North Carolina vs. Syracuse Postgame Notes

• Carolina improves to 5-0 overall and 2-0 in the ACC. Syracuse drops to 4-2, 0-2.

• The Tar Heels are 3-0 at Kenan Stadium this season.

• Carolina won its ACC home opener for the sixth straight season.

• Mack Brown is 279-144-1, including 104-68-1 in 15 seasons as head coach of the Tar Heels.

• Carolina is 4-3 all-time against Syracuse, including 3-1 when UNC is ranked in the AP Top 25.

• The 33-point win was Carolina’s largest against the Orange (UNC won by 25 in 2020).

• North Carolina is 55-22 as a ranked team in 15 seasons under Brown. This is the second straight season UNC has won five games as a ranked opponent.

• Carolina is 81-16-3 when ranked in the Top 15 against an unranked team.

• Carolina’s 644 total yards were the 10th-most in school history. It was the most yards since UNC gained 699 vs. Virginia in 2021.

• This was the fifth time in as many games the Tar Heels scored 30 or more points. UNC has scored 30 or more in nine of its last 13 games.

• It was the third time this season UNC scored at least 40 points and the 22nd time since Brown returned as head coach in 2019.

• The Tar Heels improved to 292-32 when they score over 30 points and 150-6 when they score over 40. Under Brown, the Tar Heels are 44-0 when they score 40-plus points and 68-7 when they score 30-plus points.

• Carolina has scored 25 times in 28 drives in the red zone this season. The Tar Heels have scored 17 TDs and made eight field goals when advancing into the red zone.

• Carolina’s 94-yard TD drive in the first quarter took 7:27 off the clock, its longest scoring drive by time since an 8:18 drive against Miami in 2022.

• This marked the first time Carolina had two 90-yard scoring drives in the same game since 2022 at Miami.

• Carolina’s 424 yards in the first half were the most since gaining 424 in the first half against Western Carolina on 12/5/2020, and the most in an ACC game since gaining 500 yards in the first half against Duke on 11/7/2015.

• Carolina totaled 33 first downs, most since 34 vs. NC State in 2020.

• This was the first time Carolina gained 30 first downs since 30 vs. Wake Forest in 2022.

• Since Brown's return, Tar Heel quarterbacks have thrown 40 touchdowns to tight ends or running backs, the most in the ACC.

• The 33-point margin of victory was the largest at home against an ACC opponent since the Tar Heel beat Duke, 66-31, in 2015.

• Drake Maye completed 33 of 47 for 442 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions.

• Maye has thrown for at least 200 yards in all five games this season and all 19 career games as a starter. This was his ninth career game with 300+ passing yards and third with 400.

• Maye joins T.J. Yates, Mitch Trubisky and Sam Howell as the only Tar Heels with three career 400+ yard passing games.

• Maye has thrown at least one touchdown pass in four of the five games this season and 16 of 19 career starts.

• He has thrown multiple TD passes in 14 of 19 career starts.

• Maye led the Tar Heels to an opening-drive score for the 13th time in 19 career starts.

• Maye’s first-quarter rushing touchdown was his fourth of the season and 11th of his career.

• Maye threw TD passes to tight ends Bryson Nesbit and John Copenhaver. Maye has thrown 16 touchdown passes to tight ends or running backs since the start of the 2022 season, the most in the ACC (Clemson has 15 through today).

• In the first half, Maye completed 23 passes, while the defense held the Orange to 22 offensive plays.

• Omarion Hampton rushed for 78 yards to lead the Tar Heels, bringing his total to 461 yards on the season. That is the most by a Tar Heel in the first five games since Javonte Williams and Michael Carter in 2020.

• Nate McCollum had seven catches for 135 yards. He had 165 yards against Minnesota in Carolina’s previous home game and became the third Tar Heel to gain more than 300 receiving yards in consecutive games at Kenan Stadium. Ryan Switzer gained 309 yards against JMU and Pitt in 2016, and Octavius Barnes gained 319 yards against Ohio and Virginia in 1995.

• Nesbit’s 23-yard second quarter TD was his second this season and his longest reception this season.

• Copenhaver’s second-quarter touchdown reception was his second of the season and third of his career.

• Kobe Paysour's 77-yard touchdown catch late in the quarter was the longest catch of his career.

• Paysour set a career high with 100 receiving yards (previous was 98 yards vs. Oregon last year).

• This was the first time two Tar Heels had 100 receiving yards since Antoine Green had 180 and Josh Downs 102 vs. Pittsburgh in 2022.

• Maye lost a fumble in the fourth quarter. It was the first time UNC fumbled (and lost a fumble) this season.

• Carolina ran 97 plays from scrimmage, most since it had 97 against Georgia Tech in 2019.

• Carolina had a season-high 37:16 time of possession (previous was 33:10 vs. Minnesota).

• The seven points were the fewest points allowed in a game since a 38-7 win over Duke on 10/2/2021.

• The Tar Heels allowed 70 yards of offense in the first half, the fewest in a first half since 9/29/2012 when Idaho gained 69 yards.

• Alijah Huzzie made his third interception of the season. He is the first Tar Heel to have interceptions in backto-back games since Patrice Rene in 2018 against Syracuse and Virginia Tech.

• Linebacker Amari Campbell made his first career interception.

• The Tar Heels have not allowed any points in the first quarter at Kenan Stadium this year. The last time Carolina kept opponents shut out in the first quarter during each of the first three games was in 2020.

• Noah Burnette made all four of his field goal attempts, a career high. It was first time a Tar Heel made four field goals in a game since Freeman Jones made four against Virginia Tech 2018.

• Punter Ben Kiernan’s 17-yard rush in the first quarter (after his punt was blocked) was the first rushing first down by a Tar Heel punter since Tommy Hibbard vs. Duke on 10/20/2012.

• Defensive lineman Kevin Hester Jr. did not play due to a lower body injury.

Courtesy UNC Athletics Communications