CHARLOTTE – In a game that fans from two states circled on their calendars months in advance, the North Carolina Tar Heels faced off against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. With a strong defensive effort and a balanced offense, the Tar Heels emerged victorious with a final score of 31-17.

The Tar Heels had several standout players during the game. British Brooks had 18 receiving yards and 3 receptions, as well as 103 rushing yards. Drake Maye had 269 passing yards and 2 touchdowns, as well as 25 rushing yards. Kobe Paysour had 66 receiving yards, 7 receptions, and 1 touchdown. John Copenhaver had 52 receiving yards, 3 receptions, and 1 touchdown. Omarion Hampton had 37 rushing yards and scored 2 touchdowns.

In the first half of the game, the Tar Heel defense was able to stop the Gamecocks’ first possession with a three-and-out. The Tar Heels then quickly took control of the game, scoring a touchdown on a one-yard run by Omarion Hampton after a 70-yard drive that took just 3:55. The Gamecocks responded with a 75-yard drive of their own, tying the score at 7-7 with 6:29 left in the first quarter.

As the second quarter progressed, both teams settled into the game. Ryan Coe kicked a 37-yard field goal for the Tar Heels, putting them ahead 10-7 with 7:05 left before halftime. However, the Gamecocks came back strong, scoring a touchdown on a 72-yard drive in just 1:42 to retake the lead at 14-10. The Tar Heels responded with another touchdown drive, led by Drake Maye, who completed all three of his passes for 67 yards and connected with Kobe Paysour on a 34-yard score. This put the Tar Heels back in the lead at 17-14 with 2:50 left before halftime. The UNC defense was also impressive, limiting USC to just five first-half rushing yards.

In the second half, the Tar Heels continued to dominate. Omarion Hampton scored his second rushing touchdown of the night, putting Carolina up by two scores at 24-14 with 11:35 left in the third quarter. Maye then connected with John Copenhaver for an 18-yard touchdown pass, making the score 31-14 Tar Heels with 6:29 remaining in the third quarter.

Despite intercepting two of Maye’s passes in the second half, South Carolina was only able to score a field goal, cutting the lead to 31-17. The Gamecocks made one final push into UNC territory in the fourth quarter but were unable to score and gave up the ball on downs with 3:23 left to play.

North Carolina takes on in-state rival App State next Saturday at Kenan Stadium. Kickoff is set for 5:15 pm.

With ESPN's College Gameday in Charlotte this weekend, the "Battle of the Carolinas" highlights what is an exciting opening weekend of college football in North Carolina. The Duke's Mayo Classic will see the North Carolina Tar Heels and the South Carolina Gamecocks battling Saturday night in Bank of America Stadium.

While the Tar Heels and Gamecocks don’t play each other often enough to sustain a heated rivalry like UNC has with Duke and NC State, this game is still an opportunity for both teams to set their teams on a trajectory toward success in 2023 while also getting a chance to represent their respective states. The game encompasses so much more than just football, it’s a chance to celebrate the history and culture of both North and South Carolina.

One key player to watch in this game is North Carolina’s sophomore quarterback Drake Maye. Maye is one of college football’s top returning players this fall and is heavily involved in early Heisman projections.

This game promises to be an exciting and hard-fought battle between two talented teams. Fans from both states will be eagerly watching to see who comes out on top in this year’s “Battle of the Carolinas.”

Other Big Games

East Carolina at Michigan: East Carolina opens its season at No. 2 Michigan. Under fifth-year head coach Mike Houston, East Carolina closed the 2022 season winning five of its last seven games before finishing with an 8-5 overall record. The Pirates became bowl-eligible for the second consecutive season and earned their 10th bowl victory in program history with a 53-29 win over Coastal Carolina in the TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl. Saturday’s game against Michigan will mark the third time the Pirates have faced a team ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in the Associated Press poll.

Gardner Webb at Appalachian State: The Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs head up the mountain to take on the Appalachian State Mountaineers at Kidd Brewer Stadium. App State, which is 9-1 against FCS teams since its FBS transition in 2014, is facing a ranked FCS team for the first time since the Mountaineers’ final SoCon season in 2013. This game will kick off at 3:30 and will be broadcast on ESPN+.

Greensboro at Guilford: Greensboro College plays against crosstown rival Guilford College in the 23rd edition of the Gate City Soup Bowl Saturday at 7. Fans are encouraged to wear crimson as it is the football team’s BLEED CRIMSON game. Fans who bring three canned goods received free admission into the game, as part of a canned food drive to benefit Second Harvest and Greensboro Urban Ministries.

