Drake Maye addresses UNC's final drive in OT, hit he took on two-point attempt

For the second straight season, North Carolina found themselves in a down-to-the-wire game with Appalachian State. And just like last year, they were able to pull out the victory, this time in double overtime.

Tar Heels star quarterback Drake Maye had the ball in his hands on the final two offensive plays of the game for North Carolina, and after the game, he was asked if that was an intentional move.

“Yeah, it just happened to work out that way,” Maye said. “Obviously, I voiced my opinion to Coach Lindsey on the headset that I want the rock in my hands in big-time moments.”

New offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey answered Maye’s call, dialing up a designed option that allowed Maye to scamper 13 yards into the end zone to score the first touchdown of the game’s second overtime.

“That touchdown run was just regular power. The defense, a couple guys off the edge get their eyes caught in the backfield, I don’t blame them Omarion [Hampton] ran for 230 yards and I snuck out the outside,” Maye explained.

It was an uncharacteristic day for Maye, who threw for just 208 yards and zero touchdowns through the air. But there’s no question that the Tar Heels were able to get it done on the ground, and Hampton rushed for 234 of the team’s 319 rushing yards while adding three scores to his stat line.

Maye also played his part in the run game with 57 yards on the ground along with is overtime score. But on the Tar Heels’ two-point conversion attempt, he tried to scramble and run the ball in for another score only to take a hellacious hit while extending for the end zone.

“And then the second play, it’s a two-point play, I gotta make a throw,” Maye admitted. “I think I had Bryson [Nesbit] maybe, I think I had JJ [Jones] in the back of the end zone too. If I do commit to it I have to haul butt and kind of get a better jump, it wasn’t great.”

Maye’s failed leap into the end zone left North Carolina down six points as the Mountaineers’ offense got their crack at scoring and responding. But thankfully for Maye and the entire team, the Tar Heels’ defense stepped up and kept App State out of the end zone on four straight downs to secure the 40-34 win.

“But hey, a win’s a win,” Maye concluded.