Tag: Kobe Paysour

5 things to watch for in UNC home opener against App State

UNC hosts App State in its football home opener on Saturday, Sept. 9. Here are five things to watch for.

If you count “Week Zero,” we’re already two weeks into the college football season.

Doesn’t it seem like just yesterday, we were talking about how the first game was just days away?

There’s a full season of games ahead – and we haven’t even gotten into the thick of conference play. Week 2 matchups, which officially kick off tonight with Louisville hosting Murray State, are highlighted by the Alabama-Texas rematch at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 9.

UNC played in Charlotte Week 1 against South Carolina, but now get to return home and entertain the Tar Heel faithful on Saturday against App State. The Tar Heels racked up 168 rushing yards and generated nine sacks – more than half of their 2022 total – against the Gamecocks. Carolina was just 3-3 in Kenan Stadium last year, but 11-2 the previous two seasons combined.

App State beat Gardner-Webb by three touchdowns in Boone last weekend, but struggled to do so, requiring a second-half comeback. Joey Aguilar came off the bench to throw four touchdowns in relief of starting quarterback Ryan Burger, who exited the game with a hand injury.

Carolina beat the Mountaineers in a 63-61 shootout on the field at Kidd-Brewer Stadium last year, with the two teams combining for 62 fourth-quarter points.

Will we see another high-scoring clash in Chapel Hill, a one-sided affair or something else on Saturday?

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:

What UNC head coach Mack Brown said after win over South Carolina

UNC football head coach Mack Brown, who earned his 100th victory on Saturday, Sept. 2 against South Carolina, spoke to the media after.

If you’re a UNC football fan, you have a ton to be proud of right now.

The Tar Heels put on one of their best defensive performances in recent memory – against an SEC opponent, nonetheless, sacking South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler nine times (more than half of 2022 total) and holding the Gamecocks to just a field goal in the second half, in a 31-17 victory.

The ground game, led by 103 yards from British Brooks in his first game action since 2021, generated 168 yards total and two scores. Wide receiver Kobe Paysour and John Copenhaver stepped up tremendously in the absence of Devontez Walker and Nate McCollum, combining for 10 catches, 118 yards and two touchdowns.

Even with two interceptions, Tar Heels quarterback Drake Maye still completed 24 passes for 269 yards and two scores.

All this should have UNC stay put at 21st in the AP Poll come Week 2, It might be good enough to climb the ranks a bit, which would help their College Football Playoff chances.

Carolina’s performance had head coach Mack Brown smiling from ear-to-ear. Check out what he had to say after the season-opening triumph:

WATCH: Drake Maye tosses first touchdown of 2023

UNC quarterback Drake Maye tossed his first touchdown of 2023 to wide receiver Kobe Paysour, who scored on a 34-yard strike.

Ever since UNC’s first drive, the South Carolina defense has done a stellar job of holding Drake Maye in check.

The Tar Heels tried gaining momentum on the ground, only for South Carolina defenders to drive ballcarriers further into the backfield or stop them after short gains.

Not anymore.

After allowing Juju McDowell to give South Carolina a brief, 14-10 second-quarter lead, UNC immediately responded with a passing-heavy drive.

Drake Maye, a Heisman Trophy candidate, projected top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and one of the best quarterback in the country, tossed his first touchdown pass of 2023 to wide receiver Kobe Paysour.

With Devontez Walker and Nate McCollum out for the Heels’ opener, Paysour is taking advantage of his increase in playing time. In his first score of the year, he gets behind the Gamecock defense and runs Maye’s throw into the end zone for six.

We’re almost into halftime and this game is just what we all expected – two teams trading blows, eager to prove to the college football world they’re legit. UNC has the upper hand early, leading 17-14, but this game is far from over.

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Why are Corey Gaynor, Kobe Paysour and Gio Biggers so crucial to UNC football’s success?

UNC football players Corey Gaynor, Kobe Paysour and Gio Biggers are all team veterans. They’ll be counted on for success this year.

The UNC football team is entering its second week of Fall camp, putting it one week closer to its Saturday, Sept. 2 season-opener against the University of South Carolina in Bank of America Stadium.

Players show coaches why they are deserving of starting spots, while others might be fighting just to make the roster. We know a couple of offseason storylines already – Drake Maye is the best quarterback in the country and should be a Top-5 pick in next year’s NFL Draft, Bryson Nesbit and Kamari Morales return one of the country’s top tight end duos, Cedric Gray is one of the most talented linebackers in the game and there are sky-high expectations for the team.

Let’s take a look, though, at some under-the-radar guys who are going to be key parts of UNC this Fall.

Corey Gaynor, who will turn 25 next week, is playing in his seventh college football season because of past injuries and his COVID year. He’ll be entering his second campaign in Chapel Hill after spending his first five years at University of Miami (Fla.).

Gaynor started all 14 games at center last year, earning Honorable Mention All-ACC and team captain honors. He played 1,050 snaps and allowed just two sacks.

Gaynor told TarHeelIllustrated why he chooses to still play college football, even at his older age:

“A lot of people think different reasons why you play football and you come back when you’re as old as I am, (but) I want to pass on my knowledge and make sure that my teammates – my younger guys – are getting every resource possible out of me,” Gaynor said in an interview with TarHeelIllustrated’s Andrew Jones.