CHARLOTTE - NC State (8-4) faces Maryland (7-5) on Dec. 30 in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte at noon on ESPN. The overall series record between NC State and Maryland stands exactly even at 33-33-4. The Wolfpack and the Terps met every year on the gridiron from 1956 until Maryland’s departure from the ACC following the 2013 season.

This is NC State’s 34th bowl appearance (17-15-1) and will mark the fourth time the Wolfpack has played a bowl game in Bank of America Stadium. The Wolfpack won the 2005 Meineke Car Care Bowl and the 2011 Belk Bowl and lost the 2015 Belk Bowl.

In 2005, NC State turned in a storybook ending to a rollercoaster season with a 14-0 victory over South Florida on New Year’s Eve. The defense, led by bowl MVP Stephen Tulloch, shut out the Bulls in USF’s first bowl game appearance in school history. It marked the only shutout in a bowl that year and the first ever by the Wolfpack.

In 2011, the Wolfpack scored 24 unanswered points in the second and third quarters to overwhelm Louisville in the 2011 win. Quarterback Mike Glennon, who completed 21 of 33 passes for 264 yards and three touchdowns, was named the MVP of the game.

In 2015, Mississippi State - behind QB Dak Prescott - won 51-28 over the Wolfpack in the soggy Belk Bowl. 

In addition to the three bowl games the Wolfpack has played in Bank of America Stadium, it’s also played four regular season contests in that venue. The Wolfpack closed out the regular season versus East Carolina in Charlotte in 1996 (L, 29-50) and in 2005 (W, 52-14). In 1998 and 1999, NC State and UNC moved their matchup to the stadium. The Wolfpack fell in both of those contests, a 34-37 overtime shootout in Torry Holt’s last regular season game and a 6-10 loss the following year. NC State opened the 2017 campaign at BoA Stadium versus South Carolina in the Belk College Kickoff Game, losing by a touchdown to South Carolina (28-35).

Coach Dave Doeren has now led NC State to more bowl games than any coach in school history.

All-Time Record Between NC State and Maryland

CHARLOTTE – The North Carolina Tar Heels fell to the South Carolina Gamecocks, 38-21, in the Duke's Mayo Bowl on Thursday afternoon in Bank of America Stadium.

Dakereon Joyner was a perfect 9 of 9 for 160 yards and a touchdown for South Carolina. The MVP of the game also added 64 yards on the ground. Jaheim Bell got the party started for the Gamecocks with two 60+ yard touchdowns in the first quarter. 

Sam Howell was 12 of 20 on the day for 205 yards and one touchdown. British Brooks led the Tar Heels on the ground with 72 yards and a score. Cedric Gray paced the Tar Heel defense with thirteen tackles and a sack. Cam'Ron Kelly and Power Echols also had double-digit tackles for UNC on the afternoon.

South Carolina improves its win total by five with the win in today's bowl. With the loss, North Carolina falls to 6-7 on the season. The Tar Heels will open the 2022 season against Florida A&M. 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Country music star and App State alum Luke Combs will perform Saturday at The Rock, with fans filling Kidd Brewer Stadium for his highly anticipated concert.  

Consider his song-leading cameo in a triumphant App State locker room at Bank of America Stadium on Thursday night a memorable warmup.

"I'm pretty parched right now," App State head coach Shawn Clark said to open his postgame press conference. "Had a chance to sing with Luke Combs in the locker room, so I enjoyed that."

Playing at the home of the NFL's Carolina Panthers, the Mountaineers had mayo-covered mojo on their side as they went on a roll to claim a big lead and post a 33-19 victory against East Carolina of the American Athletic Conference. A crowd of 36,752 was on hand as App State built a 33-9 lead in the Duke's Mayo Classic.

Chase Brice was nearly flawless through three quarters, throwing for 259 yards with touchdowns to Thomas Hennigan (114 receiving yards) and Corey Sutton, who each increased their career totals to 18 TD catches apiece. A new-look offensive line paved the way for two App State backs to surpass 100 rushing yards, as Nate Noel had 126 on 15 carries and Camerun Peoples scored twice on a 14-carry, 100-yard night.

Defensively, Ryan Huff came up with a key interception and the Mountaineers recorded four sacks, including 1.5 from Brendan Harrington. Nick Hampton and Tim Frizzell had back-to-back sacks leading up to Huff's pick, Tommy Dawkins Jr. teamed with Harrington on one sack and D'Marco Jackson was App State's leading tackler with eight stops.

"I'm very proud of our team tonight," Clark said. "We had a goal of being 1-0, and we've had a lot of things going on throughout the year, and we made our mind up early that we were going to go out early and play the App State brand of football and not let anybody dictate to us how we're going to run our offense, defense or special teams. We played complementary football."

