Tag: John Copenhaver

16 UNC football players make All-ACC Academic Team

What UNC failed to do on the football field this year, it made up for in the classroom. 16 different players earned an ACC academic honor.

There’s no question the 2023 campaign was disappointing for UNC football.

North Carolina looked like a true ACC contender early on, bolting out to a 6-0 start and a Top-10 ranking. Drake Maye was the country’s clear-cut top quarterback, Devontez Walker and Nate McCollum gave UNC a deadly receiver tandem and – most surprisingly – the defense was actually making stops.

A loss to UVA sent the Tar Heels into a tailspin, as they only won two of their final seven games. Defensive woes started to resurface and – oddly enough – offense went cold at times.

What UNC didn’t do well on the field, they made up for in the classroom.

16 different Tar Heels made the All-ACC Academic Team – Maye, wide receiver J.J. Jones and Chris Culliver, kickers Noah Burnette and Liam Boyd, linebackers Jalen Brooks, Sebastian Cheeks, Cade Law and Gibson Macrae, punter Tom Maginess, tight end John Copenhaver, defensive lineman Beau Atkinson, defensive backs Will Hardy and Christopher Holiday, offensive lineman Treyvon Green and long snapper Spencer Tripplett.

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This is a rare win for UNC since its late-season collapse.

While everyone has the goal of making an NFL roster, the reality is only a few will do so. It’s encouraging to know several Tar Heels are excelling in the classroom, because it’ll set them up well for the future.

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UNC tight end room one of nation’s best

John Copenhaver, Kamari Morales and Bryson Nesbit give the UNC football program one of the deepest tight end rooms in the nation.

There’s no question that the UNC football team has produced yet another, disappointing end to what once looked like a strong season.

Carolina started the year 6-0, beating five Power 5 opponents in six weeks and squeaking by App State in overtime. Losses to UVA, Georgia Tech, Clemson and N.C. State quickly ended College Football Playoff hopes and, once again, showed UNC has a long way to go before it considers itself a football school.

Despite the recent struggles Carolina’s endured, it has two things to be proud of: making a bowl game for the fifth-consecutive season and an electric offense.

One of the major reasons for UNC’s record-setting offense is its tight end room, which includes John Copenhaver Bryson Nesbit and Kamari Morales, who recently announced his decision to enter the transfer portal.

That room has combined for 71 receptions, 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns, making UNC one of two Power 5 schools to have a tight end group Top 5 in those respective categories.

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Nesbit is the room’s leader, catching 41 passes for 585 yards and five touchdowns. Copenhaver has 18 catches for 279 yards and four touchdowns, while Morales has 11 catches for 158 yards and no scores.

Carolina should have yet another dangerous tight end group next year, with Nesbit and Copenhaver returning for their senior years.

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Helmet stickers for UNC’s letdown at NC State

While the Tar Heels disappointed us all again in last night’s football game at NC State, there were a few players who stood out.

There’s not much positive to say about UNC’s regular-season finale on Saturday night.

The Tar Heels lost to NC State, 39-20, scoring most of their points in garbage time. UNC star running back Omarion Hampton never got going, while quarterback Drake Maye was highly inefficient through the air.

Saturday was Carolina’s third straight loss to its greatest football rival, a now, one-sided series that becomes less of a rivalry with results like Saturday’s. I thought the Tar Heels would at least show up and make it competitive, but they sorely lacked that fight.

Give credit to the Wolfpack, who played one of their most complete games of 2023. In its fifth-straight win, dual-threat quarterback Brennan Armstrong threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns. Six different ball-carriers combined for 170 yards and another score.

Even in the disappointing result for Carolina, there were a couple players who shined.

Tar Heels announce captains for regular season finale at NC State

Drake Maye, John Copenhaver and Cedric Gray will all captain the UNC football team for Saturday night’s battle at N.C. State.

And just like that, college footballs’ regular season is coming to a close.

What started as a year full of hope and promise, is now a year with heartbreak and unexpected results.

You’ve seen traditional powers, like Clemson, lose to a historically bad Duke team. Ohio State went into Ann Arbor earlier today, hoping to secure its spot in the College Football Playoff, only for Michigan to win a third-consecutive battle. Arizona, a program who hasn’t finished with a winning record since 2017, is now ranked and about to nab its ninth victory.

Two seasons that are exactly the same right now, but have gone in completely opposite directions, are those of UNC and NC State. These two ACC rivals, who the football hatred runs deep between, are facing off at 8 p.m. ET tonight.

Carolina started 6-0 and was ranked 10th in the AP Poll, putting them in fringe College Football Playoff position. Consecutive losses to Georgia Tech and lowly UVA, plus later Clemson, killed both CFP and ACC Championship hopes.

