It seemed like the UNC football team could do no wrong Saturday afternoon against Syracuse.
The Tar Heels obliterated the Orange, 40-7, in a matchup of 4-win ACC teams. UNC star quarterback Drake Maye finished six yards off his collegiate career high in passing yards and fished out three touchdowns, Nate McCollum AND Kobe Paysour each finished over the century mark in receiving yards, plus the Heels never trailed and allowed a season-low 221 yards.
If you struggled picking just one Player of the Game, I wouldn’t blame you, as seemingly everyone was deserving of being named one.
On Monday afternoon, UNC announced Maye, Myles Murphy, Liam Boyd and Noah Burnette as its Players of the Game against the Orange.
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Maye, Carolina’s Offensive Player of the Game, ended Saturday’s victory second among FBS quarterbacks with 442 passing yards. He completed a season-high 33 passes and tossed three touchdowns – his first to Bryson Nesbit, second to John Copenhaver and third to Kobe Paysour. This was Maye’s second 400-yard outing in three weeks, as he did the same against Minnesota.
You could have picked nearly any defensive starter for Defensive Player of the Game, but that honor belonged to defensive lineman Myles Murphy. The Greensboro native registered five tackles – three of the solo variety, including one of the Heels’ three for loss.
Burnette, one of two UNC Special Teams Players of the Game, continued thriving while starting kicker Ryan Coe misses time with an injury. Burnette connected on all eight of his kicks – four field goals and four extra points apiece.
Boyd was on the field for nine kickoffs, totaling 585 yards and EIGHT touchbacks. He nearly equaled Carolina’s total of 644 yards.
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