App State (1-0) took the lead for good, moving ahead 7-6, as Brice connected on a deep throw to Hennigan for a 34-yard touchdown with 6:24 remaining in the first quarter. In the final minute of the period, the Mountaineers extended their lead thanks to a 21-yard touchdown run from Peoples, and Chandler Staton added a pair of field goals (21 yards, 43 yards) in the second quarter to produce a 20-6 halftime lead.

The end of the half wasn't without drama, though, as back-to-back sacks from Hampton and Frizzell forced a Hail Mary attempt. With three App State receivers back deep, Hennigan tipped the ball up in the middle of a crowd that had gathered near the goal line. Huff wrapped two hands around the ball before there was a pileup, and the officials ruled the play a touchdown after an ECU receiver emerged with the ball, but a review overturned the on-field call and awarded Huff with an interception.

ECU opened the third quarter with a 38-yard field goal, but App State responded immediately, starting with Brice's 68-yard completion to Hennigan on first down. On the next snap, Brice threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Sutton, who missed all of last season while rehabbing a 2019 injury. He scored for the first time since Nov. 23, 2019.

App State had an opportunity to stretch the lead to an even bigger margin, as Anderson Castle recovered a fumbled kickoff following big hits from Logan Doublin and Tyler Bird. The Mountaineers' only turnover of the night spoiled that opportunity, and ECU (0-1) managed to add a field goal and a touchdown in the closing minutes.

Story courtesy App State Strategic Communications

CHARLOTTE - Wake Forest jumped out to an early two-touchdown lead over Wisconsin on Wednesday afternoon, but four second-half interceptions were too much to overcome as the Demon Deacons fell in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte, 42-28.

All of the scoring for Wake Forest was by players who played their prep ball in North Carolina. Former Hertford County standout Jaquarii Roberson had a stellar day, hauling in eight catches for 131 yards. His three scoring catches tied a bowl record. Former East Forsyth Eagle Christian-Beal Smith had the other touchdown for the Demon Deacons.

Wake Forest is now 15-12 in neutral site games in Charlotte and 2-1 in Charlotte-based bowls games, winning the 2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl and the 20017 Belk Bowl. The Demon Deacons are now 4-12 against Big Ten opponents. Wake Forest has now played in five straight bowl games for the first time in program history.

Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson

"First off, congratulations to Wisconsin. Football is usually a game where the team that makes the fewest mistakes wins. They made a lot less mistakes than us and they played much better fundamental football. I am proud of the way we competed to the very end. I thought our guys battled physically, but we just made too many fatal mistakes to overcome. A blocked punt that leads to a touchdown; we take a lead in the third quarter and then we give up a 59-yard kickoff return. We threw four interceptions in the last 17 or 18 minutes of the game. We had some violations on defense in the play-action game. What happened was a very good, hard fought and competitive game got out of hand because of all the turnovers and special teams miscues. We just made way too many mistakes to win the football game. Again, congratulations to Wisconsin. I certainly want to thank our coaches, staff, and players for the commitment they have made since July. I want to thank Danny Morrison and the Charlotte Sports Foundation for inviting us to play in their bowl game, and the Panthers and Duke's Mayo for their sponsorship of this event. Again, we did a lot of good things. We moved the football. It is not too often you outgain a team 518 to 266 and lose the game. But when you throw four picks, you are not going to ever overcome that. I am disappointed, but proud of the effort. We'll learn from it, grow from it and hopefully be a better program in 2021 because of it."

GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – The 2020 Atlantic Coast Conference Football Championship Game will be played Saturday, Dec. 19, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. Game time will be announced no later than Dec. 7 and the game will be televised by either ABC or ESPN. 

This year, the ACC Championship Game will feature the league’s top two teams based upon the highest winning percentage in conference games. More information on the ACC’s tiebreaker procedures can be found here.  

Capacity for the event will comply with North Carolina state and local regulations, which currently allows for seven percent capacity at outdoor venues of greater than 10,000 fans. Further information on seating capacity and tickets locations will be updated on theACC.com as it becomes available. 

The 2020 ACC Football season began Sept. 10 with each of the 15 schools playing an 11-game schedule (10 conference games, one non-conference game) over a 13-week period. At the mid-point of the ACC season, 48 of the 52 scheduled games (92.3 percent) have been played. Three conference games were rescheduled and one non-conference opponent has been replaced. All 15 teams still have the opportunity to play an 11-game regular season.

Bank of America Stadium, home of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers, has been the site of nine of the last 10 ACC Football Championship Games. In 2018, the ACC and the Charlotte Sports Foundation reached an agreement to keep the game in Charlotte through 2030.

The winner of the conference championship game has gone on to play in the National Championship Game or compete in the College Football Playoff in each of the previous six seasons.

Chuck Burton (AP)

Chuck Burton (AP)

Chuck Burton (AP)

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