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During a commercial break in Syracuse’s 40-7 loss to then-No. 14 North Carolina, the cameras in the stadium panned to Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell. He was the last Tar Heel signal caller to face the Orange. 

In 2020, Howell threw for a touchdown and two picks in one of his weaker performances as a sophomore. While future NFL star Javonte Williams (Denver Broncos) scored three fourth quarter touchdowns to seal a UNC victory, SU’s 3-3-5 defense showed promise. 

On Saturday, Rocky Long’s scheme was torn apart by North Carolina’s Drake Maye. He went 33-for-47, throwing for 442 yards and three touchdowns. Maye, a projected top 3 NFL draft pick per ESPN, tormented Syracuse with a shotgun-heavy attack — a commonplace formation in today’s NFL.

In their last two contests, the Orange have gone from one of the best scoring defenses in the country to appearing powerless against Clemson’s Cade Klubnik and Maye.

Here’s how the Tar Heels’ shotgun attack led to an easy win over the Orange’s defense:

Checkdowns lead to conversions

In the shotgun offense, the running back stands side-by-side with the quarterback. This allows them to become a dual threat as rusher or pass catcher.

On a 3rd-and-7 just under a minute into the second quarter, North Carolina inserted running back British Brooks instead of leading rusher Omarion Hampton.

On this play, Syraucse fully expected a deep ball. It only brought four rushers. Middle linebacker Marlowe Wax initially stood in the box before stepping back to cover tight end John Copenhaver, even though rover safety Justin Barron seemingly had him marked. With Wax away from the box, Brooks found an open gap and was wide open as a pass catcher.

Maye immediately fired a bullet to Brooks for the first down.

The first of three

On UNC’s first touchdown, Maye scored on a “tush push” to make the score 10-0. On the Tar Heels’ next drive, he showed off his arm in the shotgun set. Maye was alone in the backfield before Derek McDonald beat his offensive lineman, creating an open shot at Maye.

But the Tar Heels’ quarterback looked downfield to spot the 6-inch height discrepancy between SU’s backup cornerback Aman Greenwood and UNC’s tight end Bryson Nesbit.

With a step on Greenwood, Maye dropped a perfect, over-the-shoulder throw to Nesbit in the back of the end zone. The score put North Carolina up by two touchdowns and well out of sight.

Key third down conversions

Though Syracuse trailed by 17 in the second quarter, a Leon Lowery sack set up a 3rd-and-12 at UNC’s own 2-yard line. Starting in his own end zone, Maye stood alone as the Orange brought a four-man rush.

Maye shuffled to his left and waited for his receivers to get open. SU cornerback Isaiah Johnson stuck to Tar Heel receiver J.J. Jones but slipped after Jones ran a quick comeback route. As Denis Jacquez Jr. made some contact with Maye, he fired a pinpoint pass to Jones for the first down.

Later in the drive, Maye threw a 49-yard strike to Nate McCollum before flipping a 1-yard touchdown pass to Copenhaver. All of the sudden, it was 24-0 with six minutes still remaining in the second half.

Killer slants

By the end of the third quarter, Syracuse lost any hope at a win. Yet, Maye and the Tar Heels weren’t finished.

On a 3rd-and-3 from the UNC 23-yard line, Syracuse sent a blitz. Barron and Wax were lined up as edge rushers while Lowery served as a QB spy. It was a typical move that the Orange had frequented on third down.

The blitz left defensive backs Johnson, Jeremiah Wilson, Alijah Clark and Jason Simmons Jr. responsible for covering North Carolina receivers. Wilson and Johnson dealt with outside receivers and Simmons was tasked with Nesbit.

But Maye waited for wideout Kobe Paysour to run his slant route before throwing. Paysour was Clark’s man but the safety waited too long to see what route Paysour was running. Now a step behind the UNC receiver, Maye waited for Paysour to speed past Lowery for an open catch-and-run.

With three defenders in pursuit, Paysour outran SU’s final line. He was tripped up by Simmons only after he sauntered into the end zone for a 77-yard touchdown.

Published on October 10, 2023 at 4:40 pm

Contact Henry: henrywobrien1123@gmail.com