Tag: North Carolina Tar Heels

Jul 27, 2023; Charlotte, NC, USA; UNC head coach Mack Brown answers questions from the media during the ACC 2023 Kickoff at The Westin Charlotte. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

North Carolina WR Tez Walker denied appeal, ineligible for 2023

Posted on | by Field Level Media

North Carolina wide receiver Tez Walker’s most recent appeal to the NCAA to regain his eligibility has been denied.

The NCAA announced the decision on Thursday, much to the chagrin of Tar Heels coach Mack Brown. Walker and North Carolina appealed the NCAA’s initial decision to reject his waiver to play, and North Carolina Central and Kent State — his previous two schools — both filed waivers in support of him competing this season.

“We’re absolutely crushed to learn that Tez Walker’s eligibility has been denied for this season and he won’t be able to play,” Brown said in a statement. “I don’t know that I’ve ever been more disappointed in a person, a group of people, or an institution than I am with the NCAA right now. It’s clear that the NCAA is about process and it couldn’t care less about the young people it’s supposed to be supporting.

“Plain and simple, the NCAA has failed Tez and his family and I’ve lost all faith in its ability to lead and govern our sport. They’ve messed so many things up as it relates to college football, and now their failures have negatively impacted the life of one of our own. Just imagine what it is like for Tez to be so excited to come home and have a chance to fulfill his childhood dream of playing for North Carolina in front of all of his family and friends, only to have it taken away despite doing nothing wrong. I can’t begin to understand how this has happened.”

Walker began his career at North Carolina Central but transferred to Kent State after the Eagles’ 2020 season was canceled during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Charlotte native then transferred to North Carolina after last season to be closer to his ailing grandmother.

Walker enrolled at North Carolina on Jan. 9. Two days later, the NCAA announced it would be cracking down on permitting waivers for two-time transfers.

“We are deeply disappointed that the NCAA has ruled against Tez Walker’s eligibility when we believe the facts of his situation should obviously permit him to play this season,” North Carolina chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz said in a statement. “There is a time when organizations need to be flexible enough to do the right thing in unique circumstances to be serve the personal welfare of those they serve.”

Walker played the past two seasons at Kent State, catching 58 passes for 921 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2022 while earning All-MAC honors.

–Field Level Media

Dec 28, 2022; San Diego, CA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels wide receiver Andre Greene Jr. (1) catches a touchdown pass while defended by Oregon Ducks defensive back Dontae Manning (8) during the first quarter of the 2022 Holiday Bowl at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Holiday Bowl: No. 15 Oregon beats UNC on Bo Nix’s last-minute TD

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Bo Nix tossed a 6-yard scoring pass to Chase Cota with 19 seconds left and Camden Lewis’ point-attempt went through despite hitting the upright as No. 15 Oregon rallied for a 28-27 victory over North Carolina in the Holiday Bowl on Wednesday night in San Diego.

Bucky Irving rushed for 149 yards and two touchdowns for the Ducks (10-3). Nix was 23-of-30 passing for 205 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Receiver Troy Franklin caught the other scoring pass for Oregon.

Drake Maye completed 18 of 35 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns, while Power Echols had an interception for North Carolina (9-5). Kobe Paysour had seven catches for 98 yards and a touchdown and Andre Greene Jr. and Bryson Nesbit also had scoring grabs for the Tar Heels.

The Ducks trailed by 10 in the fourth quarter before staging the comeback in the final seven minutes in the first football game played at Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres.

First, Nix connected with Franklin on a 6-yard scoring pass to bring the Ducks within 24-21 with 6:58 left.

Noah Burnette booted a 44-yard field goal to give the Tar Heels a six-point lead with 2:29 remaining.

Nix then guided Oregon on an eight-play, 79-yard drive and hit Cota on fourth down for the score. The point-after attempt by Lewis hit the left upright and went through the goal posts for the one-point lead.

North Carolina had one last possession and made it into Ducks territory. But Maye’s Hail Mary pass from the Oregon 41-yard line fell incomplete in the end zone as time expired.

Maye threw three touchdown passes in the first half to lead the Tar Heels to a 21-14 halftime lead.

Oregon struck first on Irving’s 2-yard scoring run less than four minutes into the contest. The Tar Heels knotted the score when Maye connected with Greene on a 6-yard touchdown pass with 4:37 remaining in the quarter.

Irving broke loose on a 66-yard scamper to give the Ducks a 14-7 advantage with 9:13 left in the half. North Carolina tied the score on Maye’s 14-yard pass to Nesbit with 4:34 remaining.

