By Hank Kurz Jr.

AP Sports Writer

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Mack Brown’s second tenure at North Carolina, now in its fourth season, is starting to look more like what he came back hoping to build, which is what he built the first time.

Drake Maye threw for two touchdowns and ran for another and No. 17 North Carolina outscored Virginia 21-7 after halftime to rally for a 31-28 victory Saturday.

Elijah Green scored twice and Josh Downs caught 15 passes, including a touchdown, for the Tar Heels (8-1, 5-0 Atlantic Coast Conference, No. 17 CFP), now 5-0 in league play for the first time since 2015, when they qualified for their lone appearance in the ACC championship.

Brown wanted to highlight a different 5-0: the Tar Heels’ record on the road this year.

The last time North Carolina won five straight road games, he said, was in 1997.

“Nobody on that team was even born the last time we won five consecutive games on the road,” Brown said. And last year, they lost all six away from Chapel Hill.

The five wins have come by a total of 18 points.

“We didn’t play well at times today and the guys overcame it. They kept their heads up. They kept a good body language, they kept their confidence, and they just kept playing,” Brown said.

After Virginia went ahead in the third quarter, Brown said Downs approached him on the sideline, tryng to offer the coach the same encouragement he provides to them.

“I went up to him and I just reciprocated the energy,” Downs said. “I said, ‘Coach, don’t worry, I got you right here.’ I told that same thing to (offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Phil) Longo. I’m just like, ‘I got you when you need it.’ ”

The Cavaliers (3-6, 1-5), playing without three starting wide receivers, lost for the fifth time in six games.

Elliott praised the players that stepped in for what he called “the big three,” but said: “We talk about competitive stamina a lot, and football comes down to five, six, seven plays, and we didn’t make those plays in the third quarter.”

Virginia started fast, getting a touchdown on its opening drive for the first time this season and led 14-10 at halftime. But Maye led the Tar Heels downfield in just 2:55 to start the third quarter, Green finishing the drive with a 4-yard run. Virginia answered with a 75-yard touchdown drive of its own to retake the lead, but Maye found Downs from 19 yards before the quarter was over and hit Green with a 22-yard pass in the flat with 13:19 left.

Brennan Armstrong pulled Virginia within a field goal with his second scoring run with 3:24 left on a drive that covered 71 yards in just 59 seconds, but Virginia was offsides on the ensuing onside kick, giving UNC the ball at the Cavaliers 23. One more completion to a diving Downs converting a third-and-2 allowed the Tar Heels to run out the clock.

Maye finished 26 for 37 for 293 yards and ran for 74 yards. Downs’ catches went for 166 yards, giving him 23 catches for 369 yards and three TDs in the last two years against Virginia.

“He just continues to amaze me with the things that he does,” Brown said.

Xavier Brown and Ronnie Walker ran for Virginia scores.

THE TAKEAWAY

North Carolina: Maye has frustrated teams with his prolific passing, but especially frustrated ACC tackles leader Nick Jackson on a second- quarter scramble from the Virginia 5. Rolling right and looking for a receiver, Maye instead found Jackson closing in and reversed course and scrambled all the way accross the field for the touchdown.

Virginia: The Cavaliers tried a surprise punt on a fourth-and-5 play from the Tar Heels’ 32 in the second quarter, but while Armstrong appeared to be trying to kick it out of bounds, it bounced into the end zone for a touchback and a net gain of just 12 yards. North Carolina then drove 80 yards in 13 plays to take a 10-7 lead.

UP NEXT

The Tar Heels are back on the road to face No. 20 Wake Forest.

Virginia stays at home for its third of four consecutive home games, taking on Pittsburgh.

Davidson tops Stetson 56-48 in 2OT

DAVIDSON (AP) — Dylan Sparks ran 3 yards to score for Davidson in the second overtime and the Wildcats defeated Stetson.

After Sparks’ score, Luke Durkin threw to Max Weaver for a two-point conversion before Stetson (3-5, 1-4 Pioneer League) failed to score on its possession.

Stetson’s Brady Meitz had a career-high six touchdown passes with his 30-yarder to Michael Carley with 54 seconds left in regulation tying the game at 41-all. Both teams scored touchdowns in the first overtime.

Trailing 34-31 entering the fourth quarter, Durkin hit Lucas Raber with a 24-yard TD pass and Caden Bonoffski added a 38-yard field goal.

Durkin was 7-for-12 passing for 169 yards and two scores along with an interception. Mark McCurdy rushed for 111 yards on 10 carries, including a 66-yard score. Sparks had 97 yards rushing with two touchdowns and Coy Williams 71 yards and two scores, including Davidson’s first overtime touchdown.

The Wildcats (7-2, 5-1) finished with 350 yards rushing.