The Wolfpack were sitting at 4-3, unsure of who their starting quarterback was, but are now in the midst of a 4-game winning streak.

One of our favorite things to do before games is look at team captains. For UNC, those captains are quarterback Drake Maye, tight end John Copenhaver and star linebacker Cedric Gray.

Even with an off week at Clemson, Maye still leads the ACC with 3,354 passing yards. Copenhaver hasn’t been utilized as much in recent weeks, but is still one of three Carolina tight ends with 100 receiving yards. Gray is the only Tar Heel with 100 tackles, plus one of two in the ACC (Payton Wilson) to reach the century mark.

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Tar Heels shake off slow start, turn on the jets for dominating bounceback against Campbell

UNC started slow in Saturday’s 52-point victory vs. Campbell, but scored 52 unanswered points in a much-needed bounce-back victory.

After one quarter of play in Saturday’s UNC-Campbell game, UNC looked a lot like the same team with consecutive losses in its back pocket.

The Tar Heels and Camels were tied at seven apiece, with Campbell’s FCS offense moving the ball at will. UNC must have pressed an in-game reset button between quarters, because it looked like a brand new team from there on out.

Headlined by star running back Omarion Hampton’s fourth-consecutive 100-yard outing, which included him reaching 1,000 yards for the season on a momentum-swinging, second-quarter touchdown run, the Tar Heels rode a balanced offensive attack to a 59-7 victory.

Just as UNC did so well before its 2-game slide, it dominated the second quarter and put Saturday’s matchup out of reach.

First up for Carolina was Hampton’s 1,000-yard-reaching, 54-yard touchdown run nearly halfway through the second quarter.

Nearly six minutes later, the Drake Maye-Devontez Walker connection worked for a 31-yard score. With 27 seconds left in the half, Hampton punched the ball in the end zone for a 4-yard score, giving UNC a 28-7 lead going into halftime.

Carolina didn’t stop out of the break.

Just 37 seconds into the second half, Maye connected with tight end John Copenhaver for a 25-yard touchdown. J.J. Jones, UNC’s receiving yardage leader, caught a 21-yard pass halfway through the third quarter for his first score of the year.

Carolina kicker Noah Burnette added a 43-yard field goal to round out the third-quarter scoring, then backup quarterback Conner Harrell gashed the Campbell defense for a 61-yard touchdown run.

The Tar Heel defense didn’t play too bad, holding an opponent to single-digits for the second time this year, but Campbell’s offense is nowhere near the level of an FBS school.

This is exactly the type of rebound game UNC needed. It dominated in every aspect of the game, looking a lot like the early-season team on the edge of a CFP spot.

And what better day to win big than on a beautiful, sunny November day in Kenan Stadium?

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UNC Football: Offensive Keys to the Game against UVA

What hasn’t the UNC football team done offensively? We take a look at how the Tar Heels’ deadly offense can thrive against a weak UVA squad.

Sitting at 6-0 atop the ACC with Florida State, the UNC football team is in a great position to contend for a conference championship.

Outside of App State, the Tar Heels have beaten opponents with relative ease. Casuals might look at their undefeated record and think, “must be a bunch of FCS teams.”

Nope.

Five of Carolina’s six wins – South Carolina, Minnesota, Pitt, Syracuse and Miami – are against Power 5 schools. The lone school outside the Power 5 is an App State squad that competes with the country’s best – see last year’s upset at Texas A&M.

UNC only has one FCS team, Campbell University, on its schedule for Saturday, Nov. 4. This is common of several Power 5 schools to play at least one FCS school.

The Tar Heels have scored 40 points in four of their six games – even more impressive against top-ranked defenses in Minnesota, Syracuse and Miami. Drake Maye looks more and more like a Heisman Trophy contender each week, Omarion Hampton gives UNC its first star running back since Ty Chandler, while the group of pass-catchers is among the most talented in recent history.

Carolina plays likely it easiest ACC opponent in UVA on Saturday, Oct 21. While the Tar Heels are expected to win big, let’s take a look at exactly what they need to do offensively in hopes of continuing their win streak:

Six 100-yard receivers have UNC’s passing attack amongst nation’s best

The UNC football program doesn’t know who’ll lead its passing attack in a given week. That’s a good thing keeping opponents guessing.

When Drake Maye is your quarterback, you’re going to score lots of points and win plenty of games.

Behind every great quarterback, however, is a great group of pass-catchers.

Fortunately for Maye, the UNC gunslinger who is projected to be a top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, his pass-catchers are making life easy for him.

With Walker initially being ruled ineligible, guys had to step up at receiver. The other receivers haven’t only stepped up, they’ve thoroughly exceeded expectations, with six guys reaching at least 100 yards.

