UNC Football Moments After – UNC vs. South Carolina 31-17 Win

UNC Tar Heels Football Team Takes Control of the Gamecocks in the 2nd Half and Cruises to Their First Victory of the Season

by Derrick Isaiah Clyburn

The North Carolina football team played their first game of the year in Charlotte against South Carolina. The Heels got off to a great start with the defense setting the tone with a three-and-out and forcing a punt on two of South Carolina’s offensive possessions. The Carolina offense would then take the field for the first time and go on their first touchdown drive of the season on an Omarion Hampton run into the endzone.

South Carolina would respond with a touchdown drive of their own to tie the game at 7. After the Heels and Gamecocks, both found success in the passing game, it would become a back-and-forth game with the Heels being up 17-14 going into halftime.

To start the second half, South Carolina attempted to get some momentum by going for an onside kick and recovering it. However, the North Carolina defense would step up big and force a three-and-out. The UNC defensive line gave South Carolina problems all game long with the pressure up front and had 9 sacks for the game and 16 tackles for loss.

Meanwhile, the offense started to click for the Tar Heels early in the third quarter as they scored on the first two possessions and put them up 31-17. The Heels had all momentum going into the fourth quarter until the offense sputtered and Drake Maye threw a pick that would give South Carolina back the ball with a chance to cut into the lead. The Tar Heels went scoreless in the fourth quarter, but every time South Carolina thought they caught a break the Tar Heels defense would get a stop, which would lead the Tar Heels to their first victory of the 2023 season.  

UNC Game Stats 

UNC Total Offense- 437 yards 

Rushing 168 Passing 269 

UNC Passing: Drake Maye 24-32-269 yards 2TDs 2 INTs 

UNC Rushing: British Brooks 15-103 yards, Omarion Hampton 16-37 yards 2TDs 

UNC Receiving: Kobe Paysour 7-66 yards 1TD, John Copenhaver 3-53 yards 1TD 

South Carolina Total Offense-  364 yards

South Carolina Passing: Spencer Rattler 30-39-353 yards 

South Carolina Rushing: Dakereon Joyner 12-23 yards 1TD 

South Carolina Receiving: Xavier Legette 9-178 yards 

UNC Bright Spots 

Kaimon Rucker had 2 sacks and 2 tackles for loss 

Amari Gainer had 2 sacks and 2 tackles for loss.  

Drake Maye threw for 263 yards and two touchdowns 

British Brooks had 15 carries for 103 yards. 

Kobe Paysour had 7 catches for 66 yards and one touchdown. 

John Copenhaver 3-52 yards 1TD 

Needs Work 

The North Carolina offense needs to find its identity. The offense did not look as smooth or as in sync in their new scheme under Chip Lindsay. Although they did score 31 points, there were a few different points in the game where the offense sputtered and looked out of sync and out of rhythm.  

Drake Maye needs to do a better job of not forcing the ball downfield where nothing is available and learn to take what the defense gives him especially when he is throwing to inexperienced receivers.  

The defensive backs need to do a better job of playing the ball in the air.  

Final Observations 

The North Carolina football team starts off the season 1-0 and on a good note. The defense was excellent in this game, and you can see the improvements on the defensive line that Mack Brown and Gene Chizik were talking about all summer long. The Heels’ defense had 9 sacks in this game after having 17 sacks total all last season, which is a major improvement.

This is something that can make this defense a dangerous unit if they can become consistent with playing with that type of aggression going forward as they did in this game. The offense did not play their best game, but without their two best receivers they still put up 31 points. The offense will need to establish an identity to figure out if they are going to rely heavier on the run or if they’ll go with a balanced attack to make sure the offense will run smoother going forward.

Surely, with Drake Maye at the helm and the return of their top two receivers, it will only get better. If the defense can be consistent with their new aggressive identity combined with the Tar Heels’ explosive offense, the Heels can do some special things this year. Next up is Appalachian State on Saturday, September 9 at 5:15 p.m.