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No. 14 North Carolina in full control with Maye accounting for 4 touchdowns in 40-7 win over Orange

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No. 14 North Carolina in full control with Maye accounting for 4 touchdowns in 40-7 win over Orange


CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — There will be bigger tasks ahead for No. 14 North Carolina, but the way the Tar Heels took care of matters Saturday should give them confidence they can meet those challenges.

Drake Maye threw for three touchdowns and ran for another as North Carolina remained undefeated with a 40-7 victory over Syracuse.

“We’re playing to a standard,” coach Mack Brown said. “This was important to (our players) to get better and that’s what they did.”

The Tar Heels (5-0, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) overpowered the Orange with a ball-control offense that churned out 644 yards total offense and about twice as much time of possession.

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Receiver Tez Walker made his North Carolina debut two days after he was cleared to play by the NCAA following a long transfer-eligibility case, but the Tar Heels had plenty of offense even with his minimal contributions.

“Kind of wanted to get him the groove,” Maye said. “Glad to see him out there. What a great story.”

Maye completed 33 of 47 passes for 442 yards without an interception. The longest pass play was Kobe Paysour’s 76-yard touchdown reception after he tipped a slightly off-target pass to himself and then outraced the Orange secondary to end zone.

“He saved my butt there,” Maye said.

Nate McCollum caught seven passes for 135 yards and Paysour gained 100 yards on three catches.

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Syracuse (4-2, 0-2) had 221 yards of total offense. Quarterback Garrett Shrader was 15 for 21 for 124 yards and an interception.

“There was real football out there,” Orange coach Dino Babers said. “That’s a good team. Those guys were big, strong and fast and they executed very well.”

North Carolina’s Noah Burnette kicked four field goals.

The Orange was held to 70 total yards in the first half. The Orange opened the second half on a 75-yard drive with LeQuint Allen’s 1-yard TD run.

North Carolina’s defense allowed 11 first downs – the fewest in a game in 11 years.

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“We had a big challenge on our hands. I thought we handled it well,” nose tackle Tomari Fox said. “The odds were already against them (coming off a loss and on the road). We couldn’t give them any help.”

The Tar Heels used 14 plays to go 64 yards for Burnette’s 29-yard field goal on the game’s opening possession.

North Carolina’s second scoring drive ended on Maye’s 1-yard sneak, covering 94 yards in 17 plays. It included a Tar Heels punt that was blocked by Syracuse’s Denis Jaquez Jr., but punter Ben Kiernan scooped the ball and barely picked up a first down.

Maye connected with tight end Bryson Nesbit in the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown in the second quarter to complete a nine-play, 77-yard march.

The margin grew to 24-0 after Maye’s 1-yard flip to tight end John Copenhaver to cap a 95-yard drive.

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North Carolina has scored 30 or more points in its first five games for the second year in a row. The Tar Heels eclipsed the 600-yard mark with more than 12 minutes to play.

LET THEM PLAY, TOO?

The Tar Heels appeared on the verge of wearing out the Orange. North Carolina had 39 of the game’s first 48 plays. First downs were 15-1 in the Tar Heels’ favor at that point.

By the end of the first half, Maye had completed 23 passes. Syracuse had 22 total snaps (and the last of those was a kneel down to end the half).

“I don’t think I’ve seen a first half that dominant in a long, long time,” Brown said.

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WALKER TRACKER

Walker’s first catch came on a 6-yard play on North Carolina’s second possession, shortly after he was on the field for his first snap.

“It’s a blessing to be out there,” Walker said.

The former Kent State player finished with six receptions for 43 yards. The six catches were second on the team among the 11 Tar Heels who caught passes in the game.

Walker had to make a late-week transition from the scout team.

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“The young man is living his dream,” Brown said.

THE TAKEAWAY

Syracuse: The Orange didn’t have much time to showcase an offense that was impressive in the first four games of the season but has failed to generate much in ACC play.

North Carolina: The Tar Heels were fresh and energized coming off an open date and they clicked offensively in the first of three straight home games.

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North Carolina could climb a bit after its fourth victory by a double-figure margin, all against Power 5 opponents.

UP NEXT

Syracuse: Saturday at No. 5 Florida State.

North Carolina: Home Saturday vs. No. 17 Miami.

(Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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North Carolina

Oregon Ducks’ Dan Lanning Compliments ‘Brilliant’ North Carolina Coach Bill Belichick

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Oregon Ducks’ Dan Lanning Compliments ‘Brilliant’ North Carolina Coach Bill Belichick


The No. 1 Oregon Ducks are the only undefeated team left in college football. At 13-0 and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff, Oregon earned a first-round bye. The Ducks are Big Ten Champions in their inaugural season in the conference. Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel was a Heisman Trophy finalist.

…. In short, the 2024-25 college football season has been Duck domination by coach Dan Lanning.

However, another coach is grabbing headlines while the Ducks prepare to face either theOhio State Buckeyes or Tennessee Volunteers in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.

Legendary NFL coach Bill Belichick will coach at the collegiate level for the first time as he takes over the University of North Carolina football program. Belichick takes over for Mack Brown in a stunning move.

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Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning, University of North Carolina Tarheels coach Bill Belichick

Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning, University of North Carolina Tarheels coach Bill Belichick / IMAGN/ USA Today

Lanning and Belichick are familiar with each other and Lanning complimented the new Tar Heels coach.

