UNC football stays perfect. Three takeaways from the Tar Heels’ 41-24 road win over Pitt
It was raining at first, it wasn’t a full stadium, it didn’t have the feel of an important ACC opener and North Carolina struggled at first.
But the No. 17 Tar Heels recovered and made more than enough big plays Saturday against Pittsburgh to get out of Acrisure Stadium with a 41-24 victory.
The Heels (4-0, 1-0 ACC) were energized by the punt returns from Alijah Huzzie, got enough passing and running from quarterback Drake Maye and some timely defensive stops for UNC’s first 4-0 start to a season since 1997.
Pitt (1-3, 0-1) twice took the lead in the first half but lost quarterback Phil Jurkovec to an injury late in the half, Freshman Kenny Johnson did have a 100-yard kickoff return in a second half dominated by the Tar Heels.
Three takeaways from the game:
Add another UNC threat
The Tar Heels keep finding different offensive weapons. Against App State, it was Omarion Hampton with 234 yards rushing. Against Minnesota, Nate McCollum emerged as a dangerous go-to receiver with 15 catches for 165 yards — one reception shy of the school record.
Now comes another: Alijah Huzzie on punt returns. A starting cornerback, the transfer from East Tennessee State had a 52-yard punt return for a touchdown Saturday after a 29-yarder that set up another scoring drive. He later picked off a pair of Pitt passes, one at the UNC 2 and the other in the waning minutes of the game at midfield.
UNC did get burned in the kicking game. Pitt freshman Kenny Johnson showed off his speed for a 100-yard kickoff return in the third quarter. Early in the fourth quarter, Pitt’s Rasheem Biles blocked a punt — only to have UNC’s Ced Gray recover a fumble on Pitt’s first play.
Maye did what?
People may be tired of hearing about all the things Drake Maye can do on the football field but here’s another: throw a left-handed touchdown pass.
It came with one minute left in the first half as the Heels, who played from behind the first two quarters, took an 11-point lead. Maye ran to his left, looking to score, but was grabbed by defensive end Nate Tempe near the left sideline.
No problem. He saw receiver Kobe Paysour open in the left corner and went lefty — more like a basketball pass — for the 7-yard touchdown.
Maye got off another pass, barely, while being hit in the pocket early in the game. That prevented a fumble and a Pitt recovery after the Panthers had taken a 7-0 lead. It was first ruled a fumble, but Maye doggedly stayed on the field, motioning that he was passing, and he was right upon review.
Not treated well at home
Tough night for Pitt quarterback Phil Jurkovec. First, he was booed by the home fans when shown on the big video board before the game. Later, he had to leave the game after taking a savage hit from UNC cornerback Tayon Holloway in the final seconds of the first half.
Jurkovec, the transfer from Boston College, is a Pittsburgh native who returned home this season. Things have not gone smoothly — he was awful in the loss to West Virginia — but he had a strong start to Saturday’s game, leading the Panthers to a TD on the opening possession, completing his first seven passes and keeping it a competitive game in the open half.
Pitt has some offensive problems to resolve this season, starting at QB.
This story was originally published September 23, 2023 at 7:35 PM.
