Chapel Hill, NC – The North Carolina Tar Heels won their 2022 season opener, 56-24 over the Florida A&M Rattlers. Drake Maye delivered with 294 passing yards, 5 touchdown throws and 55 yards rushing in his debut at quarterback for the Tar Heels. Freshman running backs Omarion Hampton and George Pettaway combined for 156 yards and 3 touchdowns in the win. Standout wide receiver Josh Downs hauled in 9 catches for 78 yards and 2 touchdowns to lead 10 Tar Heels who caught passes.
Florida A&M vs. North Carolina: UNC won big in its 2022 season opener, defeating Florida A&M 56-24. The story of the game for North Carolina was redshirt freshman quarterback Drake Maye. Maye is the first Tar Heel quarterback to throw for five touchdowns in his first start. He also threw for 294 yards on 29-37 passing and ran for 55 yards. Freshman running back Omarion Hampton ran for 101 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries. UNC star wide receiver Josh Downs caught nine passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns. For Florida A&M, quarterback Jeremy Moussa was 28-38 for 279 yards and two touchdowns.
In his first start at quarterback, redshirt freshman Drake Maye looked like a seasoned veteran for North Carolina in their first game of the 2022 season. In his starting debut, Maye finished the game going 29-37 for 294 yards and five touchdowns. He also had 55 rushing yards, most of it coming on a 42-yard scramble. Maye is the first UNC quarterback to throw five touchdowns in his first start.
The North Carolina offense was misfiring early in the first quarter until quarterback Drake Maye took off running and picked up 42 yards on the run. On the next play, Maye connected with tight end Kamari Morrales for a 19-yard touchdown. Watch UNC get their first two big offensive plays of the 2022 season in this ACC Must See Moment.
Watch North Carolina freshman running back George Pettaway as he slips and jukes past four Rattler defenders on his way to the endzone in this ACC Must See Moment!
Linebacker Noah Taylor transferred from Virginia to North Carolina this year, and Taylor made his presence be known right away as he sacks the FAMU quarterback early in the first quarter. Watch Noah Taylor introduce himself to Tar Heel fans in this ACC Must See Moment.
UNC was up by just one score with under a minute left in the first half, but an interception by Storm Duck set up the UNC offense with a short field which is our CPI: Securing The WIn play of the game. After the interception gave UNC the ball on the Florida A&M 21-yard line, Drake Maye hit Josh Downs in the endzone with five seconds left on the clock. That score put North Carolina up by 14, and FAMU would never get within two scores of the Tar Heels for the remainder of the game.