UNC Football: Players of the Game versus South Carolina

The UNC Football program opened the 2023 season with a 31-17 win over South Carolina. Who did the coaching staff name as the players of the game?

After every game, the UNC football coaching staff will name their Players of the Game on Monday during Mack Brown’s weekly press conference following Tar Heel victories. Each unit on the team has Player of the Game (offense, defense, and special teams).

Following their season-opening, 31-17 win against South Carolina in Charlotte, there were plenty of options for the coaching staff to choose from, but not everyone can win the Player of the Game.

So who did the coaching staff choose?

For the offense, it was none other than running back British Brooks. Brooks returned to the field for the UNC football program for the first time in 611 days and made a huge impact in the rushing game. One of the keys to the Tar Heels winning the game was establishing a running game early to take some of the pressure off of Drake Maye.

Brooks saw 15 carries out of the Tar Heel backfield and rushed for 103 yards while also catching three passes for 18 yards. Brown complimented Brooks in his press conference for his presence in pass protection and his comeback story.

"What an amazing story. And he did a tremendous job in pass protection, because they came after Drake a lot."

On the defensive side of the ball, it was no secret who the Player of the Game would be. Kamion Rucker had eight tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks. In 2022, Rucker had 3.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss, meaning he almost totaled all of last year’s production in just one game. Rucker’s monster game also earned him Walter Camp Defensive Player of the Week honors. Brown wasn’t surprised based on the offseason performance of Rucker.

"Great start for him, and that’s what we’ve seen all spring and all summer. He played relentless."

The special teams unit wasn’t on the field much, partially because the offense scored touchdowns, but when they didn’t, they turned the ball over three times (once on a failed fourth down attempt and two Drake Maye interceptions). However, Ben Kiernan and Ryan Coe shared co-honors as special teams Players of the Week.

Coe made his only field goal attempt from 37 yards while kicking four touchbacks and making all four of his PATs. Kiernan didn’t step on the field until the fourth quarter but had two punts in the game and avoided “Beamer Ball.” South Carolina is known for their special teams, as their head coach Shane Beamer, is the son of former Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer who was known for putting an emphasis on special teams. Not allowing the Gamecocks to block a punt was crucial in keeping momentum in favor of the Tar Heels. Kiernan’s punts averaged 42.5 yards, including one landing inside the 10-yard line.

Follow us @KeepingItHeel on X (formerly Twitter) and like our fan page on Facebook for continued coverage of UNC football news, updates, and recruiting.