It had to be Maye. It had to be Maye.

Remember that old ditty by Sinatra, “It Had To Be You”? Here is why, in my humble opinion, freshman Drake Maye got the nod over sophomore Jacolby Criswell as Carolina’s starting quarterback.

With next-to-zero experience at running back, this team cannot find itself HAVING to throw the football. Maye’s skill set as a pro-type, downfield passer can keep opponents from crowding the box, where freshmen Omarion Hampton and George Pettaway need to have some early success to get their college feet underneath them.

Although it is usually the run that sets up the pass, this team probably needs to begin the other way. If Maye comes out slinging successfully, it won’t be long before the Tar Heels break a draw play by one of their young backs, putting the defense back on its heels.

With three talented tight ends and new schemes to get stud Josh Downs open, Maye may be a slightly better choice to do that. If Phil Longo begins with a run-heavy attack, what happens if the offense gets bottled up and is forced into those “third and Longos”?

Then you are facing downs and distances that have to come from throwing the ball in low-percentage situations. If Longo and Mack Brown tabbed Criswell to start, it would have been a more RPO (run-pass-option) offense. And that could be trouble with green RBs.

That doesn’t mean the “white team” quarterback won’t play. He will if Maye gets off to a rough start, and Criswell becomes another running back option who can also throw the ball behind what is supposed to be a better and deeper offensive line.

The same could be said of Maye coming off the bench after the running game struggles. Everyone watching will know what the coaches will be calling, along with defenses daring Carolina to beat them through the air.

That could mean that two young, untested quarterbacks aren’t being put in the best positions to win, which is what Brown says is the Heels’ only goal once the team takes the field. And, especially this season, there is no second goal that is even close.

That’s why it had to be Maye, it had to be Maye, from at least the first start.

 

Featured image via Associated Press/Gerry Broome

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