Tag: John Copenhaver

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:

WATCH: John Copenhaver makes insane catch for Tar Heels’ fourth touchdown of fame

UNC tight end John Copenhaver extended UNC’s lead against South Carolina to 30-14, making a highlight-reel, 1-handed touchdown grab.

In the second half of the UNC-South Carolina game at Bank of America Stadium, UNC is looking every part of a hungry, ranked team trying to show the world last year’s late-season collapse was a fluke.

After South Carolina recovered an onside kick to open the second half, the Tar Heels’ defense made another defensive stop – this time forcing a turnover on downs.

That set the stage for a UNC second-half offensive outburst.

Moments after sophomore running back Omarion Hampton scored his second touchdown of the game, tight end John Copenhaver made an insane, SportsCenter Top 10-esque catch for the Heels’ fourth touchdown of the game.

Copenhaver runs toe-to-toe with Gamecocks defender Keenan Nelson Jr., slows down to position his body in front of him, then makes a 1-handed from a falling Drake Maye. This score put UNC up 30-14, followed by a Ryan Coe extra point to make it 31-14.

There’s still a whole quarter of football left, but the Tar Heels are heading in the right direction for their season opener.

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John Copenhaver catches a beautiful touchdown from Drake Maye in practice

UNC quarterback Drake Maye is already forming a solid connection with tight end John Copenhaver, completing a gorgeous pass in practice.

If we’re just watching football highlights alone, it looks like UNC quarterback Drake Maye is already in midseason form.

While the Tar Heels don’t start gameplay until Saturday, Sept. 2 against South Carolina in Bank of America Stadium (7:30 p.m., ABC), they’re giving fans a lot to be excited about in practice.

If fans check out the UNC Football Instagram page, Maye throws a dime to tight end John Copenhaver down the sidelines. Copenhaver makes a catch placed perfectly over graduate linebacker Jake Harkleroad, then practically walks into the end zone. The Maye-Copenhaver connection is going to be crucial this Fall, as Maye will be searching for new targets to replace 2023 NFL Draft picks Josh Downs and Antoine Green.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CwBJoxPOe_t/

Maye is coming off a season in which he finished fourth in the FBS (4,321) in passing yards, just one spot behind Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams, and tied with Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman for fourth in passing touchdowns (38). UNC fans also quickly learned of Maye’s strong rushing ability, as Maye anchored the Tar Heel rushing attack with 698 yards.

Whichever way Drake Maye wants to hurt a defense, he’s going to.

Despite catching 15 passes for 222 yards last season, Copenhaver split time with Bryson Nesbit and Kamari Morales. Copenhaver may see more time this Fall, however, as he and Nesbit were named to the 2023 John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List. This is an award given annually to the top tight end in college football.

Get ready for action, Tar Heel fans. 2023’s about to be a great year.

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Drake Maye making solid connections with receivers in football practice

In a series of highlights clips posted to X (formerly known as Twitter), UNC quarterback Drake Maye shows off his accuracy and cannon arm.

College football begins in less than a month.

Yes, you read that correctly.

We’ll have an appetizer of “Week Zero” matchups the last weekend of August, then the main course over Labor Day Weekend.

UNC will be kicking off its season against neighboring rival South Carolina on Saturday, Sept. 2 at 7:30 p.m. inside Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium. The Gamecocks have the rivalry’s upper hand of late, winning seven of the last 10 matchups, despite the Heels having a 35-20-4 all-time advantage.

Teams are busy trying to figure out position battles and depth charts. Coaches are crafting the most effective games plans so their teams can win more games. Right now, everyone is dealing with what future conference they will be participating in.

The Heels are trying to figure out if they’ll be sticking in the ACC or not, but luckily for them, they’ve got a lot of their starters figured out.

It’s no doubt that Drake Maye will be quarterback the offense. Maye, one of the best players in the entire country who could possibly go first overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, is coming off a redshirt freshman season in which he won nine honors. Maye’s 4,321 passing yards landed him fourth in the entire FBS, just behind Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams.

Watch these four social media clips and see how good Maye looks in practice:

In the top left clip, Maye fires a dart to tight end John Copenhaver, who catches the ball over Don Champan then races towards the end zone.

You can’t see Maye in the top right clip, but you can see running back Omarion Hampton making a shoestring catch on the sidelines.

In the bottom left clip, Maye rolls to his right and finds a diving Nate McCollum.

In the bottom right clip, Maye hits Deems May in stride.

Even if it’s just one practice, it’s encouraging to see Maye forming connections with his pass-catchers. He doesn’t have the help of Josh Downs or Antoine Green, so that newfound chemistry will be crucial.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

 

2023 UNC Football Preview: Tight End

We look at the 2023 tight-end position as UNC looks to find consistency in the passing attack.

The North Carolina Tar Heels are preparing for this upcoming season, and one of the biggest questions is who will become Drake Maye’s new favorite target.

Well, one group, in particular, has a chance to do so: the tight-end group. UNC lost significant talent in the pass-catching category this off-season.

Losing Maye’s two top targets, Josh Downs and Antoine Green will be a challenging replacement, especially when those two targets combined for 137 receptions and 1827 receiving yards last year.

Despite a new-looking wide receiver core, some familiar faces in the tight end room should help the newer targets get established. John Copenhaver, Bryson Nesbit, and Kamari Morales will all return to the Carolina Blue.

The tight end room will also welcome three-star Julien Randolph, whose 6’5, 220-pound frame will be serviceable for Chip Lindsey’s offense.

As the regular season approaches, we decided to crank up our position preview with the tight end position.