Walker finally earned eligibility, sending a massive cheer throughout Tar Heel Nation. His presence should further bolster an already dangerous group.

Georgia Tech transfer Nate McCollum is atop the group with 355 receiving yards. He just registered his second 100-yard receiving effort in two weeks, catching seven Maye passes for a UNC-high 135 yards against Syracuse.

J.J. Jones has 318 yards, but still is looking for his first score. Jones’ best output this year was a six-catch, 117-yard showout at Pitt.

Kobe Paysour leads Carolina with three receiving touchdowns. His first 100-yard outing came against Syracuse, as he caught three passes for exactly 100 yards and a score.

All three tight ends have over 100 receiving yards, but Bryson Nesbit leads the way with 167 receiving yards. Kamari Morales (not pictured in above post) has 139 receiving yards, while John Copenhaver has 106. Nesbit and Copenhaver have two receiving touchdowns each.

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UNC offensive keys to the game against Syracuse

UNC hosts Syracuse on Saturday afternoon for a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff in Chapel Hill. Check out what the Tar Heels need to do offensively.

Things are riding high right now for the UNC football program, which sits 4-0 for the first time since 1997.

The Tar Heels have enjoyed offensive outbursts each game, whether those be from the running back room, wide receiver group or Heisman Trophy candidate Drake Maye himself. They’ve engineered comebacks – late in the App State game and early in the clash with Pitt.

British Brooks took his turning leading UNC offensively in week one, running for over 100 yards in his first game action since 2021. Omarion Hampton followed with a lights-out encore, becoming the only FBS back with 200-plus rushing yards in Week 2. Nate McCollum enjoyed a breakout game in Week 3, catching over half of Maye’s passes for 165 yards and a touchdown, while Maye and J.J. Jones were cookin’ against Pitt.

With so many stars on offense, who’s going to shine against Syracuse on Saturday in UNC’s return from it’s bye week? Let’s take a deeper dive:

WATCH: Double-reverse sets up game tying drive, Huzzie gives UNC lead with punt return for TD

UNC tight end John Copenhaver set up the game-tying score against with a trick play catch, while Alijah Huzzie returned a punt for six.

It took a little while for UNC’s offense to get going against Pitt, but it finally appears to have found its groove.

The Panthers have marched down the field at will against Carolina’s defense, mainly utilizing RPOs to keep players guessing.

UNC’s first drive was extended by several Pitt penalties, including a pass interference call. Omarion Hampton found the end zone for Carolina’s fist score, then Drake Maye ran a third-and-goal in midway through the second quarter.

Maye’s touchdown run was set up by a beautiful double-reverse. He then looked down the field and found a wide-open John Copenhaver, who slipped behind the Pitt defense.

Moments later, UNC linebacker Kaimon Rucker took advantage of a busted play and sacked Pitt quarterback Phil Jurkovec back to the 1-yard line. That set up the Tar Heels’ go-ahead score – a house call from Alijah Huzzie on a 50-yard punt return – to give them a 20-14 advantage (extra point made it 21-14).

After a slow start from the Heels, it’s encouraging to see this type of effort. Pitt made a 44-yard field goal late in the second quarter, closing its deficit to 21-17, but the momentum is with UNC.

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UNC Football: Offensive Keys to the Game against App State

This article details what UNC needs to do offensively against App State in order to start 2023 with two consecutive wins.

It’s been a pretty good week for the UNC football team, mainly because of how it played in Week 1 against South Carolina.

The Tar Heels rode a strong ground game and an uncharacteristically strong defense to a 31-17 victory over neighboring rival South Carolina. UNC’s defense recorded nine sacks – more than half of its 2022 total (17) – while holding the Gamecocks to three second-half points.

Tar Heels starting running back British Brooks, in his first game since 2021, led all players with 103 rushing yards. UNC’s experienced ground game generated a total of 168 rushing yards, meaning quarterback Drake Maye didn’t need to be at his best.

As a result of all this, Carolina moved up to 17th in the latest AP Poll.

UNC’s schedule doesn’t get an easier, as they face a tough App State squad on Saturday, Sept. 9 at 5:15 p.m. in Kenan Stadium.

When the Heels and Mountaineers met last year in Boone, chaos ensued. UNC appeared on the brink of pulling away with a victory, scoring 34 unanswered points, only for App State to come crawling back and tie things up in the fourth quarter.

Both schools combined for 62 fourth-quarter points, yet it was the visiting Tar Heels who pulled out a 63-61 victory.

Heading into Saturday’s matchup, let’s take a deeper dive into what UNC needs to do for a second-consecutive win against their rivals in the Appalachian Mountains: