It's halftime at the ACC Championship Game, and North Carolina trails Clemson, 24-10.
Here are three main takeaways from the first half:
Maye back in rhythm
Following two lackluster outings, redshirt first-year quarterback Drake Maye regained his footing on the team's first drive by completing five of his six passes for 47 yards. Maye was effective as both a passer and a runner and evaded an all-out blitz to find junior wide receiver Josh Downs on a third and short in the red zone, which paved the way for a his own touchdown scamper on the next play.
Although Maye soon coughed up a fumble on a mishandled handoff that gave Clemson prime field position late in the first quarter, Maye responded to help the Tar Heels move down the field in their next drive. Despite regularly getting blitzed by as many as seven players, Maye withstood the pressure to deliver strikes to receivers in timely situations, especially on third down, where he made four timely conversions to move the chains.
Maye finished the half with 15 completions and 173 total yards. If the Tar Heels want to make the comeback, they'll need to provide more pass protection that will enhance Maye's comfort in the pocket.
Defense starts off strong, then sputters against Klubnik
After operating a "bend, don't break" defensive scheme for most of the season, assistant head coach for defense Gene Chizik dialed up an aggressive gameplan on Clemson's first two drives. The Tar Heels forced two straight three-and-outs and held the Tigers to 12 yards.
On the Tigers' third possession, the Tar Heels were given a different look when Clemson benched quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei for Cade Klubnik, the top quarterback in the 2022 class. Klubnik made an immediate impact by leading the Tigers down the field that was capped off by a one-yard touchdown pass that tied the game.
