UNC Football: Helmet stickers for win over Minnesota
If you were preparing to watch the UNC-Minnesota football game on Saturday, Sept. 16, you might’ve expected a low-scoring battle.
The Tar Heels have one of college football’s best offenses, but Minnesota enjoys one of the country’s best defenses.
Yesterday, UNC enjoyed another well-rounded game similar to its opener against South Carolina – strong offense, but surprisingly strong defense, too.
Just like against the Gamecocks, the Tar Heels held Minnesota to three second-half points. UNC won 31-13 – this time, quarterback Drake Maye was the star.
Minnesota running back Darius Taylor enjoyed a 100-yard rushing performance on the ground, but the Tar Heels’ defense held Golden Gophers quarterback Athas Kaliakmanis in check. That was likely one of the many differences in UNC moving to 3-0.
With so many units to choose from, let’s check out which Tar Heels deserved our helmet stickers from the win over Minnesota:
Drake Maye
THIS was the kind of game the Tar Heels expected from their star quarterback.
Drake Maye, a week removed from not throwing a single touchdown, exploded for 414 passing yards. He tossed two touchdowns and threw two picks – exactly like in the opener against South Carolina.
His performance yesterday was likely enough to creep him back into the Heisman Trophy conversation – though Shedeur Sanders is likely the frontrunner – after engineering a fourth-quarter comeback against Colorado State.
The most impressive component about Maye’s outing – it came against a Minnesota defense allowing under 100 passing yards per game.
Nate McCollum
Week one, Kobe Paysour led UNC’s wide receiving corps with 66 yards and a touchdown.
Last weekend against App State, it was J.J. Jones’ turn to anchor the passing attack.
Against Minnesota yesterday, Georgia Tech transfer Nate McCollum experienced the coming-out party Tar Heel fans have been waiting for.
McCollum was among the receiving leaders in college football, catching 15 Maye passes for 165 yards and a touchdown. His yardage total was fifth in the nation, while his receptions topped all players.
McCollum was sparsely used against App State, but showcased his ability as top dog yesterday. Expect Maye to look his way even more against Pitt next Saturday night.
The defense...again
Okay – is UNC’s defense legit or not?
Through three games, the Tar Heels have experienced a roller coaster on the defensive side of the football. Defensive players sacked South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler nine times in Week 1, nearly gave up 500 yards to an inexperienced App State team in Week 2, then made Minnesota quarterback Athas Kaliakmanis non-effective yesterday afternoon, limiting him to 133 yards and just 11 completions.
Golden Gophers running back Darius Taylor proved again why he is one of the country’s top backs, carrying the football 22 times for 138 yards and a touchdown, but he was practically the only visiting player who proved effective.
UNC faces off against Pitt in primetime next weekend (8 p.m., ACC Network). If this season’s trend continues, Pitt will have a field day against the Carolina defense. The Panthers, however, are 1-2 and have only scored 27 points in their past two games.
UNC limited
Noah Burnette
It’s tough winning games when your starting kicker is injured.
Such was the case for UNC yesterday, as Ryan Coe did not play due to a lower-body injury.
Official word now that Ryan Coe is out today with a lower-body injury. https://t.co/nPOQyupDV7
— InsideCarolina (@InsideCarolina) September 16, 2023
Luckily, UNC decided to keep two kickers on its roster this year. Carolina turned to last year’s starter, Noah Burnette, for one of college football’s toughest jobs yesterday.
Burnette only made 15-of-21 kicks last year, but was a perfect 5-for-5 yesterday. He sank a 42-yard field goal in the third quarter, plus made all four extra points.
We don’t know how long Coe will be out, but it’s encouraging to know Burnette can still contribute.
