With 7:32 left in the game and North Carolina trailing 35-31, disaster struck for Drake Maye and the Tar Heels.

Maye, leading a strong drive, fumbled on 1st down in Duke territory, as the Blue Devils took over with a chance to put the game to bed. But Duke missed a field-goal attempt, and Maye had a prime opportunity to pick up a signature, season-defining moment for the Tar Heels.

And that’s exactly what he did.

Maye, fresh off the fumble, led a 9-play, 74-yard touchdown drive to give the Tar Heels the win. Maye completed all 4 of his pass attempts on the drive, starting things out with a 24-yard pass to JJ Jones and finishing the winning drive with an 8-yarder to Antoine Green on a great rollout and throw to the front corner of the end zone.

Maye showed his poise and maturity, well beyond his years, in a moment of adversity for the Heels. He rushed for a 14-yard gain on a 2nd-and-19, and he also made a great play to complete an 11-yard pass to Josh Downs on 4th-and-5 to keep alive Carolina’s hopes of winning.

When the Tar Heels needed plays, it was Maye who delivered again. With the win against the Blue Devils, Carolina is in the driver’s seat in the ACC’s Coastal Division after back-to-back victories over Miami and Duke.

And the reason Carolina is in that position is Maye, who has been arguably the most consistent quarterback in the ACC this season. He’s playing at an exceptionally high level for a 1st-year starter, and he showed out in a big game again Saturday night in Durham.

It wasn’t just Maye, of course, as Carolina’s veteran receivers did their thing again as well. Downs had 126 yards and 9 catches, and Green had 4 catches for 112 yards and the winning touchdown.

For yet another game, Carolina’s abilities on the offensive side of the ball paved the way to victory. The defense had issues but got a late stop that was big, and Maye delivered to beat the Blue Devils in a shootout.

The Tar Heels have a stud at quarterback. He does pretty much everything right, and he has looked mostly unflappable as Carolina has won its way to a 6-1 record.

The Heels have more than just a shot at winning the Coastal. They’re now the overwhelming favorite, and it has been Maye who has been the strongest piece of the puzzle so far.