North Carolina, Appalachian State combine to score 62 in 4th in wild Tar Heels win

BOONE, N.C. — Drake Maye is looking like the real deal.

North Carolina's redshirt freshman quarterback continued his torrid start to the season, throwing for 352 yards and combining for five touchdowns as the Tar Heels outlasted Appalachian State 63-61 on Saturday — despite surrendering 40 points to the Mountaineers in a wild fourth quarter.

Maye, the younger brother of former Tar Heels basketball star Luke Maye, has thrown a school-record nine touchdown passes in two career starts. He also ran for a score against the Mountaineers.

«He's a special young guy,» Tar Heels coach Mack Brown said. «He's a great young quarterback who is only going to get better.»

Sixth-year quarterback Chase Brice threw for 376 yards and a school-record six touchdowns — four of those in the fourth quarter — for Appalachian State (0-1).

The Tar Heels (2-0) won despite squandering a 20-point fourth-quarter lead and allowing the Mountaineers to gain 664 yards and score nine touchdowns on offense.

But that didn't dampen Brown's enthusiasm.

«You take a win and go,» Brown said. «We we were underdogs and hadn't won a road game all of last year, so anybody who thinks I'm going to be mad or disappointed over this one doesn't understand coaching. I'm excited to win against a really good team on the road.»

The two teams combined for 62 points and 504 yards — in the fourth quarter alone. It was one point shy of the most ever in the fourth quarter of an FBS game (Navy vs. North Texas in 2007).

North Carolina seemed in control, leading 41-21 after the third quarter, but the Mountaineers climbed back in the game behind Brice, who led six TD drives in the final quarter.

Maye showed poise beyond his years in his first road start.

With the tied at 49, he beat an