Tag: Nate McCollum

McCollum leads four Tar Heels with Player of the Game Honors

UNC football players Nate McCollum, Power Echols, Noah Burnette and Liam Boyd were named Players of the Game for last week’s performances.

After nearly losing to App State last weekend, the UNC football team responded with a well-rounded, 31-13 victory over Minnesota on Saturday.

Carolina got the Heisman Trophy-level performance it craved from star quarterback Drake Maye, as the redshirt sophomore threw for a season-high 414 yards and two touchdowns. The Tar Heel defense looked a lot more like its Week 1 self, allowing three second-half points and just 11 Athas Kaliakmanis completions.

UNC is now 3-0 through four games – and for the third time in four seasons. Two of the Tar Heels’ three victories came against Power 5 opponents, which is going to help their case if they are undefeated well into ACC play.

There were so many stars on both sides of the ball, but only a select few Tar Heels earned Player of the Game honors.

This week, those honors went to wide receiver Nate McCollum, starting Mike linebacker Power Echols, plus place-kickers Liam Boyd and Noah Burnette.

After posting a virtually non-existent stat line against App State, McCollum exploded for 165 yards and a touchdown on 15 catches. He was named ACC Wide Receiver of the Week.

Echols led all Tar Heel defenders with nine tackles, including seven solo wrap-ups, accounting for just over 32 percent of them.

Burnette, last year’s starting kicker, was a perfect 5-for-5 on kicks. He made all four extra points and connected on a 42-yarder to cap the third quarter scoring.

Four of Boyd’s six kicks went for touchbacks. Boyd, the Clemson transfer, totaled 389 yards on his kickoffs.

One common theme I’m noticing in UNC’s early games is a willingness to step up. So far, there have been no repeat Players of the Game.

We’ll have to wait several days to see who Carolina’s next Player of the Game batch will be. The Tar Heels will travel up to Pennsylvania on Saturday for their ACC opener, as they take on Pitt at 8 p.m.

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College football’s top performers in the ACC during Week 3

From blowouts in Miami and Chapel Hill to a nail-biter in Tallahassee, who stood out in the ACC’s Week 3 slate?

The 2023 season may only be three weeks old, but the best teams in the ACC have already started separating themselves.

Half of the teams in the conference remain undefeated through Week 3, with five of those seven boasting a point differential north of +68. Florida State, North Carolina, Duke, Miami, and Clemson all sit in the Top 25 of the US LBM Coaches Poll, the second-highest number of ranked teams for any conference (Pac-12 leads with 8).

As the battle for ACC supremacy waged on, here’s a look at the conference’s best of the best in Week 3.

Drake Maye’s big game came against a top-ranked Minnesota defense

Drake Maye torched the Minnesota defense, which was allowing under 100 passing yards per game, for 414 yards and two touchdowns yesterday.

Yesterday was the type of game UNC quarterback Drake Maye had been waiting to enjoy.

A week after failing to throw a single touchdown against App State, Maye exploded for 414 yards and two touchdowns during yesterday’s 31-13 triumph over Minnesota.

What made Maye’s showing all that more impressive was the fact it came a Golden Gophers defense that, coming in, allowed just 92.5 passing yards per game through its first two games.

Adding onto Maye’s already impressive day – his 414-yard outing put him in elite UNC quarterback company. Along with Sam Howell, Mitch Trubisky, T.J. Yates and Marquise Williams, Maye is now one of five quarterbacks in school history with multiple 400-yard passing games (career-high 448 against Wake Forest on Saturday, Nov. 12).

Maye’s first touchdown pass came from the deep ball variety, as he slung a 46-yarder to Georgia Tech transfer Nate McCollum. Maye and McCollum had a strong connection going throughout the game, as McCollum caught 15 of Maye’s 29 completions for 165 yards.

Before the season began, Maye was a frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy. After a sub-300 passing yard, 2-interception performance against South Carolina and a touchdown-less outing against App State, those dreams pretty much left the window.

With Maye’s 2023 breakout game against the Golden Gophers, which included his second-highest passing yardage total in his college career, he’s right back in the thick of the race for college football’s most prestigious individual trophy.

