North Carolina
Drake Maye throws 296 yards, completes left-handed TD pass as No. 17 UNC beats Pitt 41-24
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Drake Maye tucked the ball under his arm, ran to his left, and immediately regretted the decision.
Momentarily, anyway.
The North Carolina quarterback soon found Pittsburgh defensive end Nate Temple clutching at him, with Panther defensive back A.J. Woods closing in.
No biggie. Maye fended off Temple with his right hand and jumped as Woods zeroed in, lobbing the ball with his left hand to a wide-open Kobe Paysour, the signature play of the 17th-ranked Tar Heels’ season and Maye’s career — so far — in a 41-24 victory over the Panthers on Saturday night.
“Sometimes those things turn into ‘No, no, no, yes!’” the right-handed Maye said with a shrug. “Just figured I wasn’t getting anywhere, had to figure something (out). Threw a duck up there. it wasn’t spinning at all. Kind of like a pancake.”
Kind of like perfect.
“I think I (told him) that may be the coolest play I’ve seen in college football,” said UNC coach Mack Brown, who turned 72 last month. “And I’ve seen a lot of plays.”
Few plays can match the athleticism and football IQ of Maye’s lefty masterpiece. The sophomore remembers making a basketball-style chest pass against Oregon in the Holiday Bowl last year and is adept at using his left hand to dish assists to his older brothers during pickup hoops, but never using his off-hand when it counts.
“It was just kind of an in-the-moment thing,” Maye said.
Maye finished 22 of 30 for 296 yards and added a pair of rushing touchdowns as the Tar Heels improved to 4-0 for the first time since 1997, the final year of Brown’s first stint at UNC before leaving for Texas.
“It’s something to build on,” Maye said.
Omarion Hampton ran for 66 yards and a touchdown for UNC. J.J. Jones caught six passes for 117 yards and Alijah Huzzie returned a punt 52 yards for a score and picked off two passes as the Tar Heels beat Pitt (1-3, 0-1) for the first time since 2018.
Rodney Hammond ran for 83 yards and a touchdown and Kenny Johnson raced 100 yards on a kickoff return for a score for the Panthers, who lost quarterback Phil Jurkovec to an undisclosed injury late in the first half after he took a hit by UNC’s Tayon Holloway, who was ejected for targeting on the play.
Jurkovec, who struggled in losses to Cincinnati and West Virginia, showed renewed confidence while completing 11 of 15 passes for 109 yards before exiting. Backup Christian Vellieux, a transfer from Penn State, hit on 8 of 19 for 88 yards with two interceptions.
“Tough ballgame against a good football team,” Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said. “Drake Maye is obviously a talented guy.”
Narduzzi and his team got an up-close look at just how talented after the Panthers took a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter. UNC reeled off 31 of the next 34 points, with Maye running it in twice from 1 yard out to go with his lefty pass.
Huzzie weaved his way for the Tar Heels’ first punt return for a score since 2018 and later intercepted Veilleux twice to snuff out any chance Pitt had of getting back in the game.
“I’m going to take Huzzie out to diner on the bye week, whatever he wants, on me,” Maye said. “Anytime you see (his) No. 28 and the ball in the air, you know something good is going to happen.”
THE TAKEAWAY
UNC: The Tar Heels have plenty to work on heading into their bye week. The defense had trouble with Pitt’s hardly potent offense and the special teams allowed a blocked punt and a kickoff return touchdown. Still, they get to work on those things while being undefeated and heading into the teeth of a schedule that doesn’t look as daunting as it did a month ago.
Pitt: It might not matter who the quarterback is if the offensive line can’t make significant improvements. Jurkovec was hit regularly on dropbacks before leaving and Veilleux was under heavy duress.
UP NEXT
UNC: Begins a stretch of three straight games at Kenan Memorial Stadium on Oct. 7 when Syracuse visits.
Pitt: At Virginia Tech next Saturday. The Panthers have won each of their last three meetings with the Hokies.