Echols made a key interception with 35 seconds left in the half on a play in which Nix’s pass intended for Terrance Ferguson hit the back of the leg of North Carolina’s Cedric Gray and the toe of Echols before the latter collected it and returned it 40 yards to the Oregon 49. Maye connected with Paysour on the next play for a touchdown and the seven-point lead.

The second half was scoreless until Burnette kicked a 19-yard field goal with 9:13 remaining to give the Tar Heels a 24-14 lead.

–Field Level Media

Nov 26, 2022; Clemson, SC, USA; Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei (5) passes against South Carolina during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports

No. 9 Clemson, No. 23 UNC stumble into ACC title game

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Momentum is getting a week off as both No. 9 Clemson and No. 23 North Carolina will meet in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game Saturday night at Charlotte, N.C., coming off losses.

Clemson (10-2, 8-0 ACC) dropped a 31-30 decision to in-state rival South Carolina last week, falling to the Gamecocks for the first time since 2013. It was the first time a South Carolina coach not named Steve Spurrier had beaten Clemson since 2001.

North Carolina (9-3, 6-2) saw its longshot hopes of making the College Football Playoff vanish in recent weeks as it lost back-to-back home games to Georgia Tech and NC State. The Tar Heels’ 30-27 loss to the Wolfpack on Saturday came in double overtime.

“I’m not going to sit around and feel bad. I’m not going to feel embarrassed for nine wins,” North Carolina coach Mack Brown said. “I’ll give two teams credit that beat us at home at the end, which I’m disappointed in. But when your team plays as hard as they can play, that’s all you can ask them to do.”

Clemson is out of the CFP with its two losses, but don’t tell that to Tigers coach Dabo Swinney.

“The reality is we’re a 10-2 football team playing for our league title and one of the most consistent teams in the country,” Swinney said on his radio show. “Nobody’s got their head in the sand. We’ve got to get better in a lot of areas, but we know that.”

While it is expected to be the second straight season that the ACC is excluded from the CFP, Saturday’s championship game still has significance. Each team still has bowl committees to impress in the last ACC title game that will pit winners of its Coastal and Atlantic divisions.

Like several other conferences, the ACC is ditching its divisions for the foreseeable future.

Clemson won the Atlantic and is playing in the ACC title game for the ninth time under Swinney. North Carolina is playing in the conference championship game for just the second time ever.

The Tar Heels last went to Charlotte as Coastal Division champs in 2015 under the direction of former coach Larry Fedora, where they lost to Clemson 45-37. That was the start of six straight conference championship wins for the Tigers.

“Clemson has all of this down,” Brown said. “We don’t.”

North Carolina is led by its high-powered offense. The orchestrator of that attack is quarterback Drake Maye, who is a longshot Heisman Trophy contender. Maye leads all of FBS in total offense (4,476 yards) and is fourth in yards passing (3,847) and tied for fourth in passing touchdowns (35).

Maye’s passing efficiency rating of 165.15 is 10th-best in the country. Maye has also rushed for a team-best 629 yards and six touchdowns on 161 carries.

“He’s a very good player. That’s why we recruited him. He’s a winner,” Swinney said of Maye. “He’s very accurate. He puts the ball where the guys have a chance to make a play, and just really impressive.”

Clemson’s quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei has started all 12 games this season but has been replaced a handful of times mid-game by freshman Cade Klubnik. Uiagalelei has completed 62.2 percent of his passes this season for 2,511 yards and 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

The numbers are an improvement from last season, when Uiagalelei threw just nine touchdown passes to 10 interceptions.

UNC is monitoring defensive backs with injuries this week: Storm Duck (upper body), Tony Grimes (lower body) and Cam’Ron Kelly (lower body).

–Field Level Media

Nov 5, 2022; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Drake Maye (10) looks to pass against the Virginia Cavaliers during the first half at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports

Drake Maye leads way as No.17 UNC beats Virginia

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Drake Maye threw for two touchdowns and ran for another to propel No. 17 North Carolina to a 31-28 victory against host Virginia on Saturday afternoon at Charlottesville, Va.

The Tar Heels (8-1, 5-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) came a step closer to wrapping up the ACC’s Coastal Division title for just the second time.

Maye was 26-for-37 for 293 yards in the air to go with 71 rushing yards on 18 carries. He connected with Josh Downs 14 times for 162 yards.

Teammate Elijah Green had 91 yards on 22 carries.

