In UNC seniors’ last game at Kenan, younger players get the chance to play against WCU
North Carolina’s 49-9 senior day win over Western Carolina on Saturday was as much about those players returning as it was about those who played their final game in Kenan Stadium.
UNC coach Mack Brown was a bit concerned that coming off last week’s loss to Notre Dame in a highly emotional game and having another top 10 opponent next week at Miami, that the Tar Heels could potentially come out flat against the Catamounts.
“We had better players than they do, everybody knew that coming into the game,” Brown said in his postgame remarks. “The question was, would you dominate the game like you’re supposed to?”
The Heels (7-3) answered that questions pretty quickly, duplicating a 21-point first quarter with 21 more in the second. They matched a season-high with 42 point in the first half, which they also produced against Duke.
Brown has openly advocated all season for getting his underclassmen more playing time to develop depth. Brown devoted the second half to getting a look at his young players. So for the first time in his 32 years of coaching, he started the second team offense to start the third quarter.
“I just thought we were far enough ahead, they weren’t gonna score enough points and the game was over,” Brown said. “We needed to see a lot of the other guys, so everybody on the team played to my knowledge. We tried to get everybody on the field to make sure that this was a special day for not only the seniors, but everybody else that was involved.”
Younger players get a chance to play
UNC freshman quarterback Jacolby Criswell relieved Sam Howell on the first drive of the third quarter. Criswell got off to an inauspicious start, throwing an interception on his first passing attempt this season.
WCU cornerback Ronald Kent Jr. stepped in front of an out route to Justin Olson and took it back for a touchdown, but the score was nullified by an illegal block in the back penalty.
Criswell settled in and looked better even on a pass he didn’t complete on the final drive of the third quarter. He showed off his accuracy and arm strength on a 40-yard throw to Antoine Green that likely would have been caught for a touchdown. But WCU’s Aaron Gethers was beat on the play, so he purposely took a pass interference penalty rather than give up a score.
UNC ended the drive with freshman running back D.J. Jones getting his first career touchdown on a 2-yard run. Jones was one of several backs — including Elijah Green and Josh Henderson — who finally got to see the field.
Brown pointed out Jones, who had five carries for 31 yards; and Green, who had six carries for 43 yards; in particular for their production.
Running backs Michael Carter and Javonte Williams had accounted for nearly 70 percent of Carolina’s rushing attempts this season. Both could be turning pro at the end of the season, so it was an eye-opener to see their possible replacements get carries.
“I’m really excited when we were able to get a lot of guys in the game and build that depth,” said Carter, who had eight carries for 73 yards. “That’s what creates powerhouses and dynasties, and that’s what we want to create here.”
The youth on defense served notice for Carolina, too. The Catamounts had the best field position of the day after Kent’s interception set them up at the UNC 49. But the defense did not allow a score.
It’s been a similar dilemma trying to get playing time for players at inside linebacker where Chazz Surratt and Jeremiah Gemmel have started every game and take most of the snaps. But Brown said he was pleased with how sophomores Eugene Asante and Khadry Jackson played.
“(They) kind of show you know what UNC is going to get in the future when me and Gem(mel) are out of here,” Surratt said in his postgame address. “I’m really looking forward to what their careers hold. They’re gonna be really special players in our defense in the coming years.”
Carolina’s starters earned the second half off by dominating their Football Championship Subdivision opponents for the first 30 minutes.
“We haven’t played very well the last five minutes and a half on defense for sure,” Brown said. “We did that and I thought that was an important message. We had not played very well after turnovers and there were a couple of turnovers. And we played well, so sudden change was better.”
Will the Tar Heels get Orange Bowl bid?
The Tar Heels scored touchdowns on seven possessions in the first half. The final took just two plays and 11 seconds when Howell connected with Khafre Brown for a 24-yard strike and Dazz Newsome for a 26-yard score.
Howell was nearly flawless, completing 20 of 23 passes for 287 yards. During his first 11 completions, he had eight different receivers catch a pass. The play that may have surprised most watching, including the Catamounts, was Howell’s career-long, 30-yard run in the first quarter.
Carter was the star of the half though, as he rushed for three touchdowns in a game for the second time in his career. When he scored on a 22-yard run, he surpassed former UNC running backs Ethan Horton and Natrone Means to move into sixth place in program history for career-rushing yards.
“It hasn’t really hit me that it’s my last game there, and I don’t know how long it will take for it to hit,” Carter said. “But I’m definitely grateful for the win today to just end the home season on a on a positive note.”
The Heels close out the season next week at Miami. There’s still a chance for Carolina to get a bid to the Orange Bowl, but that scenario can’t play out unless the Heels start it by beating the Hurricanes.
“We’ve had a good year, but we want to step to a national level,” Brown said. “We did that for a half last week (against Notre Dame) and then we couldn’t hang in there. So what will we be like with Miami next week?”
This story was originally published December 5, 2020 at 12:16 PM with the headline "In UNC seniors’ last game at Kenan, younger players get the chance to play against WCU."