Here is a scouting report on North Carolina (9-2 overall, 6-1 ACC), who hosts NC State (7-4 overall, 3-4 ACC) at 3:30 p.m. Friday on ABC.
Five North Carolina players to watch
Sophomore nickel DeAndre Boykins
Boykins is fourth on the squad with 51 tackles, two sacks, one interception, six passes defended and one fumble recovery. He had seven tackles apiece agains both Georgia Tech last week and at Duke. The 6-0 1/2, 195 was a Rivals.com four-star prospect and projected at running back and safety coming out of Concord (N.C.) Central Cabarrus in the class of 2021. He was No. 75 overall nationally and No. 4 in the state of North Carolina.
Junior wide receiver Josh Downs
Downs busted out last year with 101 catches for 1,335 yards and eight touchdowns for the Tar Heels. He might not approach those gaudy numbers due to missing two games with injury. He has 77 receptions for 878 yards and 11 touchdowns this season. He also had eight punt returns for 115 yards. The 5-10 1/4 and 175-pounder was a Rivals.com four-star prospect and the No. 53 overall player in the class of 2020. He is the son of former NC State running back Gary Downs, who played for the Wolfpack from 1990-93.
Sophomore middle linebacker Power Echols
Echols is second on the team with 88 tackles, plus two sacks, one forced fumble and one pass defended. He has had at least 10 tackles in four games, with 14 at Miami (Fla.) on Oct. 8. The 6-0 1/4, 225-pounder was a standout at Charlotte (N.C.) Chambers High. Rivals.com ranked him No. 157 overall nationally and No. 10 in the state of North Carolina in the class of 2021.
Junior outside linebacker Cedric Gray
The 6-2, 230 is far and away the leading tackler on North Carolina with 121 tackles, 65 of them are solo. He also has a sack, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and five passes defended. Gray has topped at least 13 tackles in six games, with a season-high 16 stops and a sack at Virginia on Nov. 5. The former Charlotte Ardrey Kell has gained 40 pounds since high school, where he was a Rivals.com three-star prospect.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Drake Maye
Maye won the quarterback battle and then proceeded to have an All-ACC caliber season. He has gone 269-of-391 passing for 3,614 yards, 34 touchdowns and four interceptions, plus he’s rushed for 597 yards and five scores. The 6-4 1/2 220 was ranked No. 147 overall in the class of 2021 by Rivals.com, and was No. 9 overall in the state of North Carolina out of Charlotte Myers Park High. He originally picked Alabama, but then switched to North Carolina, where his dad Mark Maye had played quarterback and his older brother Luke Maye had played basketball.
What to watch for from North Carolina
1. North Carolina is more balanced in the passing game with redshirt freshman quarterback Drake Maye.
Last year, former quarterback Sam Howell rode his fastball, which was getting the ball to Josh Downs, who caught 101 passes last year. Running back Ty Chandler was solid with 1,092 yards and 13 scores.
The emergence of Maye combined with Downs missing two games due to injury and senior wide receiver Antoine Green missed the first four games and last week in the 21-17 loss vs. Georgia Tech on Saturday. The injuries forced Maye to look at other receivers, and three tight ends — junior Kamari Morales and sophomores Bryson Nebit and John Copenhaver. That trio of tight ends have a combined 62 catches for 909 yards and seven scores.
Green returned to practice this past week and he’s a deep threat that was missed against Georgia Tech. He struggled against NC State last year with some costly drops, but he’s topped 100 yards in three games this season and has six touchdowns in seven games.
2. The low point for North Carolina’s defense came early in a 63-61 win at Appalachian State on Sept. 3.
UNC has allowed 30.4 points, 179.7 rushing yards and 273.2 passing yards per game this season. Opponents have converted on 42 percent on third-down conversions.
NC State has struggled running the football, and that will get put to the test against UNC, who allowed Georgia Tech to tally 186 yards and three touchdowns last week. Georgia Tech didn’t even have anyone rush for more than 47 yards in the upset win.
