By the time Carolina takes the field in Bank of America Stadium Wednesday night, it will have been more than a month since its last game. But maybe that’s a good thing.
Considering the Tar Heels’ last outing was a 39-20 shellacking at the hands of NC State, a long layoff to wash away the taste of that terrible night seems needed.
Since then, several members of the team have either entered the transfer portal or declared for the NFL Draft. Quarterback Drake Maye, receiver Tez Walker and linebacker Cedric Gray are among those headed to the pros, while others like tight end Kamari Morales and receiver Doc Chapman have gone portal-ing.
With Maye getting ready for the league, UNC’s QB1 will now be former back-up Conner Harrell. A redshirt freshman from Alabaster, Alabama, Harrell will be making his first career start against West Virginia on Wednesday. Harrell showed flashes of his ability in the second half of the Campbell game this season, and was not lacking for confidence when giving a self-scouting report.
“I feel like I can do everything,” Harrell told reporters. “[The Mountaineers] are gonna have a tough time. I’m athletic. I can make every throw on the field. I can throw it deep. West Virginia doesn’t have much film [on me]. They’re gonna have a tough time not knowing. I’d say I can do a little bit of everything.”
Receiver J.J. Jones will likely be one of Harrell’s top targets, and he expressed faith in Harrell’s ability to make UNC’s quarterback transition a seamless one.
“You keep the plays the exact same,” Jones said. “Conner was running the same plays as Drake was the whole season. It’s not like we have to shrink the playbook. Conner’s a smart dude. He was valedictorian at his high school, so he knows what he’s doing. He knows the playbook.
“I wouldn’t even say it’s a step down. Yes, Drake was a heck of a quarterback. But Conner’s an All-American quarterback in my eyes. He’s here for a reason. I don’t want people to think it’s a step down. It’s just a change of scenery.”
Jones was a true freshman the last time Carolina played in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. The Tar Heels made a sorry show of themselves that day, falling 38-21 to South Carolina in quarterback Sam Howell’s final game with the program. Jones didn’t record a catch in the game, but said the memory of it has left a lasting impact both on him and the rest of the team.
South Carolina had no trouble with UNC in the 2021 Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte. (Image via USA Today Sports)
“We all remember that game,” said Jones. “For me, it was tough, because it seemed like we didn’t want to be there as a unit. We don’t want that to happen again. We told everybody, ‘If you do not want to play in that game, do not come. Don’t come on that bus.’ We’re going there for a goal: to win the game. This isn’t a field trip. This isn’t just a trip to Charlotte to enjoy everything. We’re going there to win, and we want people to know that on this team. It’s a serious game. It’s not a joke.”
Jones’ message seems to have resonated with both veterans and younger players alike. Edge rusher Kaimon Rucker, who was a sophomore during the South Carolina game, said he’s noticed a different energy in practice compared to two years ago.
“I feel like we’re a more mature team now,” Rucker said. “I feel like we’re gonna be ready to play this go-round, regardless of the guys that are missing. I feel like we’ve definitely got a lot more juice. At practice, we were flying around. We understood a lot more of our assignments. I feel like Coach [Chizik] has done a great job of explaining the defense to us. Not installing too much, and not overcooking the things we’ve done in the past. We’ve definitely got a lot more juice going into this game.”
The Tar Heels will need all the juice they can get defending a West Virginia team which ranks third in the country in rushing offense. The Mountaineers average more than 200 yards per game on the ground. Trying to stifle that attack will be defensive lineman Myles Murphy, who has made the now-uncommon decision to both declare for the NFL Draft and play in the bowl game. Defensive coordinator Gene Chizik said he couldn’t be prouder of Murphy’s choice.
“In this day and age where you see so many guys opt out, it’s really good and refreshing to see a guy that could have, and he said, ‘No, I’m coming back to play,’” Chizik said. “He wanted to play one more game. No judgment on anybody that doesn’t, but definitely kudos to the guys that do. He’s one of the guys that I’m really proud of and the fact that he’s gonna do this. He loves football and he loves UNC. I think it’s great.”
In a time when some bowl games have become glorified scrimmages, the Tar Heels are looking to prove their motivation didn’t die last month in Raleigh.
Featured image via Associated Press/Nell Redmond
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