By Matt Bowers / GoHeels.com
CHARLOTTE, N.C.— Drake Maye threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns and No. 21-ranked North Carolina’s defense tallied nine sacks and limited South Carolina to -2 yards rushing in a 31-17 win to start the 2023 season on Saturday night in the Duke’s Mayo Classic at Bank of America Stadium.
UNC is 1-0 to begin the 2023 campaign, while South Carolina drops to 0-1.
The victory was Mack Brown’s 100th as Carolina’s head coach, boosting his record to 275-144-1 overall and 100-68-1 with the Tar Heels.
UNC’s defense limited the Gamecocks to just 4 of 13 on third-down attempts and 0 of 3 on fourth down. The Tar Heels, who recorded 17 sacks in the entire 2022 season, more than halved that total in the first game of the 2023 campaign with nine.
Both teams started quickly. The Tar Heels grabbed an early, 7-0 lead on an up-tempo drive that culminated in a short touchdown dive by Omarion Hampton. The Gamecocks tied the score less than four minutes later with an impressive drive of their own.
Maye completed his first 10 passes and sliced through the USC defense in the first half, connecting on 16 of 20 attempts for 177 yards and a touchdown. He cooled down somewhat in the second half as South Carolina picked off two of his passes. The Tar Heel defense limited the damage, however, and the Gamecocks never threatened in the second half.
British Brooks rushed 15 times for 103 yards on the ground for Carolina. Kobe Paysour caught seven passes for 66 yards and a score.
Maye completed passes to nine different Tar Heels, six of whom caught multiple balls.
How It Happened
First Half
• After the Tar Heel defense stymied the Gamecocks with a three-and-out on their first possession of the game, Carolina pushed tempo offensively and marched 70 yards in just 3:55 to take a 7-0 lead on a one-yard touchdown run by Omarion Hampton barely five minutes into the season.
• On the next Gamecock drive, South Carolina marched 75 yards down the field in 3:21 to tie the score at 7-7 with 6:29 left in the first quarter.
• Midway through the second quarter and after both teams settled down a bit, Ryan Coe connected on a 37-yard field goal for the Tar Heels to make the score 10-7 with 7:05 left before halftime.
• South Carolina roared back on the next possession with a 72-yard touchdown drive in just 1:42 to retake the lead at 14-10.
• Drake Maye led Carolina 75 yards down the field in just five plays to retake the lead at 17-14 with 2:50 left before halftime, connecting with Kobe Paysour on a 34-yard score. Maye was 3-for-3 for 67 yards passing in a masterful drive.
• The UNC defense limited USC to just five first-half rushing yards.
Second Half
• The Tar Heels took the first two-score lead for either team when Hampton scored his second rushing TD of the night to put Carolina up, 24-14, with 11:35 left in the third quarter.
• Maye connected with John Copenhaver for an 18-yard TD pass that made the score 31-14 Tar Heels with 6:29 remaining in the third.
• South Carolina intercepted two Maye passes in the first 20 minutes of the second half but was only able to score a field goal to show for it, cutting the lead to 31-17.
• The Gamecocks drove into UNC territory in the fourth quarter before giving up the ball on downs with 3:23 to play.
Inside the Box Score
• Spencer Rattler completed 30 of 39 passes for 353 yards with no touchdowns in a losing effort for the Gamecocks.
• In the first half, Maye was 16 of 20 for 177 yards and a touchdown while Rattler was 10 for 11 for 171 yards.
• UNC out-rushed the Gamecocks, 78-5, while converting 6 of 8 third-down attempts in the first half.
• Carolina dominated time of possession in the first half, 19:30 to 10:30.
• UNC improved to 12-3 under Mack Brown in season openers.
• The Tar Heels are now 17-9-2 all-time in games played in Charlotte.
• Carolina leads the all-time series with South Carolina, 36-20-4.
• UNC recorded 16 tackles for loss to just one for the Gamecocks.
Up Next
Carolina will return to action next Saturday in its home opener, hosting Appalachian State at 5:15 on Saturday Sept. 9 on ACC Network. Tickets are sold out.
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