Midway through the third quarter in Charlottesville Saturday, Virginia scored its third touchdown of the game to take a 21-17 lead. The feisty Cavaliers officially had the No. 17 Tar Heels on upset alert, prompting memories of 1996 in the minds of more seasoned Carolina fans.
But on the UNC sideline, junior receiver Josh Downs exuded a quiet confidence.
Or maybe not so quiet, if you take head coach Mack Brown’s word for it.
“Josh came to me when it was 21-17 and he said, ‘We’re good, Coach. We got it. Don’t worry about it,’” Brown recalled. “And I wanted to say, ‘Well, pick it up. I hear you. I want to see it, brother.’ But that’s just the way these kids have [been].”
True to his word, Downs punctuated Carolina’s next drive with a leaping touchdown catch in the end zone. It gave UNC a lead the Tar Heels would not relinquish in the 31-28 win.
The grab was just one of 15 in a masterful performance for Downs, whose 166 receiving yards were his most since last year’s game against Virginia, when he amassed a career-high 203. His catch total did set a career mark, and Downs has now caught 35 passes for 394 yards and three touchdowns in his last three games.
Downs’ resurgence after missing two early games with a leg injury has helped strengthen the Heisman campaign of his quarterback. Ironically, Drake Maye’s incredible season has somewhat overshadowed Downs, but games like Saturday reminded everyone why the junior from Georgia has NFL scouts interested.
Maye gave a somewhat simplified explanation for the strength of his connection with Downs.
“He’s a phenomenal player,” said the Carolina quarterback. “He’s got a knack for getting open. And when he’s open, I’m gonna get him the rock. That’s one of our better playmakers… my job is to get him the ball.”
The 2021 Biletnikoff Award semifinalist seems on track to be a contender for that honor, given to the nation’s top pass-catcher, once again this season. And according to Downs, he’s even better than he was in his record-breaking sophomore year.
“It’s just all the years of work put in,” Downs said. “I’ve got to give credit to my dad. He told me from the jump I’ve got to be quicker, faster. Last year, I was more inexperienced. I feel like I’m a much better player this year, even though I’ve dealt with some injuries. I can feel the game better. I really don’t feel like anybody can guard me per se. Every week I’ve just got to put it in, [and] keep going.”
That statement from Downs may strike some as brash, but Brown said it’s just part of what makes him an outstanding player.
“He’s got a toughness and a chip on his shoulder,” he said about the receiver. “He can get a little loud sometimes with others and he’s getting better at that, but that’s what makes him good. He fights. He said, ‘I’ve been small my whole life, so I grew up fighting people and trying to prove who I was and how big I was and how good I was.’ That’s just who he is.”
And at 8-1 overall and a win away from a second ACC Coastal Division title, it’s safe to say the Tar Heels appreciate exactly who Josh Downs is.
Featured image via Inside Carolina/Jim Hawkins
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