Brennan Armstrong was just 17-for-35 for 232 yards with an interception for Virginia (3-6, 1-5). His 8-yard run with 3:24 to play allowed the Cavaliers to close within three points, but Virginia never had another possession.

Virginia’s Mike Hollins rushed for 75 yards on 16 carries and Armstrong had 64 yards on the ground.

There was a back-and-forth nature to the scoring until late in the third quarter.

Armstrong ran 4 yards for the game’s first points, giving the Cavaliers their first touchdown in the last seven quarters they had played. The Tar Heels countered with Noah Burnette’s 35-yard field goal.

North Carolina took its first lead on Maye’s 5-yard run with 6:47 to play in the second quarter.

Virginia went back up ahead by using a 13-play drive to go 75 yards and score on Xavier Brown’s 3-yard run.

The Tar Heels went 75 yards in eight plays after receiving the second-half kickoff, scoring on Green’s 4-yard run.

It barely took more than four minutes for Virginia to be in front again on Ronnie Walker Jr.’s 1-yard run. About 4 1/2 minutes later, Maye connected with Downs for a 19-yard touchdown play.

The trend ended when North Carolina forced a Virginia punt and then drove 80 yards in 11 plays. Maye’s pass to Green resulted in a 22-yard touchdown for a 31-21 lead.

North Carolina was without a first-quarter touchdown for the first time this year.

–Field Level Media

Oct 15, 2022; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils running back Jaquez Moore (20) runs with the football during the first half at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-USA TODAY Sports

North Carolina prevails in dogfight with Duke

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Drake Maye threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Antoine Green on third down with 16 seconds left as North Carolina pulled out a wild 38-35 victory against host Duke on Saturday night in Durham, N.C.

The winning play came at the end of a nine-play, 74-yard drive that included a fourth-and-5 conversion. Green barely had a foot inbounds in the end zone on the last play of the march.

Maye threw for three touchdowns and 380 yards on 28-for-38 passing. Elijah Green scored two third-quarter touchdowns as North Carolina (6-1, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) recovered from a double-digit hole.

However, Duke erased a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit in an attempt to reclaim the Victory Bell. Instead, North Carolina has won four straight in the series.

Duke quarterback Riley Leonard ran for a touchdown and threw for a touchdown, but he had a last-chance pass intercepted by Will Hardy. He gained 106 of his 130 rushing yards in the first half and threw for 245 yards.

The Blue Devils (4-3, 1-2) went ahead when Jordan Waters ran 38 yards for a touchdown with 10:12 remaining.

Duke had a chance to extend its lead, but a touchdown was wiped off because of a penalty and then Charlie Ham missed on a 43-yard field goal attempt. That gave the Tar Heels the ball with 2:09 left to begin their winning drive.

It was an eventful second half.

North Carolina went 86 yards on its first second-half possession, with Elijah Green’s 1-yard run putting it back ahead. He later scored on a 20-yard run to push the Tar Heels up 31-21. A chance to pad the lead later in the third quarter went for naught with a missed field goal.

In the first minute of the fourth quarter, Leonard’s 20-yard hookup with Sahmir Hagans tightened the margin.

North Carolina held a 10-7 lead through the first quarter thanks to Noah Burnette’s 45-yard field goal and Maye’s 10-yard pass to Kamari Morales sandwiched around a 2-yard touchdown run for Duke’s Waters.

The Blue Devils moved ahead on Leonard’s 74-yard touchdown run.

Duke went up 21-10 after Jaquez Moore’s 2-yard run with 1:38 to play in the first half. It had been 10 years since Duke held a first-half double-figure lead on North Carolina. The Blue Devils might have had more in the first half if not for North Carolina’s goal-line stand early in the second quarter.

North Carolina answered by going 75 yards in nine plays, with Maye’s 4-yard pass to Caleb Hood closing the first-half scoring with 13 seconds left.

Waters finished with 91 rushing yards on 15 carries.

–Field Level Media

Oct 8, 2022; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels defensive back Tony Grimes (1) tackles Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Frank Ladson Jr. (8) during the first half at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports

North Carolina holds on to edge Miami, 27-24

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Drake Maye passed for 309 yards and two touchdowns, leading the North Carolina to a 27-24 win over host Miami in an ACC duel on Saturday afternoon.

Maye, intercepted twice, completed 19 of 28 passes to lead UNC (5-1, 2-0 ACC). The Heels have won four straight games against the Canes.