It’s almost a given that wide receiver Kobe Paysour will be leaned on heavily this year for offensive production, as the Heels lost Josh Downs and Antoine Green to the NFL Draft. Paysour started 4/12 games last season, tying for fourth on UNC in receptions (29) and finishing sixth in receiving yards (324), while adding four touchdowns.

Paysour will likely be Carolina’s number three wideout, as head coach Mack Brown brought in Kent State’s Devontez Walker (58 receptions, 921 receiving yards, 11 touchdowns) and Georgia Tech’s Nate McCollum (60 receptions, 655 receiving yards, three touchdowns) from the transfer portal.

Hear what Paysour had to say about competing for playing time with his new teammates:

“I seen it as a competitive thing, a competitive spirit,” Paysour told TarHeelIllustrated. “Just like any offensive coach, they’re going to try to get somebody that’s better than you. You feel me? They’re going to try to recruit somebody that’s better than you. So, I just see it as a competitive spirit. I’m always going hard every day.”

Giovanni “Gio” Biggers started all 14 games at defensive back for the Heels last year. He was one of the unit’s more productive players, registering 69 tackles (one for loss), two pass breakups and a fumble recovery. Biggers’ most productive game came in the 63-61 thriller over App State, as he recorded 10 tackles.

Biggers goes by Gio to everyone expect for his loved ones, who call him Giovanni.

“Miss Sally, my mom and my girlfriend call me Giovanni,” Biggers told TarHeelIllustrated.”

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Tale of the Tape: Leading Receivers – Lorenzo Styles vs. Kobe Paysour

A bunch of blah here.

Notre Dame and North Carolina haven’t exactly wowed everyone with their receiver play to this point. [autotag]Michael Mayer[/autotag] should be in this spot for the Irish through three games, but we get [autotag]Lorenzo Styles[/autotag], who has to even record a touchdown this season, instead.

This is not an indictment of Styles’ ability or drive to be the best he can be, but the fact that he’s barely averaging 50 yards a game as the Irish’s receiving leader reflects badly on [autotag]Tommy Rees[/autotag]’ offense and really, the whole team. Even though the Irish somewhat have been backed into a corner with their quarterback situation, they need to right this ship and fast.

The Tar Heels have Kobe Paysour in this spot, but that also is an anomaly. That’s because Josh Downs, one of the top receivers in the country last season, will return after missing two games with a knee injury. That’s not to say Paysour won’t play a factor in this contest. Still, there’s little doubt the Heels will look to Downs first.

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Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

UNC football helmet stickers for Week 1 win at Appalachian State

We take a look at helmet stickers from the UNC football programs win over Appalachian State on Saturday.

With Saturday’s thrilling win over Appalachian State, the North Carolina Tar Heels are now 2-0 on the year and survived in a tough environment.

It’s been a good start to the season for the most part with the offense carrying the load through two games. UNC’s defense does need to step it up but there were times on Saturday which were encouraging for the future. However, there were the same mistakes over and over again from the unit too.

Before we turn the page on this week and focus on Georgia State, it’s time to give out helmet stickers for the game.

We give these out after each game of the year to a few players that we believe were the standouts for UNC. This week, there was a familiar face in the helmet stickers but we also welcome three newcomers too.

 

Tar Heels score 21 straight to take halftime lead

The North Carolina Tar Heels battle back to score 21 unanswered points and take the lead at the half over Appalachian State.

The North Carolina Tar Heels were down early but fought back to snag the 28-21 lead heading into the locker room.

UNC and Appalachian State offenses have been on fire, with both defense scrambling for answers. After finding themselves down 21-7, allowing three straight scoring drives, North Carolina’s offense took off with red-shirt freshman wide receiver [autotag]Kobe Paysour[/autotag] on the receiving end of a 14-yard touchdown.

Then on the next drive, UNC’s defense caught a significant break after Appalachian kicker Michael Hughes missed a 51-yard field goal. North Carolina answered the missed kick with a 21-yard rushing touchdown by freshman [autotag]George Pettaway[/autotag].

The defense for UNC made a significant stop on the next drive forcing ASU to punt for the first time in the half. North Carolina then marched down the field and ended the half with quarterback [autotag]Drake Maye[/autotag] throwing his third touchdown pass to tight end [autotag]Bryson Nesbit[/autotag].

A game that looked sour early ends the first half looking sweet for UNC.

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2022 UNC Football Preview: Wide Receiver

We take a look at the 2022 wide receiver position as Josh Downs looks to repeat his breakout year, and UNC looks to find more consistency

One of the biggest question marks for the UNC football program going into this season is at the wide receiver position. With Sam Howell off the NFL, the pressure is on the wide receiver position to help transition into the Drake[autotag] Maye[/autotag] or [autotag]Jacolby Criswell[/autotag] era.

The good news for who ever will be commanding the huddle is that 2021 Biletnikoff semi-finalist [autotag]Josh Downs[/autotag] will be on the receiving end of those throws. The bad news is the rest of the receivers struggled to get any separation and the next best receiver Antoine Green is set to be sidelined for 6-8 weeks after shoulder surgery.

Head coach Mack Brown and his staff are still optimistic with their wide receiver room and feeling like they are in better shape than the year prior. Now the question is who fills in for Green and which wideout can contribute in giving the opposing defense’s fits.

As the regular season approaches, we decided to continue our position preview with the wide receiver position and look at not only Downs and Green, but the depth behind them.