The Real Carolina

​This past weekend, the State of North Carolina stepped up to the plate against their South Carolina opponents and proved that there is only one true Carolina, and it is in the North. UNC Chapel Hill, Duke, and UNC Charlotte all faced off against opponents from South Carolina in week one of the 2023 college football season and, somehow, managed to go 3-0. 

UNC Chapel Hill met the University of South Carolina Saturday night in the Bank of America Stadium, and in a twisted turn of events, the Tar Heel defense showed up and held the Gamecocks to just 17 points while Drake Maye and his legion marched their way into the endzone four times while kicking the ball through the uprights once. Perhaps the most impressive feat of the night was the defense putting Spencer Rattler on his butt nine times. The Gamecocks walked away from the Queen City with little reason to be cocky before their cupcake game against the Furman Paladins. What even is a Paladin? 

The Charlotte 49ers started their tenth season with a win against South Carolina State, 24-3. While it's a win against an FCS team, the South Carolina University system should reconsider sending another state school to their big brother to the North to be humiliated. Biff Poggi and his Niners struck gold this weekend and look ahead to upset Maryland. 

Finally, the Blue Devils out of Durham, North Carolina, a team I typically despise, had Tar Heels across the state cheering for the other blue team. Dabo and his Tigers couldn't find an answer for the team's multiple turnovers. The Tigers hung around until Jaquez Moore's 9-yard touchdown run that would put the Blue Devils up by two possessions. Is Dabo on the hot seat? If he wasn't before, he is now. 

Finally, we can't cap off this article without Honorable Mention Tyler Reddick, the driver for Michael Jordan's #45 car. This weekend at Darlington, Reddick and his team stuck it to the State of South Carolina and finished second in the Carolina Blue Jordan Brand car. Damn, wouldn't it have been cool to do a clean sweep?

This past weekend will be hard for South Carolina to come back from. There will be few opportunities to prove that you are the real Carolina like there was this weekend. Thanks to a team effort between the Tar Heels, 49ers, and Blue Devils, it is official. The Real Carolina is in the North!