The Tar Heels beat the Orange to a pulp.

No. 14 Carolina made its case to rise up even higher in the rankings on Saturday, controlling every facet of the game against Syracuse in a 40-7 win in Chapel Hill.

“We just played a very complete game all around,” said linebacker Cedric Gray, who ended his night with a team-high eight total tackles. “Offense and defense. Just proud of the way we played.”

The game would’ve been notable regardless of outcome for the highly-anticipated debut of UNC receiver Tez Walker, who was declared eligible by the NCAA on Thursday after a contentious and drawn-out fight. Walker didn’t start but still ended the day with six catches for 43 yards, one of 11 Tar Heel receivers to catch a pass from quarterback Drake Maye.

“Just blessed to be out there,” Walker said. “I’ve had my teammates in my corner since I’ve been here, and it was the same thing out on the field, helping me out and everything. Just blessed.”

Maye had quite the day himself, completing 33 of 47 passes for 442 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. It was Maye’s third career game with at least 400 passing yards, moving him into rare air in UNC history. Only T.J. Yates, Mitch Trubisky and Sam Howell have accomplished that feat at Carolina.

Maye spearheaded an offense which amassed 644 total yards (the 10th-highest total in school history) and reached the 40-point plateau for the third time in five games. Seventy-seven of those yards and six of those points came on an acrobatic touchdown reception from Kobe Paysour, who tipped a pass thrown behind him over the defender and to himself before sprinting the rest of the way into the end zone. It was UNC’s longest play from scrimmage on the day.

“He saved my butt there,” Maye said of Paysour’s play. “What a play. It should be on SportsCenter.”

Maye also threw touchdown passes to tight ends Bryson Nesbit and John Copenhaver to secure his 14th career game with multiple touchdowns. He added a touchdown run on a one-yard quarterback sneak for good measure.

Defensively, Carolina was able to contain the Orange’s mobile quarterback Garrett Shrader, limiting the Syracuse offense to just 221 total yards and just 22:44 with the ball. Shrader, who has a 195-yard, four-touchdown performance on the ground to his name this season, ended with 10 carries for 28 yards before being pulled from the game in the fourth quarter.

A first-half shutout saw the Orange make only four first downs and accrue only 70 total yards. By comparison, UNC totaled 23 first downs and 424 yards in the first 30 minutes. Maye threw for more completions (23) than the Orange had total plays (22). It was Carolina’s first shutout in the first half since 2021 against Duke.

“I don’t think I’ve seen a first half that dominant in a long time,” head coach Mack Brown said afterward.

In fact, outside of Syracuse’s 75-yard touchdown drive to open the second half, the Orange didn’t put together a drive longer than 30 yards. Syracuse punted on each of its first four possessions, then saw its four possessions (not counting the last to run out the clock) after the lone touchdown end in two punts and two interceptions.

“This is definitely the most complete game we’ve played as a defense,” Gray said. “Holding a team to seven points, I can’t remember the last time we did that.”

The last time was against Duke in 2021, before Gray ascended to the starting role. That game against the Blue Devils, a 38-7 Carolina victory, bear several similarities to Saturday’s win against the Orange. The Tar Heels pitched a shutout in the first half, gave up a touchdown on the opening drive of the second half and then promptly returned to form for the rest of the game.

At 5-0, UNC is off to its best start since the 1997 season. The Tar Heels’ next game has massive implications for the conference championship and beyond: a showdown with No. 17 Miami at Kenan Stadium. Carolina has won four in a row against the Hurricanes.

“Coach [Gene] Chizik said something funny,” Gray said. “He said, ‘Think about the last time you’ve been 5-0.’ And I couldn’t speak for other guys, but for me, it had to have been Little League. It was a long, long time. It feels really good to be 5-0.”

 

Featured image via Associated Press/Chris Seward

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