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Sam Howell looked good in his first game as an NFL starter, playing a little more than a quarter. Howell completed 9 of 12 passes for 77 yards and a touchdown for a 119.1 rating in 19 snaps over three drives as the Washington Commanders won their exhibition opener Friday at Cleveland 17–15.
No, the seven continents are not breaking apart and re-forming. But the nation’s big-time college sports conferences are, wrecking to shreds the Pac-12 and putting into doubt the long-term future of the Atlantic Coast Conference. What if football were to break away entirely, and become literally its own thing, with its own organizational and competitive structure?
North Carolina and N.C. State may not agree on much, but appear to have the same opinion on expansion. Carolina and State are reportedly two of the four schools opposing the addition of Cal and Stanford into the ACC, leaving the league one vote short of adding those two schools.
For years, Mike Krzyzewski never scheduled true road non-conference games, only playing them in the defunct ACC/Big Ten Challenge. His Duke teams still faced tough opponents away from Cameron Indoor Stadium, but at neutral sites. Many wondered why Krzyzewski didn’t schedule road tests for his team before ACC play. Part of his strategy seemed to be to simulate an NCAA tournament game atmosphere.
North Carolina is ranked No. 20 in the preseason Top 25 Coaches Poll, with the preseason AP Top 25 poll set to be released next Monday.
Chazz Surratt came into his third NFL season with a shot at finally getting playing time and he didn’t do anything to hurt his chances on Thursday night. Surratt, who was on the New York Jets’ practice squad most of last season, had an interception and three tackles Thursday night in the Jets’ 21–16 loss to the Cleveland Browns in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio.
Quarterback Drake Maye, last season’s ACC Player of the Year, leads three Carolina players on the preseason All-ACC team announced Wednesday on UNC’s first day of practice and is the Preseason Player of the Year. Joining the 6–4, 230-pound redshirt sophomore are 6–2½, 200-pound Kent State junior transfer wide receiver Tez Walker and 6–2½, 235-pound senior linebacker Cedric Gray. The Tar Heels’ three selections were the third-most after seven for league favorite Clemson and four for Florida State.
In the first non-COVID-19 season without divisions since 2005, the media picked North Carolina — the last Coastal Division champion — on Tuesday to finish third in the ACC. Clemson is the prohibitive favorite to win the league for the eighth time in the last nine seasons.
After only playing in the season finale of his rookie season, the Washington Commanders are giving Sam Howell a chance to show his talent on the field this season. One of his former UNC targets, wide receiver Josh Downs, one of four rookie alums, has a shot at starting for the Indianapolis Colts.
CHARLOTTE — The prevailing assumption of the college football world, including Carolina coach Mack Brown, is that quarterback Drake Maye’s redshirt sophomore season as a Tar Heel will be his last. Not so fast, says the Heisman Trophy candidate and likely high pick in the 2024 NFL draft if he chooses to enter it. He says he’d consider returning for his redshirt junior season, particularly if UNC falls short of its goals.
CHARLOTTE — Carolina junior quarterback Drake Maye answers media questions during ACC Kickoff on Thursday at The Westin Charlotte.
CHARLOTTE — Here is a video of Carolina’s press conference Thursday morning at ACC Kickoff at The Westin Charlotte. Representing the Tar Heels at the availability were Coach Mack Brown, tight end John Copenhaver, linebacker Cedric Gray and quarterback Drake Maye.
You’ll see Wes Durham on ACC Network’s biggest games but don’t expect former Carolina defensive back Tre Boston on that channel, which debuts exclusive UNC football content on Thursday.
North Carolina will appear on the football version of ESPN’s College GameDay for the third time when the show will air from Charlotte before the Tar Heels’ Sept. 2 season-opener against South Carolina. It will be the Tar Heels’ first appearance on the show since Sept. 4, 2010, before they lost to LSU in their season opener in Atlanta.
If you enjoy watching Carolina win a national championship, beat Duke and N.C. State, Armando Bacot make history and Drake Maye work his magic, set your DVR for Carolina takeover day Saturday on the ACC Network. Each conference school has one takeover day as the network replays the biggest victories aired on ESPN channels during the last school year during “ACC Network School Takeover.” It began Saturday with Wake Forest and ends July 15 with Boston College.
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