South Carolina vs. UNC score: Tar Heels sack Spencer Rattler all game in rout of Gamecocks

Two numbers stood out in North Carolina's 31-17 victory over South Carolina on Saturday.

The first is 100: As in, the number of victories Mack Brown has now scored in his time coaching the Tar Heels (also including his stint in Chapel Hill from 1998-97). The second number was nine: the number of times the North Carolina pass rush sacked Gamecocks quarterback Spencer Rattler, over half of the Tar Heels' total from 2022 (17).

What looked like it could be an instant classic in the first half of the Duke's Mayo Classic quickly devolved into Rattler running for his life in Charlotte. He was constantly harassed all game, and still found a way to complete 30 of 39 passes for 353 yards. His favorite target on the night was Xavier Legette, who finished with game highs in receptions (nine) and receiving yards (178). But Rattler was also credited with 13 rushes for a total loss of 22 yards, part of a team effort that saw the team rush 31 times for minus-2 yards.

Conversely, UNC's Drake Maye was relatively unbothered in the Tar Heels' backfield, completing 24 of 32 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns to two late interceptions. Even with the turnovers, he showed why he is considered among the early favorites to win the Heisman Trophy and challenge for a top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Check out all the updates, scores and highlights from North Carolina's victory over South Carolina in the Duke's Mayo Classic:

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South Carolina vs. North Carolina score

South Carolina vs. North Carolina updates, highlights

All times Eastern

Final: North Carolina 31, South Carolina 17

10:57 p.m.: Two kneel downs later seals the deal: North Carolina wins 31-17.

10:56 p.m.: Turnover on downs, South Carolina. Gamecocks kind of go for broke with a fourth-down attempt, but Joshua Simon's reception goes for no yards before he's immediately tackled.

10:55 p.m.: Rattler is sacked for the ninth time tonight. Good on him for sticking through this, but Beamer needs to consider taking him out with no hope of a comeback.

10:52 p.m.: That's the last South Carolina timeout as the Tar Heels prepare to punt on fourth-and-2. Gamecocks will get the ball with just over 2 minutes left at their own 7-yard line.

10:47 p.m.: Turnover on downs, South Carolina. Rattler evades the rush, rolls right and attempts to hit Legette in the end zone, but it's too high. That will end the scoring drive and, in all likelihood, the Gamecocks' chances.

10:45 p.m.: Sack. No. Eight. That brings up second-and-20 from the 21-yard line.

10:41 p.m.: Gamecocks cooking with gas now. Rattler's, er, rattling off passes like South Carolina's life depends on it (which it does). He has consecutive completions of 9, 24, 12 and 24 yards to get the Gamecocks to the UNC 11.

10:40 p.m.: Couple plays get South Carolina across midfield. Gamecocks are driving at the UNC 47.

10:35 p.m.: Gamecocks force a punt, and now time is definitely a factor with fewer than 7 minutes left in the game. They have three timeouts and 6:35 remaining to score two touchdowns.

10:28 p.m.: Rough sequence here: A UNC blitzer comes untouched off the edge and forces Rattler to throw it away. He's called for intentional grounding, bringing up fourth-and-19. Rattler's next pass is completed well short of the line to gain, and the scoring opportunity ends right there. UNC will take over with roughly 8 minutes left to play.

10:27 p.m.: Rattler with completions of 14 and 12 yards to get South Carolina inside the 20. Think this is four-down territory.

10:25 p.m.: Interception, South Carolina. Another timely pick, this one by Kajuan Banks! The Gamecocks take over at the Tar Heels' 38-yard line, and all of a sudden this doesn't look so dire for South Carolina.

10:19 p.m. Field goal, South Carolina. Three plays inside the 10 result in nothing for the Gamecocks. In fact, Rattler's sacked for the sixth time on third down for a loss of 3 yards. Mitch Jeter comes on to hit the gimme field goal, making him 12 of 12 for his career. Gamecocks cut the lead to 31-17 with 12:19 remaining.

10:17 p.m.: One play later, Don Chapman is called for unnecessary roughness after lifting and slamming Brown to the turf. That sets up first-and-goal from the 7-yard line.

10:16 p.m.: Rattler finds Xavier Legette for 33 yards! The circus catch gets South Carolina down to the 18-yard line.

10:15 p.m.: Lucky break for South Carolina, which gets a free set of downs after defensive holding instead of a third-and-24 attempt.

10:13 p.m.: False start before the first play of the quarter can start. Decidedly not a good a thing.

Third quarter: North Carolina 31, South Carolina 14

10:08 p.m.: Two plays later, Desmond Evans gets the Tar Heels' fifth sack of Rattler. That will end the third quarter and bring up second-and-19 from the Gamecocks' 44-yard line.

10:07 p.m.: Rattler scrambles for an 11-yard gain on third-and-9. Great play by the QB to keep the Gamecocks' drive alive.