The Tar Heels have two talented linebackers in Cedric Gray and Power Echols, but the defensive line and pass-rushing outside linebacker spot has struggled. UNC only has 15 sacks this season. Both Desmond Evans and Virginia transfer Noah Taylor got hurt after eight games, and nose tackle Raymond Vohasek has only played five games.
3. North Carolina loves to go for it on fourth down.
The Tar Heels have gone 18 of 29 on fourth-down conversions, which is five more attempts than their opponents. For comparison, UNC has gone for it on fourth down 11 more times than NC State, who has converted just seven times.
It isn’t just fourth down and short either. North Carolina lets Maye create with his arm and legs, and he has a great matchup to go to with Downs being so quick out of the slot.
UNC started the process with seven running backs, but since last spring, Kamarro Edmonds transferred to East Carolina, British Brooks got injured and Caleb Hood got injured after seven games. When UNC runs the ball on fourth and short, sophomore Elijah Green has emerged. The 6-0, 205-pounder rushed for 92 yards and two touchdowns against Georgia Tech.
When North Carolina does kick field goals, sophomore kicker Noah Burnette is 10 of 12 with a long of 47 this season. He’s missed from 39 yards and 52.
Three keys to the game for NC State football
1. Georgia Tech gives NC State hope. Georgia Tech played two quarterbacks in the 21-17 win at North Carolina.
Third-string quarterback Zach Gibson, a Akron transfer, started the game, and Clemson transfer Taisun Phommachanh both played against UNC. Does that sound familiar? NC State might have former fourth-string quarterback Ben Finley start the game, and Charleston Southern transfer Jack Chambers could play on running downs.
Georgia Tech had lost sophomore starter Jeff Sims to injury, and his freshman backup Zach Pyron also got hurt. Gibson has passed for 1,262 yards and 10 touchdowns with zero interceptions last year at Akron, and he threw for 174 yards against the Tar Heels. Phommachanh would come in to run the ball in the red zone, and he had 10 carries for 44 yards and a touchdown, but threw for 13 yards and an interceptions.
It sure wasn’t pretty, but the Yellow Jackets pieced together two touchdowns to win the game. NC State’s best chance might be in a similar messy game with some solid action in the run game by any means necessary.
2. NC State’s defense will blitz, blitz, blitz: UNC has allowed 32 sacks this season and that is with a mobile quarterback in Drake Maye.
Georgia Tech had six sacks and they aren’t nearly the blitzing defense that NC State or Louisville are. Former Garner (N.C.) High defensive lineman Keion White, a Old Dominion transfer, went off for three tacks for minus-19 yards against the Tar Heels.
NC State will try to wear down Maye, similar to what they did against Wake Forest and veteran quarterback Sam Hartman. Maye is willing to take hits, but he’s also smooth in the pocket and will elude would-be pass-rushers just enough to make a play.
3. NC State’s reshuffled line needs to improve. The expectation is that senior center Grant Gibson will miss the season and he was taken off the two-deep this week.
Losing Gibson affects two positions because redshirt sophomore right guard Dylan McMahon will shift to center and redshirt junior Derrick Eason will start at right guard. McMahon had some errant or ill-timed shotgun snaps last week. McMahon, whose older brother Ryan played center for Florida State, is likely NC State’s center of the future. He played center in the spring game last April and then sometimes in non-conference blowouts this season.
Eason started seven games last year at right guard and has been in the rotation this season. The former defensive lineman has played at least 33 snaps in five games this season.
NC State also has rotated senior Bryson Speas and redshirt sophomore Anthony Belton at left tackle of late. The two players who have remained in their spots are senior left guard Chandler Zavala and redshirt sophomore Timothy McKay.
Three numbers of note
7 Wins by North Carolina coach Mack Brown in 15 meetings against NC State. He lost his first five
519 Passing and rushing yards by redshirt freshman quarterback Drake Maye in a 36-34 win at Wake Forest on Nov. 12. He passed for 448 yards and three touchdowns, and rushed for 71 yards and a score.
47,420 Average home attendance for North Carolina in five games this season.
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