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UNC Football: Helmet stickers for win over Minnesota

The UNC football team moved to 3-0 with its 31-13, home victory against Minnesota on Saturday, Sept. 16. Check out which Tar Heels shined.

If you were preparing to watch the UNC-Minnesota football game on Saturday, Sept. 16, you might’ve expected a low-scoring battle.

The Tar Heels have one of college football’s best offenses, but Minnesota enjoys one of the country’s best defenses.

Yesterday, UNC enjoyed another well-rounded game similar to its opener against South Carolina – strong offense, but surprisingly strong defense, too.

Just like against the Gamecocks, the Tar Heels held Minnesota to three second-half points. UNC won 31-13 – this time, quarterback Drake Maye was the star.

Minnesota running back Darius Taylor enjoyed a 100-yard rushing performance on the ground, but the Tar Heels’ defense held Golden Gophers quarterback Athas Kaliakmanis in check. That was likely one of the many differences in UNC moving to 3-0.

With so many units to choose from, let’s check out which Tar Heels deserved our helmet stickers from the win over Minnesota:

Nate McCollum delivers career day in statement win

Nate McCollum speaks with media following career day, finishing with 165 yards on 15 catches.

North Carolina wide receiver [autotag]Nate McCollum[/autotag] had a coming-out party in Saturday’s win over Minnesota.

The transfer stepped up significantly for UNC, and it started right out the gate, catching four of the five targets on the game’s first drive, including a 46-yard touchdown. McCollum continued to be a consistent target for Drake Maye, having a monstrous first half with 11 receptions on 13 targets for 130 yards in the first half.

The Gophers did a better job in the second half containing McCollum, but the damage was already done. The 5’9 junior finished with 165 yards on 15 catches, marking a career day in both stats. McCollum finished one reception shy from tying the school record.

It’s hard to deny the Josh Downs similarities with McCollum, with Mack Brown telling us following the game that “he became Josh Downs.”

After the game, McCollum met with the media to discuss his big game.

“I was ready to go. I’ve been itching to work myself back up.” McCollum said. “Coach Galloway has been pushing me every day. The other receivers have been pushing me every day.”

When asked about the Down’s comparison, McCollum expressed how he felt about it.

“A lot of people say that, but I just think I am my own player. JD, that’s my boy. I grew up with him. He’s a heck of a player. I feel like we are similar players but completely two different types of players.

As of now, it appears that Maye has found his new Downs. The timing couldn’t be better, with the Tar Heels desperately needing a target for Maye after the NCAA declined Tez Walker’s eligibility.

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WATCH: Drake Maye goes deep for a 46-yard touchdown

Watch UNC quarterback Drake Maye connect with Nate McCollum for a 46-yard touchdown on the game’s first drive.

The North Carolina Tar Heels welcomed the Minnesota Gophers to Kenan Stadium for a Big Ten / ACC matchup.

UNC received the ball first, and it did not take long to get points, with [autotag]Drake Maye[/autotag] leading the Tar Heels down the field in 3:13 for a touchdown. The star quarterback completed four out of five passes for 65 yards, including a 46-yard pass to transfer wide receiver Nate McCollum.

McCollum was targeted all five times, making an insane grab with the defender all over his back, dragging the Gopher in the end-zone with him.

Seeing the Maye and McCollum connection early into the game is excellent. UNC struggled in the passing attack, so the early touchdown was refreshing. It will be interesting to see if the QB/WR duo can keep it up.

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Nate McCollum sidelined for Tar Heels season opener

The bad news for the North Carolina Tar Heels pours with transfer wide receiver Nate McCollum listed OUT to kick off the season.

More bad news for the North Carolina Tar Heels, as they will be without Junior Wide Receiver [autotag]Nate McCollum[/autotag] to open its season.

Before kick-off, the transfer wideout was not seen with the skill players for warm-up, leaving room to believe he would not be lacing up. That belief is confirmation, as UNC is now down two critical weapons in a primetime game.

The timing could not be any worse as North Carolina looks to maneuver around Tez Walker’s eligibility status and find a suitable game plan for quarterback Drake Maye.

McCollum came in this season as one of UNC’s key skill players, with the Tar Heels looking to replace explosiveness from Josh Downs and Antoine Green.

The good news is that North Carolina does have good depth and experience at the wideout position, with Kobe Paysour and J.J. Jones expected to be the two receivers counted on to make up the loss of Walker and McCollum.

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ESPN tabs Nate McCollum, Devontez Walker as transfers to know

Entering the 2023 college football season, ESPN ranked UNC wide receivers Devontez Walker and Nate McCollum as two transfers to watch.

It’s not often a college football program gets two NFL-caliber wide receivers at one time.

The UNC football team was very fortunate to have that last year, as Josh Downs (Indianapolis Colts) and Antoine Green (Detroit Lions) are now both playing professionally. Josh Downs finished his collegiate career fourth on UNC’s all-time receiving list (2,483 yards), while Green ranked second behind Downs with 798 yards and seven touchdowns.

Without the Downs-Green duo, who will Heisman Trophy candidate Drake Maye throw to? He’s got the country’s top tight end trio in Bryson Nesbit, John Copenhaver and Kamari Morales, but wide receivers capable of producing starting numbers will only help Maye further.

ESPN is looking at Georgia Tech transfer Nate McCollum and Kent State transfer Devontez Walker, both wide receivers, as transfers to watch this year.

Check out what ESPN’s David Hale had to say about McCollum and Walker:

“McCollum blossomed late for Georgia Tech last year and should fill Downs’ slot position nicely, while Walker was among the best outside receivers in the Group of 5 last year, catching 58 balls for 921 yards and 11 scores at Kent State,” Hale said. “The only problem is the NCAA denied Walker’s request to play immediately after transferring a second time in his career (his first came after NC Central canceled its 2020 season amid the COVID-19 pandemic), and the Tar Heels are still awaiting an answer on an appeal of the decision.”

Hopefully Walker will return soon, but if he doesn’t, McCollum is positioned to take over the top spot. The slot receiver from Atlanta, Ga. caught 75 passes for 778 yards and four touchdowns in three years at Georgia Tech.

McCollum (and possibly Walker) will be joined in the receiver rooms by returners J.J. Jones, Andre Green Jr., Kobe Paysour and Gavin Blackwell. Those four returners combined for 1,023 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.

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UNC football lands 12 players on Phil Steele’s Preseason All-ACC List

The UNC football program has 12 players make Phil Steele’s Preseason All-ACC team in his magazine.

Mack Brown’s North Carolina football program is one of the more interesting teams going into this Atlantic Coast Conference season.

After starting 9-1 a year ago, they finished 9-5 and lost four-straight games including the ACC Championship and the Holiday Bowl. But with Drake Maye back for another year, expectations are high in Chapel Hill.

As we sit here in June, Phil Steele has finished putting together his annual preview for the upcoming season. The guide is one of the best that is available and breaks down each team across the country.

For North Carolina, they landed 12 players on Steele’s Preseason All-ACC team, headlined by Maye, linebacker Cedric Gray and punter Ben Kiernan as first-team selections.

Joining them on the list are :

  • LB [autotag]Power Echols[/autotag] (2nd team)
  • LS [autotag]Drew Little[/autotag] (2nd team)
  • WR [autotag]Nate McCollum[/autotag] (3rd team)
  • OL[autotag] Corey Gaynor[/autotag] (3rd team)
  • RB [autotag]Omarion Hampton[/autotag] (4th team)
  • WR [autotag]Devontez Walker[/autotag] (4th team)
  • DL [autotag]Myles Murphy[/autotag] (4th team)
  • DB [autotag]Alijah Huzzie[/autotag] (4th team)
  • K [autotag]Ryan Coe[/autotag] (4th team)

North Carolina had just seven players make the preseason team last year in Steele’s book.

The talent is certainly there for North Carolina to make a run but they have to find consistency. They will be tested early on with a season opener against South Carolina and then non-conference games against Minnesota and Appalachian State before opening up conference play.

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