{"id":98601,"date":"2022-10-16T07:41:17","date_gmt":"2022-10-16T07:41:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/unc-drake-maye-complete-dramatic-win-over-duke\/"},"modified":"2022-10-16T07:41:17","modified_gmt":"2022-10-16T07:41:17","slug":"unc-drake-maye-complete-dramatic-win-over-duke","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/unc-drake-maye-complete-dramatic-win-over-duke\/","title":{"rendered":"UNC, Drake Maye Complete Dramatic Win Over Duke"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Drake Maye escapes the pocket vs. Duke (Photo: Jim Hawkins\/Inside Carolina)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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DURHAM, NC \u2014 For North Carolina, with Drake Maye there’s always a way. Maye zipped a touchdown pass on the run to Antoine Green with 16 seconds remaining, and the Tar Heels escaped Duke, 38-35, on Saturday night at Wallace Wade Stadium.<\/p>\n

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Green tightroped the corner of the end zone for the 8-yard catch, after separating from Duke cornerback Joshua Pickett, and the play stood up after a lengthy official review. Just enough green turf visible between Green’s left foot and the white sideline.<\/p>\n

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Will Hardy’s interception with two seconds left sealed the dramatic win for UNC, a diving pickoff after teammate Noah Taylor batted Duke quarterback Riley Leonard’s pass.<\/p>\n

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So the Victory Bell remained in UNC’s possession for a fourth straight year, coach Mack Brown’s winning streak over the Blue Devils grew to 12 straight victories, and the Tar Heels became bowl eligible in mid-October.<\/p>\n

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Maye threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns, and added 70 rushing yards, as North Carolina (6-1 overall, 3-0 ACC) was able to further its grasp on first place atop the conference’s Coastal Division. The Tar Heels rang the Victory Bell, the rivalry prize, in celebration on their way off the field and into the night.<\/p>\n

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UNC went from trailing 21-10 late in the first half to leading 31-21, and then delivered a fourth-down stop on defense late in the third quarter to take over at Duke’s 30-yard line. But the Tar Heels couldn’t put the Blue Devils (4-3, 1-2) away in that opportunity.<\/p>\n

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Leonard’s 20-yard touchdown pass to Sahmir Hagans and Jordan Waters’ 38-yard touchdown burst vaulted the Blue Devils ahead 35-31 with 10:12 left in the game. Duke kicker Charlie Ham’s missed field goal with 2:09 to play loomed large later on this seesawing night.<\/p>\n

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North Carolina has produced just its second 6-1 start to a season since 1997. Josh Downs (nine catches for 126 yards) and Green (four catches for 112 yards) were Maye’s top targets.<\/p>\n

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Fast to end the half<\/b><\/p>\n

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North Carolina moved quickly late in the first half to score 13 seconds prior to halftime, and stay within reach after Duke built a 21-10 lead.<\/p>\n

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Maye’s patience finished off the hurry-up drive. He whipped a 4-yard touchdown pass on the run to Caleb Hood, when it appeared that he might have to throw the ball away on that third down.<\/p>\n

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Hood made the catch in the corner of the end zone, an extra tight window with Duke linebacker Cam Dillon there. The Tar Heels used nine plays to go 75 yards in 85 seconds for the touchdown. That quick drive down the field foreshadowed the winning drive that would end the game.<\/p>\n

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Confusion, costly turnover<\/b><\/p>\n

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Hood seemed as if he got crossed up on the play that resulted in a fumble charged to Maye with about 4\u00bd minutes remaining in the first half.<\/p>\n

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Maye was looking to throw in the opposite direction from which Hood arrived, like he was expecting a handoff or run-pass option play. The contact from Hood while Maye was winding up knocked the ball out of Maye’s grasp, and Duke promptly converted on Jaquez Moore’s short run touchdown with 1:38 left in the half.<\/p>\n

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It marked the second fumble of the first half for Maye. Duke defensive lineman DeWayne Carter poked the ball from Maye on the third play of the game Saturday night and UNC was able to recover. A third Maye fumble came in the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n

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Making another stand<\/b><\/p>\n

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Early in the second quarter, the UNC defense came up with another fourth-down stop on the goal line. Leonard’s pass on fourth-and-2 at the North Carolina 3-yard line fell incomplete, and Leonard still could’ve been feeling the effects of getting popped on the prior play.<\/p>\n

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UNC defenders Cedric Gray and Cam’Ron Kelly lowered the boom on Leonard with a big hit, sending the Duke quarterback flying on a third-down run that gained 3 yards.<\/p>\n

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Last week, the Tar Heels stuffed Miami with a goal-line stand \u2014 the Hurricanes had one play from the UNC 2 and three plays from the 1 \u2014 that proved to be a pivotal sequence in the first half. North Carolina then marched 99 yards for a touchdown.<\/p>\n

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Shaky start on defense<\/b><\/p>\n

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It was a shaky start for a UNC defense that arrived off consecutive confidence-building efforts. Duke’s offense gashed the Tar Heels on its first drive of the game. The Blue Devils had gains of 15, 5, 6, 15 and 14 yards on their first five plays to get going quickly out of the gate.<\/p>\n

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Duke’s first seven plays of the game produced five first downs. Later, Leonard scampered 16 yards down to the UNC 2, and Jordan Waters plowed in for the touchdown that put Duke ahead 7-3.<\/p>\n

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It proved to be a sign of things to come for a UNC defense that allowed 542 total Duke yards.<\/p>\n

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Next on the schedule<\/b><\/p>\n

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UNC has the second open date on its schedule next weekend, another bye week and break for the Tar Heels, before a fourth straight ACC Coastal Division matchup when Pittsburgh visits on Oct. 29.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n