Tag: Power Echols

UNC names captains for ACC football opener at Pitt

After three, hard-fought wins against South Carolina, App State and Minnesota to open the season, the UNC football team is ready to take on the gauntlet of ACC play. The Tar Heels are currently sitting in Pennsylvania, hours away from facing off …

After three, hard-fought wins against South Carolina, App State and Minnesota to open the season, the UNC football team is ready to take on the gauntlet of ACC play.

The Tar Heels are currently sitting in Pennsylvania, hours away from facing off against Pitt in the ACC opener for both teams. UNC and Pitt will clash at 8 p.m. ET under the bright lights of Acrisure Stadium.

Carolina holds the all-time series record with 11 wins and five losses, though the Panthers took two of the past three matchups. UNC won handily last year in Chapel Hill, 42-24, behind five Drake Maye touchdown passes.

Let’s take a look at the Tar Heel captains for today: Maye (offensive), Power Echols (defensive) and Bryson Nesbit (special teams).

Maye finally delivered the breakout game we’ve all been expecting last week, completing 29 passes for 414 yards and two touchdowns. He also found his true number one wide receiver in Nate McCollum, with the Georgia Tech transfer catching 15 passes for 165 yards and a touchdown.

It’ll be tough to deliver that same performance again, as Pitt is holding opponents to just 114 passing yards per game (third-best in FBS). Minnesota was limiting opponents to under 100 passing yards per game before last week, then Maye exploded, so don’t expect the Panther’s defense to play spoiler.

Will Maye go to McCollum? J.J. Jones? Kobe Paysour? Regardless of who, Maye’s due for another Heisman Trophy-esque performance.

One teammate Maye could be throwing to a lot is Nesbit, another Tar Heel captain. Nesbit carries grand expectations with him this year, as he was named to the Mackey Award Preseason Watch List. This award goes annually to the nation’s top tight end.

Nesbit’s only tallied 77 receiving yards to start his junior campaign, but he also caught one of Maye’s four touchdown passes.

Echols led UNC’s defense with nine tackles (seven solo) in the 31-13 triumph over Minnesota last week. Echols, the starting mike linebacker, is second among the Tar Heels with 24 total tackles.

Set aside the lackluster performance against App State – and Carolina’s defense has seemingly played better through three games than it did all last season, particularly in the second half. UNC has allowed just six second-half points between the South Carolina and Minnesota games.

As the Tar Heels prepare to face a lackluster offense, expect another huge game out of Echols.

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

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.

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

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.

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

UNC’s Power Echols had the most ridiculous interception against Oregon and the internet loved it

You have to see this play to believe it.

The World Cup may be over, but we haven’t seen the last of the soccer skills. North Carolina’s sophomore linebacker Power Echols put the foot in football in the San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl with maybe the most incredible interception of the college football season.

Oregon’s Bo Nix targeted his big tight end, Terrance Ferguson, and it looked as though the play was dead as the ball caromed off the calf of the Tar Heel defending on the pass. Echols didn’t give up, however, sneaking a toe under the football and giving it just enough air to stay alive.

The ability to pop it back up, get your hands on it, AND stay on your feet for a lengthy return? Legendary. Not only was the interception incredible, it was huge for North Carolina’s momentum. The Ducks were driving inside the UNC 20-yard line, looking to break the 14-14 tie. Instead, it went the other way and Drake Maye tossed a 49-yard touchdown one play later to give the Heels the 7-point lead.

Unsurprisingly, the internet couldn’t get enough of the incredible play.

UNC football names players of the game in win over FAMU

The North Carolina Tar Heels football program announces their three players of the game win over Florida A&M.

After North Carolina’s victory over Florida A&M, the football program announced their players of the game.

The Tar Heels dominated FAMU 56-24 despite a slow start to the game, putting on an offensive clinic in the process. Quarterback Drake Maye was named offensive player of the game, with Power Echols getting defensive player and Obi Egbuna earning special teams player of the game.

Maye’s historic night clearly indicates why the freshman received the honors, as he threw five touchdown passes in his first career start. He also played mistake-free football, throwing zero interceptions and rushing for 55 yards without a fumble.

When it came to the defense, it could have gone to multiple players. However, none was as consistent as linebacker Power Echols. The Sophomore led both teams in total tackles with 10, including a sack and two tackles for loss.

Lastly, Egbuna earned special teams player of the game after helping contain FAMU special teams attack. UNC fans expected the senior defensive back to show impact as he was one of the three named team captains for week zero, and he did not disappoint.

This game was an ideal season start for these three Heels, and a repeated performance can help them get through Appalachian State on Saturday.

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

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.