Drake Maye elite, Tez Walker makes debut as UNC football steamrolls Syracuse

CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina football didn’t need to shake off any rust in a 40-7 rout of Syracuse on Saturday at Kenan Stadium.

Sparked by a sensational showing from quarterback Drake Maye, the 14th-ranked Tar Heels (5-0, 2-0 ACC) were unrelenting in their ACC home opener as they scored on their first seven drives against the Orange (4-2, 0-2).

Maye accounted for 497 total yards and four touchdowns to lead UNC’s offense. Wide receiver Tez Walker made his debut for the Heels, but Nate McCollum paced the receiving corps with seven catches for 135 yards. Noah Burnette added four field goals.

Here’s what stood out in UNC’s ACC home opener.

UNC football quarterback Drake Maye crushes Orange

Maye completed more passes (23) than Syracuse ran offensive plays (22) in a dominant first half as the Tar Heels poured it on the Orange with a 27-0 lead. Maye accounted for 323 yards and three touchdowns in the first half. He completed a pass to 11 different receivers and finished with 442 passing yards.

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UNC defense shows strength against Syracuse

UNC’s defense had its first scoreless half since holding the Hokies scoreless in the second half of a 41-10 win at Virginia Tech in 2022. The Tar Heels limited Syracuse to 70 yards in the first half and finished with two interceptions.

Tez Walker makes long-awaited debut

Kent State transfer Tez Walker missed the first four games as he and UNC continued to challenge the NCAA’s ruling on his waiver as a two-time transfer. Walker led the Tar Heels out of the tunnel on Saturday and had six catches for 43 yards.

UNC punter Ben Kiernan sparks Tar Heels

All-ACC punter Ben Kiernan provided one of the highlights of the game on UNC’s first touchdown drive. Kiernan had a punt blocked, but the ball bounced back to him and he ran 17 yards for the first down. Maye capped the 17-play, 94-yard drive with a 1-yard TD run to give the Tar Heels a double-digit lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

Miami up next on UNC’s schedule

The Tar Heels will play the second of three home games in a row against No. 17 Miami (4-1) at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 14. UNC has won four straight against the Hurricanes, but three of the four games were decided by three points.

Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Drake Maye elite, Tez Walker debuts in UNC football's rout of Syracuse