CHAPEL HILL, N.C.—Fourteenth-ranked North Carolina raced out to a 27-0 halftime lead and cruised to a 40-7 win over Syracuse in its ACC home opener on Saturday afternoon at Kenan Stadium, extending the Tar Heels' best start to a season in nearly three decades.
Carolina amassed 424 yards of total offense in a suffocating first half, including 280 through the air from quarterback Drake Maye and a rushing advantage of 144-15. By the end of the game, UNC piled up a season-high 644 yards
Maye sliced through the Orange defense for a season-high 442 yards passing (six shy of his career high) and three touchdowns, including 23 of 35 for 280 yards and two scores while completing passes to 10 different receivers in the first half.