Miami (2-3, 0-1), which has lost three straight games, was led by Tyler Van Dyke, who completed 42 of 57 passes for 497 yards and three touchdowns. He was not intercepted until Miami’s final offensive snap.

The Canes also got eight catches and 119 yards from tight end Will Mallory.

UNC raced to a 21-7 lead with 1:31 left in the second quarter. The Heels’ first two touchdowns came on drives of 95 and 99 yards, respectively.

It started with a 74-yard pass from Maye to J.J. Jones, who got behind a busted coverage on a third-and-3 play.

Maye then threw deep down the middle of the field for a 52-yard completion to Antoine Green to the Miami 2-yard line. From there, Omarion Hampton broke through for a stellar TD run and a 14-0 lead.

Miami got on the board on Van Dyke’s bullet throw to Key’Shawn Smith, who scored on a 20-yard slant with 5:50 left in the second quarter.

UNC answered with Maye’s 15-yard flip to Josh Downs for a 21-7 advantage.

Miami then drove 72 yards on nine plays in just 63 seconds. All the positive plays on the drive were passes, including Van Dyke’s 7-yard TD throw to Henry Parrish Jr.

After Keontra Smith intercepted Maye, Miami drove 29 yards in 21 seconds. On the final play of the second quarter, Andres Borregales booted a 38-yard field goal to cut UNC’s lead to 21-17.

The second half started with Miami safety Kamren Kinchens’ interception, UNC stopping the Canes on fourth-and-3 near midfield and the Heels taking a 24-17 lead on Noah Burnette’s 38-yard field goal.

Miami was in position to tie the score with 12:31 left in the fourth quarter, but Jaylan Knighton fumbled on a third-down run. Cedric Gray forced the fumble, recovered by Gio Biggers at the UNC 17.

UNC drove and turned that into a 19-yard Burnette field goal and a 27-17 lead.

Miami cut its deficit to 27-24 on Van Dyke’s 16-yard TD pass to Colbie Young.

The Canes seemed to recover the ensuing on-sides kick, but Miami’s Al Blades Jr. was ruled out of bounds as he batted the ball.

–Field Level Media

Oct 1, 2022; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Drake Maye (10) with offensive lineman Asim Richards (72) in the third quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Miami quarterbacks in question against UNC, star Drake Maye

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The quarterback matchup will be Drake Maye versus Tyler Van Dyke, and maybe Jake Garcia.

Maye, who leads the ACC in passing touchdowns (19), passing yards per game (318.8) and passing efficiency (187.6) will take his show on the road on Saturday afternoon, when his North Carolina Tar Heels (4-1, 1-0 ACC) visit the Miami Hurricanes.

Miami (2-2, 0-0 ACC) will start Van Dyke at quarterback. But Van Dyke, who in the preseason was projected as a first-round pick for the 2023 NFL draft, was benched in the third quarter of Miami’s most recent game, a 45-31 upset home loss to Middle Tennessee State.

Garcia briefly lit a fire in Miami’s offense against MTSU, and Canes coach Mario Cristobal made it clear he won’t hesitate to call on his backup QB again.

“Jake gives us a world of confidence,” Cristobal said of Garcia. “We feel we have two great quarterbacks.”

Van Dyke has a 123.0 efficiency rate and 59.3 completion percentage in 118 passes this year. Garcia has a 149.5 efficiency rate and 67.9 completion percentage on 28 passes.

But despite the inferior numbers, Van Dyke has responded well in practices, according to Cristobal.

Van Dyke will need to be equally as good Saturday, because UNC has won three straight games against Miami, its longest streak in series history. The Tar Heels lead the series, 12-11, even though Miami has had the better program for the past 40 years.

Maye, if he stays hot, could make it four in a row for the Heels. He is the reigning ACC Quarterback and Freshman of the Week after passing for a career-high 363 yards in a 41-10 win over Virginia Tech. He completed 26-of-36 passes for three touchdowns and ran for a team-high 73 yards and two scores in a dominating performance.

“Drake continues to do some amazing things,” UNC coach Mack Brown said. “Standing in the pocket or moving around to find an open receiver — he’s a special player.”

UNC has gotten excellent production from its top three tight ends as Bryson Nesbit, Kamari Morales and John Copenhaver have combined this season for 33 catches and five touchdowns.

Brown was also impressed with his defense, which held Virginia Tech to just 273 yards, forcing two turnovers. That’s a huge difference from the UNC defense that allowed 61 points to Appalachian State earlier this year.

“That’s what I’ve been seeing in practice,” Brown said of his defense’s improvement.

