As one Fred Rogers once said, “Look for the helpers.”
That’s what the UNC football team did – indeed, what it had to do – after seeing a chance to win Saturday night’s game with App State slip through its fingers.
Kicker Ryan Coe had just sent his game-winning 39-yard field goal attempt well wide of the mark, and the Tar Heels were dumbstruck. The Mountaineers were rowdy, filled with the instant injection of new life only college football can give. The game could’ve easily slipped away from Carolina at this moment.
But it didn’t, thanks to the contributions of some vital on-field leaders.
“When you see guys like [linebacker] Ced Gray, he’s just phenomenal in his leadership and pulling guys up, picking guys up,” said head coach Mack Brown after the game. [Edge rusher] Kaimon Rucker, those two guys are so emotional on the sideline. They’re not gonna let people get down.
“Offensively, Drake [Maye]. He just glows with confidence, and always knows we’re gonna win the game. And [offensive lineman] Corey Gaynor is that way. Corey Gaynor picks up that offensive line. Those guys were the best leaders on the field.”
Maye and Gaynor’s glowing confidence rubbed off on the rest of the offense, which had no trouble scoring on both of its possessions in overtime. Maye even added a little flair after scoring his first rushing touchdown of the season, and said afterward that rare show of emotion was rooted in past shortcomings.
“Last year in overtime against [NC] State left a bad taste in our mouth,” said Maye. “Overtime should be something we pride ourselves in. Just having fun, making plays. I did a little finger-roll, so it is what it is. Glad I didn’t get a penalty.”
North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye (10) flips the ball into the air after scoring a rushing touchdown as teammate wide receiver Gavin Blackwell (2)during the second overtime of an NCAA college football game against the Appalachian State, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, in Chapel Hill, N.C. (AP Photo/Reinhold Matay)
Maye’s touchdown set the stage for the defense to win the game. Though Gray and Rucker weren’t nearly as productive against the Mountaineers as they were the previous weekend against South Carolina, it was critical pressure from Rucker which forced App quarterback Joey Aguilar’s fourth-down throw to float just out of the reach of his intended target.
The senior Gray – who had just completed likely his final home opener as a Tar Heel – refused to take credit for firing the defense up before the overtime, but instead noted the group’s constant readiness as a reason for the game-winning stop.
“You never stay high or never stay too low until the clock hits zero,” he said. “I think that’s the biggest thing for me. As a defense, we knew it was a possibility that [Coe] could’ve missed that field goal. Unfortunately, that ended up happening, and the last thing you want to do is be complaining and worrying about it. You have to go play in overtime, and if you want to win, you’ve gotta forget that.”
Taken purely by comparison with last season’s game against App, Saturday was a major step forward for Gray and the defense. Allowing 34 points in a double overtime game after allowing 40 in the fourth quarter alone last September will do that. After that game, Brown noted players on the defense snapping at each other on the sideline after particularly frustrating sequences. The Hall of Famer didn’t mention any such incidents on Saturday.
“We would’ve lost this game at times,” Brown said. “Probably even last year. But the guys never got their head[s] down. They kept fighting. There’s a lot of great things that come out of this game. Your goal is to be 2-0, and we’re 2-0. And very few people in the country are.”
Carolina fans can only hope the path to 3-0 next weekend at home against Minnesota doesn’t include the wild emotional swings of last weekend. But if it does, the Tar Heels can do what they did then: look for the helpers.
Featured image via Associated Press/Reinhold Matay
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