UNC quarterback Drake Maye hard to impress despite his hot start
North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye spends so much time analyzing what he could be doing better that his coaches have to spend time reminding him what he has done has been pretty good, too.
The redshirt freshman hasn’t had too many wayward plays through the Tar Heels’ start (5-1, 2-0 ACC) that has them in first place in the ACC Coastal Division. Maye ranks second nationally in total offense, averaging 368.5 yards per game, third nationally with 21 passing touchdowns and third nationally in passing efficiency.
“He could have a good play and you can give him a compliment and he’ll talk about his drop wasn’t perfect or he should have released it sooner,” UNC offensive coordinator Phil Longo said. “He’s just a perfectionist. That’s the competitor in him.”
After passing for 300 yards in last week’s win over Miami, Maye said he felt like he only threw for 98 because of the two interceptions that skewed the overall performance in his eyes.
“A lot of time, negative plays kind of outweigh the positive,” Maye said.
Longo, who also serves as quarterbacks coach, said when they review the previous game on Sunday if 8 percent of the plays received a low grade, those are the plays that Maye will fixate on improving. Longo said it’s part of the reason why Maye has had the kind of season he has so far.
But the Heels are working to make sure he does actually appreciate the good plays, too. Like his touchdown pass to Josh Downs against the Hurricanes.
“We have to be careful with Drake ... he beats himself up so much over everything,” UNC coach Mack Brown said. “He makes an unbelievable throw for Josh Downs that none of us have ever seen before. It looks like (Patrick) Mahomes out there and then he thinks that’s normal. He doesn’t give himself any credit for that.”
Maye was being hit around his knees by Miami defensive end Akheem Mesidor as he was throwing the ball. The force caused his torso to twist and his pass almost seemed like he side-armed the throw. The ball floated into Down’s hands, and he evaded four defenders to leap into the end zone.
To the uninitiated eye, it may have appeared that Carolina just got lucky.
“He made eye contact with me before he threw the ball, he didn’t just throw it up,” Downs said. “So I knew it was coming to me. But he made a good play, and he didn’t get sacked.”
Maye does actually have plays where he allows himself to acknowledge his role, like the 43-yard pass to J.J. Jones against Notre Dame and the 23-yard touchdown to tight end Bryson Nesbit right before halftime against Appalachian State.
The Heels hope he’ll have a few more he can add to the collection against Duke on Saturday. And that he actually stops to enjoy it.
“That’s really the same advice that every now and then I give Drake,” Longo said. “You make a nice play, just appreciate it because not everybody is capable of making some of those plays.”
How to watch UNC vs Duke football game
The game will be broadcast on ACC Network. It is also available on the ESPN App with an ESPN+ subscription, and through various subscription apps that carry ACC Network, such as Hulu and YouTube TV. The link to watch it is here.
Vegas betting odds
Carolina is a 7-point favorite, according to VegasInsider.com’s consensus line.
Pregame reading
- Determined to be Tar Heels great, LB Power Echols is ‘calming force’ on UNC defense
- A ‘maturing’ UNC football team: Tar Heels have shown they can win close this season
3 key matchups to watch as UNC and Duke battle in ACC Coastal Division rivalry showdown
ACC Now podcast: Former Blue Devils lineman on Mike Elko’s impact and Duke-UNC game
- UNC vs Duke odds, players to watch and top story lines in ACC Coastal rivalry matchup
This story was originally published October 14, 2022 at 5:10 AM.