10:05 p.m.: Interception, South Carolina. Fortune makes another big play for the Gamecocks and undercuts a Maye throw for a massively important interception. Now: Can the Gamecocks make something of the turnover?

10:04 p.m.: Brooks scampers for 29 yards on third-and-1 to the South Carolina 42.

9:58 p.m.: Beau Atkinson gets the fourth sack of the game on Rattler. The Gamecocks' offensive line is doing their quarterback no favors. Punt team comes on and kicks it into the end zone for a touchback.

9:57 p.m.: Rattler gets a nice 15-yard scramble on the first play of the drive. Might need to see a bit more of that if the Gamecocks are going to get back into this game.

Touchdown, North Carolina: Tar Heels lead 31-14

9:52 p.m.: Maye is unstoppable right now. He drifts left, left, left and floats a pass with Johnson and Co. bearing down. Copenhaver makes the comeback catch in the end zone to complete the 18-yard touchdown. Tar Heels' lead balloons to 31-14 with 6:29 remaining in the quarter.

9:49 p.m.: South Carolina's inability to get off the field on third down could be the doom of this team. Maye finds Paysour on a 5-yard completion on third-and-4. The Tar Heels are driving at the Gamecocks 18.

9:47 p.m.: Maye hits John Copenhaver for 16 yards to the South Carolina 39-yard line. Gamecocks need a stop here, big-time.

9:45 p.m.: Bad to worse for South Carolina: Amari Gainer sacks Rattler for a loss of 7 on third-and-10, and the ensuing punt from the 18-yard line is short. Tar Heels will take over at their own 45.

Touchdown, North Carolina: Tar Heels lead 24-14

9:41 p.m.: What a turn of events in Charlotte. North Carolina converts on fourth-and-1 with a 6-yard run by Brooks. Then Maye hits Gavin Blackwell for 37 yards down to the 1-yard line. Following that, a 1-yard touchdown by Hampton to give North Carolina the 24-14 lead.

9:34 p.m.: Oof. Turnover on downs after the Gamecocks go for it on fourth-and-4. Rattler had Brown, but he dropped it. Tar Heels will take over on downs.

9:32 p.m.: Trickeration! South Carolina kicks an onside kick and gets the ball at their 47-yard line!

9:31 p.m.: Kickoff is about to get underway. North Carolina will receive out of the second half.

Halftime: North Carolina 17, South Carolina 14

9:10 p.m.: Halftime stats from the Duke's Mayo Classic:

• First downs: UNC 12 | South Carolina 7

• Third downs: UNC 6-8 (0-1 on fourth) | South Carolina 2-5

• Total yards: UNC 255 | South Carolina 176

• Passing: UNC 16-20, 177 yards | South Carolina 10-11, 171 yards

• Rushing: UNC 20 rushes, 78 yards | South Carolina 14 rushes, 5 yards

• Penalties: UNC four for 16 yards | South Carolina two for 15 yards

• Possession: UNC 19:30 | South Carolina 10:30

9:09 p.m.: The half ends with no further damage done by either team. A little streaky, and lots of big plays by both teams. Entertaining game coming out of Charlotte.

9:05 p.m.: A promising drive is derailed by penalties and a third-down, 4-yard sack of Rattler. That brings up fourth-and-13 from the Gamecocks' 43-yard line, and they'll give it back to North Carolina with 18 seconds in the half.

9:02 p.m.: Rattler connects with Brown on a quick swing pass, the receiver makes a man miss and then hits the sideline for a 19-yard gain to the South Carolina 45.

Touchdown, North Carolina: Tar Heels lead 17-14

8:55 p.m.: Two plays later, Maye finds Paysour for a 34-yard touchdown. The receiver caught the freshman defensive back Keenan Nelson Jr. flat-footed for the easy pitch-and-catch. The Tar Heels lead yet again with 2:50 remaining in the half.

8:54 p.m.: Another third down, another long conversion by Maye. He connects with Kamari Morales for 28 yards on third-and-3 to get a first down at the Gamecocks' 40-yard line.

Touchdown, South Carolina: Gamecocks lead 14-10

8:46 p.m.: And McDowell gets the 1-yard touchdown plunge to cap the five-play, 72-yard drive. Gamecocks lead, for the first time all game, with a score of 14-10 with 5:16 left in the half.

8:45 p.m.: Big play after big play after big play for South Carolina on this drive. Rattler completes passes of 29, 20 and 22 yards to Xavier Legette, Ahmarean Brown and Juju McDowell, respectively. That sets up first-and-goal from the 1-yard line.

8:36 p.m.: FIELD GOAL, UNC. Maye hits receiver Gavin Blackwell dead in his hands, but he drops it. So the Tar Heels instead settle for a 37-yard field goal to go up 10-7 with 7:05 left in the half.

8:35 p.m.: Consecutive procedural penalties by Tar Heels now have them first-and-20 from the South Carolina 26.