“I got an opportunity to go visit OTAs (NFL organized team activities) before and visit with him on the phone a few times,” Lanning said. “Obviously, a brilliant football coach and there’s a reason he’s had all the success he’s had. Extremely organized, deep thinker, and certainly he can coach football. So I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see him have success there at UNC.”

MORE: Updated National Championship Odds: Oregon Ducks, Texas or Ohio State?

MORE: Oregon Ducks 5-Star Commit Kendre Harrison Reacts to Bill Belichick, North Carolina

MORE: Oregon Ducks Predicted To Land No. 1 Transfer Portal Offensive Lineman Isaiah World?

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MORE: Oregon Ducks Injury Update Ahead of Rose Bowl: College Football Playoff

Belichick holds the NFL record for most Super Bowls with six as the New England Patriots head coach. Widely regarded as one of the best NFL coaches of all time, Belichick is 72-years-old and a descendant of the Bill Parcells coaching tree.

How Belichick transitions to college and the new transfer portal, Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) era will be under much scrutiny. In 2024, North Carolina finished 6-6 and in 10th place in the ACC conference.

 In his introductory press conference in Chapel Hill, Belichick said he “always wanted to coach in college football and it just never really worked out. I had some good years in the NFL, so that was OK. But this is really kind of a dream come true.”

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning gathers his team during a timeout as the No. 1 Oregon Ducks host the Washington Huskies Saturda

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning gathers his team during a timeout as the No. 1 Oregon Ducks host the Washington Huskies Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

His dad, Steve, served as an assistant coach for the Tar Heels from 1953 to 1955. Belichick doesn’t have vivid memories of his family’s time at UNC but said he was always told, “Billy’s first words were ‘Beat Duke.’ … So, full circle.”

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Belichick and Lanning won’t meet in the regular season as members of difference conferences. The two could meet on the recruiting trail and in the transfer portal, as many prospects are excited about the idea of playing with the legendary Belichick.

Also, with the College Football Playoff expanding to 12-team, the ACC could have a larger presence in the postseason, moving forward. Meaning, Oregon and UNC could meet in the playoffs.

MORE: Justin Herbert Injury Update: Los Angeles Chargers vs. Denver Broncos, Thursday Night Football

MORE: Oregon Ducks’ Dan Lanning ‘Attacking’ Extra Preparation Time Before Rose Bowl

MORE: Oregon Ducks Fans Color To Wear In Rose Bowl Vs. Ohio State Or Tennessee in Pasadena

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North Carolina joins mystery drone conversation – Washington Examiner

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North Carolina joins mystery drone conversation – Washington Examiner


(The Center Square) – White House dismissal notwithstanding, mysterious drones are the talk of the nation. And North Carolina has entered the chat.

“We are actively communicating with federal and local agencies about residents’ reports of drones spotted in eastern North Carolina and are working to find answers,” said U.S. Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C.

The federal government, said national security spokesman John Kirby, hasn’t identified public safety or national security risks. Sightings started in the northeast last month, speculation has intensified, and there’s been little to no explanation.

Reaction has ranged from marvel and wonder to the paraphrase of a number of both Democratic and Republican politicians to “shoot first, ask questions later.”

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“There are more than 1 million drones that are lawfully registered with the Federal Aviation Administration,” Kirby said. “And there are thousands of commercial, hobbyist and law enforcement drones that are lawfully in the sky on any given day. That is the ecosystem that we are dealing with.”

That said, federal probes have been started. There have been more than 5,000 reports to the FBI, with roughly 100 drawing investigations, says a joint statement put out by the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Department of Defense.

Published reports of similar sightings exist to the west in California, the Midwest in Minnesota, and even across the Atlantic in England.



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North Carolina parent arrested for strangling student inside school in caught-on-video attack: police

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North Carolina parent arrested for strangling student inside school in caught-on-video attack: police


A North Carolina father was arrested Monday after allegedly storming into a high school and strangling a teenage student in a caught-on-video attack.

Quinton Lofton, 43, was charged with felony assault by strangulation and disorderly conduct for allegedly jumping a 17-year-old inside the halls of Fike High School in Wilson the same morning, CBS 17 reported.

Lofton, who has a child at the school, was supposed to report to the high school’s office but instead targeted the student — allegedly over a prior dispute outside its halls.

Quinton Lofton, 43, was arrested Monday after allegedly storming into a high school and strangling a teenage student. WRAL

“The parent did not report to the office and instead assaulted a student in the hallway,” Fike Principal Ross Renfrow said in the statement to families obtained by the local station.

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The attack was an escalation of a “situation that happened outside of school,” Renfrow added without providing further details on the said situation.

The Wilson County Sheriff also said the assault was over “an isolated incident that occurred outside of school.”

Lofton was charged with felony assault by strangulation and disorderly conduct. WRAL

Disturbing footage of the beat-down obtained by WRAL News shows Lofton allegedly grabbing the student by the neck and tossing him down onto a staircase.

The teen appears to seize as his body lies on the stairs but is able to slowly get up and walk away shortly after, according to the clip.

Staffers then separated the grown man from the student, “diffused the situation and escorted the parent out of the building,” Renfrow said.

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The student’s family questioned how Lofton was allowed inside the school and able to attack the teenage boy without any intervention.

Lofton was arrested and is no longer permitted at the high school. WRAL

His older sister said he was “traumatized” by the assault.

“He’s very shaken up by the whole event that took place this morning,” his sister Shaniqua told WRAL. “He’s pushing through. He’s trying to, you know, remain positive through the whole situation.”

School officials called authorities and the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office arrested Lofton. He is no longer permitted at the high school.

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