UNC dominates in season opener versus Florida A&M
The North Carolina Tar Heels football program opened the 2022 season 1-0 after dominating Florida A&M 56-24 Saturday night at home.
UNC’s defense got off to a sluggish start, but the offense came out on fire, leading to a record-breaking night from quarterback Drake Maye. The redshirt freshman had it going for the Tar Heels early, finding tight end Kamari Morales for a 19-yard touchdown at the 5:51 mark in the first quarter.
Florida A&M answered back two minutes later on a quick drive that tied up the game.
The offensive showdown continued with Maye tossing two more touchdowns, while the Rattlers were only able to muster up a single score in that span which gave UNC a 21-14 lead.
But then the turning point happened.
Defensive back Storm Duck came up with a huge interception on the Rattlers’ next drive to set UNC up deep in FAMU territory late in the second quarter. That drive was capped off with another Maye touchdown, this time finding receiver Josh Downs with just five seconds before halftime. The Tar Heels led 28-14 at the break.
It was the first touchdown on the year for Downs after a record-setting campaign a year ago.
The second half was all Tar Heels, as the Maye show continued to a historic night. Four-star freshman Omarion Hampton also put his stamp on the game, rushing for his first touchdown to start the third and finishing with 101 yards on 14 carries in the game. The other four-star freshman, George Pettaway, saw the end zone as well, scoring a touchdown on a 29-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Maye then capped off his night by throwing a record-breaking fifth touchdown, claiming the title for most touchdowns in a career start at UNC.
UNC now turns their attention to Week 1 as a big showdown with Appalachian State looms.
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