___
AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll
North Carolina
Machete-wielding, cinnamon bun-stealing North Carolina man arrested for armed robbery: police
An Asheville, North Carolina man wielding a machete was arrested for armed robbery after he allegedly stole a cinnamon bun from a grocery store before fleeing on foot, according to police.
The Asheville Police Department said 33-year-old Jeffrey Dewayne Bradburn has been charged with armed robbery, shoplifting and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The department said in a press release that its officers responded to the grocery store at about 5:30 p.m. on Monday after receiving reports of an armed robbery.
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Jeffrey Bradburn allegedly stole a cinnamon bun from a grocery store while wielding a machete, according to Asheville, North Carolina police. (Buncombe County Detention Facility)
When officers arrived, a store employee alleged that a man had stolen a cinnamon bun and incense. When the man was confronted, the store employee said, he displayed a machete before running away.
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Asheville police responded to a grocery store after receiving reports of an armed robbery. (iStock)
Police canvassed the area for the suspect when they found a man, later identified as Bradburn, who matched the description and was eating a cinnamon bun.
Bradburn was arrested at the scene and charged with armed robbery, shoplifting and possession of drug paraphernalia.
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The suspect was booked into a detention facility after the magistrate set his bond at $50,000. (iStock)
He was transported to the Buncombe County Detention Facility where he was held on a $50,000 bond.
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The Asheville Police Department encourages anyone with information about the incident to contact them at 828-252-1110, or by sending an anonymous tip by texting TIP2APD, or 847411.
A North Carolina chef has been named a finalist for a regional James Beard Award.
The annual awards honor the best in the culinary industry and are often referred to as “The Oscars of Food.” The Triangle has a legacy of taking home honors.
The finalists were announced Wednesday and despite many North Carolina chefs being named semifinalists in national and regional categories, only one chef moved ahead as a finalist.
Silver Iocovozzi of Neng Jr.’s in Asheville was named one of five finalists for the best chef in the southeast award.
The winners will be announced at the 2025 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on Monday, June 16 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
North Carolina chefs have a history of winning James Beard Awards. Lantern’s Andrea Reusing won best chef in the southeast in 2011. Ben Barker of Magnolia Grill won the same honor in 2000. Karen and Ben Barker of Magnolia Grill won outstanding pastry chef in 2003.
Raleigh’s Ashley Christensen, who won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef in 2019, won the award for best chef in the southeast in 2014.
Ricky Moore of Saltbox Seafood in Durham won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southeast in 2022.
NORTH CAROLINA (WTVD) — It’s the season of pollen, spring temperatures, and it can also mean so some not so friendly neighbors coming out of the woodwork.
Pest control companies in the Triangle are already getting calls for complaints of fire ants. We tagged along with Will Adkins from Pest and Termite Consultants to a house in Knightdale. They showed us one medium-sized colony in the yard, estimated to be home to at least 50,000-100,000 ants.
Adkins says when it gets to be bad, it’s important not to try and clear it out yourself.
“We’ve had some old folks that say, oh, you know, just put a little gasoline on it that’ll take care of it, but that’s not very environmentally friendly,” Adkins says.
Instead, Adkins uses a bait in a ring around the mound to kill off the colony within 24 hours.
Red and black fire ants are both common in North Carolina, and can cause anaphylactic shock especially for vulnerable kids, elderly, and pets.
If you accidentally stumble upon their colony, getting away fast can help.
“They can’t fly like hornets or yellowjackets, they’re not going to be able to move to you as quickly so getting away from the mound is key, brushing them off is essential,” says NC State Entomologist Christopher Hayes.
Hayes says they’re also paying attention to hybrid fire ants, a potent combination of both red and fire ants spreading across the state.
SEE ALSO | NC homeowners encouraged to check now for bats, make repairs to keep them out
“Not only are they quick spreading and aggressive, but they’re more resistant to cold; they can spread in colder climates faster because they emerge sooner,” he explains.
In just the past decade their territory has expanded, to now include 77 out of 100 North Carolina counties, including portions of western North Carolina where it used to be too cold for them to inhabit.
Fire ant season typically lasts throughout the summer.
SEE ALSO | Climate Ready NC
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