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North Carolina QB Drake Maye throws left-handed TD vs. Pitt

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 23: Drake Maye #10 of the North Carolina Tar Heels celebrates after a North Carolina Tar Heels touchdown in the first quarter against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Acrisure Stadium on September 23, 2023 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
Drake Maye went ambidextrous in UNC-Pitt. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

UNC quarterback Drake Maye's right arm has thrown 43 touchdown passes for the Tar Heels. His left arm just got on the board.

The much-hyped NFL Draft prospect had a touchdown to remember in the second quarter of UNC's 41-24 win over Pitt on Saturday, scrambling to hit wide receiver Kobe Paysour as a southpaw.

Maye's right arm was busy holding off Pitt pass-rusher Nate Temple, leaving him to throw a wobbly prayer as defensive back A.J. Woods bore down on him.

The score was part of a 41-24 win for UNC, but Maye's only passing touchdown. He finished 22-of-30 for 296 yards, plus two rushing touchdowns.

Maye is coming off redshirt freshman season in which he posted 4,321 passing yards, a 66.2% completion rate, 8.4 yards per pass attempt, 38 touchdown passes, seven interceptions, 698 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns, good for a 10th-place finish in Heisman Trophy voting.

That breakout performance saw UNC go 9-5, losing to Oregon in the Holiday Bowl. Maye entered this season widely hyped as a top Heisman candidate, though the Tar Heels had to replace offensive coordinator Phil Longo and top receivers Josh Downs and Antoine Green.

So far this season, Maye hasn't quite posted stats at the same clip, with 891 passing yards, four touchdown passes and four interceptions in his first three games against South Carolina, Appalachian State and Minnesota, but he also still has UNC undefeated as it looks for its first conference championship since 1980. A 1-0 record in ACC play is a good place to start.