PITTSBURGH (AP) — Drake Maye’s Heisman Trophy marketing campaign continues to be extra longshot than seemingly.
The North Carolina sophomore quarterback, nonetheless, is exhibiting indicators of happening the sort of run that ends with an invite to the Downtown Athletic Membership on the second Saturday in December, shaking off a pair of early interceptions final week towards Minnesota to throw for 414 yards and two scores because the Tar Heels (3-0) gained 31-13.
One other eye-popping efficiency on Saturday when UNC opens ACC play at struggling Pittsburgh (1-2) may have Maye enter the thick of the race with critical momentum.
“Drake was scorching and I’ve by no means seen him higher. It’s prefer it was with Colt McCoy,” mentioned UNC coach Mack Brown, who coached the previous Texas nice from 2006-09, a profession by which McCoy was a two-time Heisman finalist. “If Colt McCoy ever threw an incompletion, all of us mentioned what’s fallacious with him. That’s the best way it’s with Drake proper now.”
Fake exasperation of a mere incompletion is the sort of first-world drawback the Panthers would like to have.
Pitt’s quarterback points aren’t first-world, however real-world. The great vibes surrounding redshirt senior Phil Jurkovec’s homecoming season have rapidly disappeared. The 23-year-old regarded shaky at greatest and defeated at worst in back-to-back losses to Cincinnati and West Virginia.
Nonetheless, Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi stays dedicated to Jurkovec, making it some extent to unfold the blame round relatively than place it squarely on the shoulders of his quarterback.
“It’s receiver blocking, it’s O-line blocking, it’s tight finish blocking, it’s catching the ball,” Narduzzi mentioned. “Like you must catch the ball. We’ve got alternatives the place we will catch the ball, and we don’t catch the ball. There’s alternatives to finish the go and throw a greater go, and we don’t full passes. It’s every part.”
UNC is eyeing its first 4-0 begin since 1997, Brown’s ultimate season of his first stint with the Tar Heels. The Panthers are attempting to keep away from falling to 1-3 for the primary time since 2017. Pitt struggled at quarterback that season too earlier than lastly handing the job to then-freshman Kenny Pickett.
There are not any plans to show to sophomore Christian Veilleux. Not less than not but. UNC, nonetheless, could also be Jurkovec’s final greatest likelihood to show he’s able to main the Panthers into rivalry within the crowded ACC.
DEFENSIVE GROWTH
UNC’s protection has proven indicators of progress after final yr’s troubles beneath then-first-year defensive coordinator Gene Chizik.
The Tar Heels opened 2023 by accumulating 9 sacks towards South Carolina. They’ve managed only one over the past two video games however got here up with two takeaways and allowed a 3-for-12 conversion fee on third down towards Minnesota.
“I believe simply the general distinction is a consolation degree with the protection in your second yr, I believe that’s No. 1,” coordinator Gene Chizik mentioned. “No. 2, we’ve very sensible guys and I believe they completely understanding the place they’re becoming, what their job obligations are. … Our guys, it’s the carryover and accumulation of reps.”
RB WHO?
Pitt — the collegiate house of Tony Dorsett, Curtis Martin and LeSean McCoy — has lengthy thought of itself “RBU.”
Now, not a lot. The Panthers have rotated Rodney Hammond, C’Bo Flemister and Daniel Carter in hoping one in all them can merely take over the place as present New York Jets rookie Israel Abanikanda did a yr in the past.
It hasn’t occurred. The Panthers are twelfth within the 14-team ACC in yards speeding per recreation (143.3). Whereas a borderline non-existent passing recreation that has allowed opponents to give attention to stopping the run is a part of the issue, so is a scarcity of consistency. Pitt ran for 67 yards on its first sequence towards the Mountaineers and managed simply 63 the remainder of the sport.
“You study, you study from errors and stuff like that,” Hammond mentioned. “It wasn’t irritating. It’s soccer. That’s the way it goes. You’re not all the time going to get the identical look you bought earlier than.”
CHAIN GANG
North Carolina has been terrific at retaining the chains transferring.
The Tar Heels are No. 2 nationally in third-down conversion fee at 65.1% (28 for 43) on the season. That features going 12 for 17 within the Minnesota win.
“I believe we’ve tried to place ourselves in place by working performs that we all know we will execute,” first-year offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey mentioned. “I believe that’s the most important factor in third downs, looking for the performs your gamers know already which can be sort of ‘base performs’ you can match into third down. After which discover methods to window-dress it and conceal it just a little bit.”
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AP Sports activities Author Aaron Beard in Chapel Hill, N.C., contributed to this report.
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AP faculty soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll
