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Josh Downs' career day lifts UNC football to road win over Virginia

UNC FOOTBALL
UNC junior wide receiver Josh Downs (11) protects the ball from Virginia senior defensive back Antonio Clary (0) during the football game at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, V.A. on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022. UNC beat Virginia 31-28. Photo Courtesy of Jeremy Sharpe.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Josh Downs was never worried.

If Saturday’s final outcome was any indication — when the star junior wideout torched Virginia for a career-high 15 catches and 166 yards in the North Carolina football team’s 31-28 victory — he never had a reason to be.

As UNC faced a 21-17 deficit midway through the third quarter, Downs approached head coach Mack Brown on the sideline. He’d already caught nine passes for 99 yards, but quarterback redshirt first-year Drake Maye had been struggling to find anyone else downfield.

“We’re good, coach,” the junior receiver told Brown. “Don’t worry, I got you right here.”

The Tar Heels needed a touchdown. But more specifically, they needed Downs.

On the ensuing drive, Maye found his favorite target for a 15-yard completion to convert a third down. The next play, it was Downs again for 11 yards. Four plays later, Maye lofted the ball to Downs deep into the left corner of the end zone to put UNC up 24-21, and the Tar Heels never trailed again.

According to Maye, the play was not even intended for Downs. But that’s just a testament to the unspoken connection they share.

“If I’m thinking of something, (Drake’s) already thinking of it, and he’s probably ahead of me,” Downs said.

While it is important to note Downs’ statistical dominance, it is equally key to acknowledge the pressure he thrived under.  North Carolina converted seven of its 14 third-down attempts, and Downs executed the play on five of them.

“He’s the go-to guy, obviously,” Brown said.

Even if Maye wasn’t throwing to him, Downs found ways to control the pace. The Cavaliers elected to punt late in the fourth quarter, sending him back onto the field as the punt returner. With a Virginia defender barreling towards him, just yards away from making contact, Downs made a split-second decision to not fair catch.

Within six seconds, he made three defenders miss. Sprinting past the 50-yard line, it looked like he was going to score again, but he was finally brought down.

“I saw (the tackler) was the punter, so I was kinda disappointed in myself for that,” Downs joked. “I should’ve scored. If I wasn’t tired, I don’t think he makes that play.”

Reporters laughed, and Downs might’ve slightly chuckled, too. But it’s partially true, and his late-game fatigue highlighted the woes of UNC’s receivers against a mediocre Virginia secondary.

Downs’ counterpart, senior receiver Antoine Green, had caught three touchdowns in the previous two games. But when Maye found him wide open in the end zone early in the second quarter, Green dropped the would-be touchdown.

And at times, the Cavaliers forced Maye into uncomfortable situations. The redshirt first-year was sacked four times, likely stemming from the receivers’ struggles with creating separation.

But with Downs as the anomaly, it ultimately didn’t matter in Saturday’s win. With two minutes to play, the Tar Heels needed to convert one last third down to end Virginia’s hopes of a late-game comeback. Maye fired a four-yard pass to Downs on a slant in the red zone, effectively securing the game.

The win pushed the Tar Heels one step closer to securing their first appearance in the ACC Championship Game since 2015. As the team looks to get over the hump, Maye knows the one player he can trust in any situation.

“He’s got a knack for getting open,” Maye said. “When he’s open, I’m getting him the rock.”

@danielhwei

@dthsports | sports@dailytarheel.com

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Daniel Wei

Daniel Wei is a 2023-24 assistant sports editor at The Daily Tar Heel. He has previously served as a senior writer. Daniel is a junior pursuing a double major in business administration and economics.