CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina scored early and often as the No. 14 Tar Heels cruised to a 40-7 victory over Syracuse on Saturday at Kenan Stadium.

UNC scored on eight of its first nine possessions, with the only time it didn’t score was when it fumbled in the red zone in the fourth quarter,

Drake Maye completed 33 of 47 passes for 442 yards, just six yards shy of his career high. He had three touchdowns, too.

Defensively, the Tar Heels were led by several players, but Alijah Huzzie secured his third interception of the season.

UNC improved to 2-0 in the ACC and 5-0 overall, while the Orange fell to 0-2 in the ACC and 4-2 overall.

UNC led Syracuse 10-0 after one quarter, holding the ball for 11:37, leaving the Orange with a little over three minutes of possession.

Carolina’s first drive started at its on 25. The Tar Heels drove down to the Syracuse 12-yard line in a 14-play, 64-yard drive before being forced into a 29-yard Noah Burnette field goal for a 3-0 lead.

On defense, UNC stalled the Orange on its first possession forcing a punt.

On its next drive, the Tar Heels were forced to punt, but Syracuse blocked it. Yet, punter Ben Kiernan had the presence of mind to pick up the ball and ran 17 yards for a first down to keep the drive alive.

With the momentum of Kiernan’s play pushing the Heels forward, Maye led UNC to its first touchdown with a one-yard quarterback sneak. Following the block, Carolina got chunk plays of 13, 17, and nine yards. Overall, the drive was 17 plays for 94 yards.

The drive started at UNC's 25, but the lost yards during the punt block was taken into account. Also, during the drive, wide receiver Tez Walker got his first catch of the season on his 14th snap.

Continuing the positive momentum, UNC’s defense forced its first three-and-out of the game, giving the ball back to it’s offense and ending the quarter

In the first period, UNC gained 182 yards to only 22 by Syracuse. Maye was 9-of-14 for 73 yards. UNC had five runs of nine yards in the first quarter and ran for 109 total yards.

UNC continued its dominance in the second quarter, going on a 9-play, 77-yard drive culminating with tight end Bryson Nesbit’s 23-yard touchdown catch, giving the Heels a 17-0 lead.

Carolina’s defense continued its stellar play. On a key third down, defensive lineman Kendrick Bingley-Jones did a great job of keeping containment, forcing mobile quarterback Garrett Shrader to stay in the pocket, which led to a fumble that the Orange recovered. However, it resulted in a Syracuse punt.

With Carolina’s ensuing drive starting at its own five, the UNC offense drove 95 yards before a one-yard shovel pass from Maye to tight end John Copenhaver capped off the possession, giving the Heels a 24-0 lead. The key play of the drive was a 48-yard pass from Maye to receiver Nate McCollum, placing the Heels on the one-yard line.

Carolina's defense forced another punt, UNC used the final minutes of the half to secure another Burnette field goal before the half. The kick capped off a 12 -play, 72- yard drive that took up 3:25 and only left 11 seconds on the clock.

Notes: In the first half, UNC held Syracuse to four first downs, while gaining 23. The Heels had 424 total yards and held the Orange to only 71-yards.

In the first defensive series, Carolina allowed its first second-half touchdown of the season against a Power 5 opponent, giving up nine plays for 75 yards and cutting the Heels' lead to 27-7. On the drive, cornerback Tayon Holloway was out-battled for a 34-yard long ball that gave Syracuse the momentum to score its first points of the game.

Following the score, Maye led a 10-play, 57-yard drive, during which the Heels eventually settled for a field goal. After the field goal, Carolina’s defense forced its fifth punt in seven Syracuse possessions.

In the next UNC drive, Maye hit Kobe Paysour for a 77-yard touchdown, resulting in a 37-7 lead for the Heels. Soon after, cornerback Alijah Huzzie got his third interception of the season, giving Carolina the ball at the Orange 36.

Notes: During the quarter, Maye surpassed 400 yards passing. UNC outscored Syracuse 10-7 in the quarter and outgained the Orange 166-116.

In the fourth quarter, UNC appeared to prioritize time management in a game that had already veered in their favor. The lopsided score provided an opportunity for backup quarterback Connor Harrell to gain some valuable playing time. Freshman linebacker record his first interception as a Tar Heel

The Heels managed to tally three points during this period. Notably, this successful kick marked the conclusion of a flawless 4-for-4 performance for Burnette and served as the final scoring action of the game.