play a sixth season. Yes, I know, what about Tez!
But while the real Carolina went scoreless in the fourth quarter, its rejuvenated defense held the other Carolina to just a late field goal. Linebacker Kaimon Rucker had six solo tackles and two sacks, and along with him senior Cedric Gray and FSU grad transfer Amari Gainer led the charge to suffocate South Carolina QB Spencer Rattler into nine sacks, more than half the Tar Heels’ 17 all of last season. The Heels had total 16 tackles for losses in the game compared to 1 for the Gamecocks.
The offensive line, packed with upper classmen, was expected to protect Maye better and kept him from losing any yardage. But Gene Chizik’s maligned defense from a year ago has new names to watch, playing without starter DeAndre Boykins, who it was announced before the game is out for the season. Besides Gainer, junior Alijah Huzzie, red-shirt freshmen Beau Atkinson and Tayon Holloway are among those to circle for Saturday’s home opener against App State at 5:15.
The Gamecocks were held to 4-for-14 on third down and 0-for-4 on fourth down, netting a minus-2 yards rushing and missing out on golden scoring opportunities to make the game closer. Another familiar name to note is grad placekicker Ryan Coe, who made all four PATs plus a 37-yard field goal and sailed most of his kickoffs deep into the end zone, making the tackle on one that was returned.
The one mistake for special teams was allowing South Carolina to recover an on-side kick to begin the second half. Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer had taken the ball with the opening kick, went three-and-out and was trying to get the possession back.
“We were telling them, ‘They’re gonna on-side kick!’” Brown said. “And we stood right there and watched them get it. But we got the ball right back.”
North Carolina head coach Mack Brown talks to his players in the first half of an NCAA college football game against South Carolina, Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Erik Verduzco)
The Tar Heels stopped the ‘Cocks on four-and-out and took over at their own 47, far better field position than they probably would have had with the kickoff.
Defensive captain Gray summed it up for his unit.
“SEC opponent and we held them to 17 points and only three points in the second half,” he said. “We had a lot of red zone stops, lot of third-down stops. We had nine sacks tonight, so I think that proves we can play defense.”
Maye was asked about Walker, the all-conference receiver from Kent State whom he played against in high school and may or may not get to throw to in what will likely be his last season at UNC before turning pro.
“We love Tez, he’s a great dude,” Maye said. “It’s a shame what they’ve done with him. You have guys out there transferring three or four times. Tez has done it the right way and doesn’t get rewarded.”
Brown ended on a high note. “A great crowd, a lot better than four years ago,” he said of the 68,723 in attendance and referring to the 2019 Duke Mayo Kickoff Classic (50,500) that Carolina won in his first game back and for freshman quarterback Sam Howell, who watched this one from the sideline and soon begins his second NFL season as starting quarterback for the Washington Commanders.
The coach who now has 100 wins at UNC in his two tenures concluded, “You’ve got Gameday here; I mean you can’t buy this stuff.”
It would have been even better if everyone could have seen it.
Featured photo via AP Photo/Erik Verduzco.
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