Meitz was 21-of-40 passing for 379 yards. Three of his scoring tosses went to Quinton Lane.

NC A&T gets past Norfolk St.

GREENSBORO (AP) — Bhayshul Tuten rushed for three touchdowns and caught another, Jalen Fowler passed for 254 yards and two scores and North Carolina A&T beat Norfolk State 49-24 on Saturday for it sixth straight victory.

N.C. A&T started the game with 21 straight points on touchdowns runs of 10 and 33 yards from Tuten and Jacob Roberts’ 22-yard pick-6. The Aggies defense intercepted Otto Kuhns three times and backup Jaylan Adams once.

Tuten’s 6-yard touchdown grab with two seconds left in the first half made it 28-14. He also capped the scoring with 58 seconds left in the fourth as A&T scored 14 points in the final three minutes.

Tuten had 19 carries for 117 yards and Zachary Leslie made eight grabs for 120 yards for N.C. A&T (6-3).

Adams passed for 51 yards and rushed for 69 with a touchdown for Norfolk State (1-8).

Western Carolina rallies past Wofford 36-29

CULLOWHEE (AP) — Jalynn Williams rushed for two touchdowns, including the go-ahead score with 2:53 left to play, and Western Carolina rallied late to defeat Wofford 36-29.

Ryan Ingram’s 2-yard touchdown run 57 seconds into the final quarter gave Wofford a 29-26 lead.

Richard McCollum’s 19-yard field goal capped a nine-play, 60-yard drive and pulled Western Carolina (4-5, 2-4 Southern Conference) into a 29-all tie with 6:55 remaining. The Catamounts defense forced a three-and-out and Landon Parker’s 28-yard punt gave Western Carolina a first-and-10 on the Terriers’ 40-yard line, setting up Williams’ game-winning score.

Wofford (2-7, 2-4) led 14-12 at halftime after Jimmy Weirick connected with freshman Kyle Pinnix for a 13-yard touchdown with 4 seconds left in the second quarter.

Western Carolina’s Carlos Davis completed 16 of 24 passes for 268 yards with touchdown throws to Raphael Williams covering 73 yards and an 8-yarder to freshman Censere Lee. Davis also rushed 15 times for 78 yards. Freshman Desmond Reid carried 20 times for 112 yards.

Weirick passed for 269 yards and a touchdown, completing 17 of 35 attempts.

Western Kentucky routs Charlotte 59-7

CHARLOTTE — Austin Reed threw touchdown passes to five different receivers in the first half and quickly added a sixth after halftime to lead Western Kentucky to a 59-7 win over Charlotte.

There was never any doubt the Hilltoppers (6-4, 4-2 Conference USA) would become bowl eligible with their graduate transfer quarterback from Division III West Florida.

A week after surpassing 10,000 career yards and reaching 100 career touchdown passes, Reed led Western Kentucky to touchdowns on their first three possessions and five of seven possessions before halftime.

The second snap of the game produced a 46-yard touchdown pass to Jaylen Hall. The next possession was a one-play drive, Daewood Davis on the receiving end of a seven-yard play following an interception. The fourth score was the 14th-career touchdown reception for Joshua Simon, the most by a tight end in program history.

Reed was 23 of 38 for a season-best 409 yards. M alachi Corley, who had a 64-yard scoring reception, had six catches for a career-high 162 yards.

Anthony Brackenridge returned an interception 42 yards for a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, the 13th interception for the Hilltoppers and their fifth defensive score in 24 takeaways.

Reserve quarterback Darius Ocean threw a touchdown pass in the final minute to set a school record with seven different receivers scoring.

Chris Reynolds threw a touchdown pass for the 49ers (2-8, 1-5).

Eckhaus throws 4 TD passes, Bryant edges Campbell 43-37

SMITHFIELD, R.I.  (AP) — Zevi Eckhaus threw four touchdown passes and Bryant held off Campbell.

Bryant (3-6, 1-3 Big South) led 33-10 at halftime and 43-16 after Eckhaus’ 6-yard touchdown pass to Matthew Prochaska early in the fourth quarter.

The Fighting Camels (4-5, 2-2) rallied with three Chad Mascoe TD passes over five minutes to trail by six with just under six minutes remaining. But Mascoe was sacked twice on Campbell’s final possession before the Camels turned the ball over on downs at the Bryant 43.

Eckhaus was 22-of-33 passing for 235 yards without an interception. Ishod Byarm rushed for 148 yards on 30 carries with a score.

Mascoe was 23-of-36 passing for 378 yards with the three touchdowns and a pick. Julian Hill had 122 yards receiving and Ezeriah Anderson 115, both with a TD catch.

This was the team’s first meeting.

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