–Field Level Media

Sep 22, 2022; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies head coach Brent Pry checks his charts during the second half against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Virginia Tech offense hopes to get well vs. struggling UNC defense

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Virginia Tech’s offensive struggles are well-documented. North Carolina’s defensive woes are readily apparent.

One of these groups is bound to be feeling a bit better by the time the two sides wrap up their Atlantic Coast Conference game Saturday in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Virginia Tech (2-2, 1-0 ACC) has averaged just 20.3 points per game compared to North Carolina’s 46.5. The top rusher for the Hokies is Keshawn King with 179 yards on 29 carries.

But North Carolina (3-1, 0-0) has given up 39.5 points per game. Even in victories over Florida A&M (56-24), Appalachian State (63-61) and Georgia State (35-28), the Tar Heels have had to put up a lot of points to win.

“Defensively, we’re very disappointed,” Tar Heels coach Mack Brown said. “We have very good players and coaches.”

North Carolina was shredded by Notre Dame in Saturday’s 45-32 loss, adding to the list of defensive failures. Brown said he maintains confidence in defensive coordinator Gene Chizik, who returned to the Tar Heels this season five years after stepping away following two seasons on the staff of Brown’s predecessor, Larry Fedora.

“It’s obvious we’re making mistakes,” Brown said. “We can’t do that.”

The Hokies have had extra time to try to tweak their offense under first-year coach Brent Pry. They suffered a 33-10 home loss last Thursday to rival West Virginia.

“This is kind of where we are as a team right now,” Pry said. “We can’t leave too much to overcome in any phase.”

Virginia Tech’s 15 penalties in its latest game were among the snags.

“I think we press and we kind of get out of sorts,” Pry said. “Sometimes I look out there and it’s like a panic. We’re not playing together.”

North Carolina’s offense has relied heavily on freshman quarterback Drake Maye, who has thrown for 16 touchdowns with just one interception. This week was the second time this season that Maye was named ACC Rookie of the Week.

Despite Maye’s talents, Brown said he would like to see a better mixture in the offense.

“We’ve got to figure out what is wrong with the running game and fix it,” Brown said.

Like last season, Virginia Tech serves as North Carolina’s ACC opener. But a year ago, that came in the first game of the season and the Tar Heels, who had a Top 10 ranking, were knocked off and went on to have a 6-7 season.

North Carolina kicker Jonathan Kim, who had been used primarily on kickoffs, has left the program after four games this season. Brown said Kim intends to enter the transfer portal with two seasons of eligibility remaining.

–Field Level Media

Sep 24, 2022; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Drake Maye (10) is sacked by Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive lineman Rylie Mills (99) in the first quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Drew Pyne has career day as Notre Dame knocks off North Carolina

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Drew Pyne established career-bests of 289 yards and three touchdowns as Notre Dame beat North Carolina 45-32 on the road in Chapel Hill on Saturday afternoon.

The win is the second straight for the Irish (2-2) after they started the season with a pair of losses. The Tar Heels (3-1) sustained their first blemish of the campaign.

Pyne — who completed 24 of 34 passes — was just one part of Notre Dame’s explosive offense attack that gained 35 first downs, which is the most for an Irish team in a single game since 1996. The Irish ran 51 times for 287 yards, a 5.6 yards per-carry average. Sophomore running back Audric Estime paced the ground game with a career-high 134 yards and two scores on 17 carries.

Estime is the first Irish back to rush for more than 100 yards in a single game since Kyren Williams did so last year against UNC, and Notre Dame’s 576 yards of total offense is the most they’ve had in a single game since having 591 in a 2019 win over New Mexico.

UNC’s Drake Maye threw for five touchdowns and 301 yards, but the Heels were plagued by mistakes.

The Tar Heels miscues included a fumble and nine penalties — one of which was an unsportsmanlike call against coach Mack Brown. North Carolina also had an ineffective run game that gained just 66 yards on 28 carries, an average of 2.4 yards per rush.

UNC did score first as Maye found Josh Downs on a 4-yard touchdown strike, but then Notre Dame scored 38 of the game’s next 45 points. The Heels scored one touchdown in the third quarter and two in the fourth, but couldn’t close the gap on the scoreboard in a meaningful way.

This was the third straight game that North Carolina gave up more than 420 yards of total offense.

Meanwhile, Notre Dame’s defense logged three sacks, three pass breakups, three QB hurries, and seven tackles for loss which added up to minus-30 yards.

–Field Level Media