8:33 p.m.: Excellent protection by North Carolina, and Maye hits J.J. Jones in stride for an 18-yard gain to the 16. Gamecocks gave entirely too much cushion there.

8:33 p.m.: North Carolina has it third-and-7 before a snap infraction makes it third-and-12 Tar Heels. They'll have that to convert from their own 34.

8:31 p.m.: Maye has the Tar Heels driving at the 32-yard line. He had Kobe Paysour all alone down the left sideline for a walk-in touchdown, but threw it too far out of bounds instead. Lucky break for the Gamecocks.

8:29 p.m.: Maye has all the time in the world in the pocket, manages to avoid two South Carolina rushers and hits Bryson Nesbit for 13 yards to the Gamecocks' 43.

8:26 p.m.: South Carolina can't make anything of the turnover after Rattler trips over his own lineman trying to escape the pocket. Punt team upcoming after the three-and-out, and the Tar Heels will take over at their 38-yard line.

8:24 p.m.: Turnover on downs. Maye's first incompletion in 11 (!) attempts falls incomplete. He tried to get Gavin Blackwell on the quick slant, but Fortune was on the coverage. Gamecocks take over at their 23.

8:24 p.m.: Looks like North Carolina's going for it.

First quarter: North Carolina 7, South Carolina 7

8:18 p.m.: Maye completes a 6-yard pass to Kobe Paysour on third-and-9, bringing up fourth-and-3 from the South Carolina 23-yard line. Mack Brown and Co. have a decision to make coming out of the break.

8:16 p.m.: Maye completes the pass to Brooks on third-and-4 to keep the drive alive at the Tar Heels' 43.

Touchdown, South Carolina: Game tied 7-7

8:08 p.m.: Eight plays, 75 yards later and South Carolina has things knotted up at 7-7. Dakereon Joyner runs it in from 4 yards out. Few nice throws by Rattler also went for 16, 37 and 14 yards as well.

8 p.m.: Gamecocks back at it from their 25 after another touchback.

Touchdown, North Carolina: Tar Heels lead 7-0

8:01 p.m.: Right tackle Cason Henry is down with an injury for South Carolina.

7:57 p.m.: Omarion Hampton plunges for a 1-yard touchdown, despite the Gamecocks having 12 men on the field. The penalty is declined, and the Tar Heels lead 7-0 with 9:50 left in the quarter.

7:56 p.m.: Timeout, South Carolina (9:54)

7:54 p.m.: Good news: Fortune wasn't called for targeting. Bad news: North Carolina is driving, second-and-goal, from just outside the 5-yard line.

7:52 p.m.: Uh-oh, looks O'Donnell Fortune might be ejected for targeting following a 15-yard run by UNC's British Brooks. The play is under review.

7:47 p.m.: Tar Heels to take over from their own 30 after the punt.

7:46 p.m.: Rattler very nearly pulled off an amazing play: He escapes the Tar Heel rush, rolls right and nearly hits his receiver for a third-down conversion. He can't complete the catch and that'll bring on the punt team.

7:45 p.m.: Looks like South Carolina was going for a trick play on the first play from scrimmage. Instead it goes for a loss of 2 yards. Then there's a completion for no gain, quickly bringing up third-and-12.

7:44 p.m.: Spencer Rattler and South Carolina to get the ball first. Here we go.

Pregame

7:31 p.m.: Appears the Gamecock contingent is stronger in Charlotte than the home-state team (to be fair, Columbia is about 48 miles closer to Charlotte than Chapel Hill):

6:41 p.m.: Another injury note for North Carolina:

6:16 p.m.: Not great for Drake Maye if Nate McCollum can't go:

5:40 p.m.: Gamecocks will wear the home jerseys in the Duke's Mayo Classic. Also, check out those lids:

5:31 p.m.: Looks like South Carolina is heading for the team buses to Bank of America Stadium:

PREVIEW: South Carolina football vs North Carolina: Score prediction, scouting report for 2023 opener

What channel is South Carolina vs. North Carolina on today?

• TV channel: ABC

• Streaming: ESPN app, Fubo (free trial)

South Carolina vs. North Carolina will be broadcast nationally on ABC, though fans in the Raleigh-Durham market may find themselves unable to watch. Here's why.

Streaming options include the ESPN app (with a cable login) and Fubo, which carries the ABC family of networks and offers a free trial to potential subscribers.

What time does South Carolina vs. North Carolina start?

• Date: Saturday, Sept. 2

• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET

The Duke's Mayo Classic between the Gamecocks and Tar Heels will take place at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.

South Carolina vs. North Carolina odds

Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Friday, Sept. 1

• Spread: North Carolina (-2.5)

• Over/under: 63.5

• Moneyline: North Carolina -140 | South Carolina +115

South Carolina 2023 schedule

REQUIRED READING: What South Carolina's Spencer Rattler has to prove vs UNC and how Shane Beamer came to his defense

North Carolina 2023 schedule

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina-North Carolina live score, updates, highlights