UNC football has little trouble with Syracuse. Three takeaways from Tar Heels’ 40-7 win
There were no “Free Tez Walker” chants Saturday at Kenan Stadium but there were cheers for Tez Walker.
But there was much for North Carolina fans to cheer on a sunny day as No. 14 Tar Heels breezed to a 40-7 victory over Syracuse to set up a big ACC matchup with the Miami Hurricanes next week in Chapel Hill.
With quarterback Drake Maye passing for 442 yards and three scores, completing 33 of 47 passes, the Tar Heels (5-0, 2-0 ACC) rolled, taking a 27-0 halftime lead and leading 37-7 after three quarters. Maye finished with 497 yards in total offense, rushing for 55 yards and a score.
Walker, the transfer from Kent State, on Thursday was declared eligible by the NCAA for the 2023 season. Maye made sure the wide receiver from Charlotte caught some passes, although Nate McCollum had another big day (seven catches, 135 yards) and Kobe Paysour had a 77-yard catch-and-run touchdown.
Three takeaways from the game:
Bad timing for Orange
How good can UNC be this season? The Orange found out. The first half was so thoroughly dominated by the Tar Heels that it’s hard to imagine what Syracuse coach Dino Babers could say at halftime to his guys.
Consider that Maye had more pass completions in the half (23) than the Orange had plays (22). UNC had 424 yards in total offense to Syracuse’s 70 and 23 first downs to the Orange’s four, with scoring drives of 94 and 95 yards,
Maye had 280 yards passing and two scores – at halftime. Everything went UNC’s way, including Syracuse blocking a punt and UNC punter Ben Kiernan grabbing the loose ball on the bounce and running 17 yards for a first down. The Heels scored their first touchdown on that drive.
Maye would pass for more than 400 yards in the game. He did lose a fumble in the fourth quarter, a first for UNC in five games. It was his only bad mistake.
Syracuse did show some fight
Whatever Babers did say to his team at the half, his message got across – at least temporarily. A brutally physical game against Clemson last week apparently took its toll on the Orange and the Heels were the fresher, more energetic team Saturday coming off their bye week.
But the Orange scored on the first possession of the second half as quarterback Garrett Shrader finally produced a big play – a 34-yard pass to Umari Hatcher, who slowed up to make a sideline catch over his shoulder. Running back LeQuint Allen, shut down most of the day, scored the touchdown.
Syracuse should win its share of games this season but the Orange caught the Tar Heels at their best Saturday. And Maye at his best.
Another weapon for Heels
UNC’s Tez Walker now is more than a sideline observer in games. The wide receiver, made eligible Thursday by the NCAA, had Kenan Stadium roaring when he entered his first game of the season in the first quarter. His first catch: six yards.
Maye now has yet another receiving option. Consider that 11 players caught passes Saturday.
It will get tougher to set up defensive game plans with McCollum and Walker, two transfers with big-play potential, joining J.J. Jones, Kobe Paysour and a collection of tight ends – Bryson Nesbit, John Copenhaver and Amari Morales – who all have good hands.
Paysour made a terrfic catch in the third quarter for a 77-yard score, getting his left hand on Maye’s pass over the middle and reeling it in while never breaking stride.
Here are earlier updates from the game:
This story was originally published October 7, 2023 at 2:53 PM.
