It has been one thing after another for UNC football through just three weeks this season. First, after winning the quarterback battle this offseason, transfer Max Johnson started the season and played just three quarters before breaking his leg and ending his season right there.
Conner Harrell, who played more in camp than Criswell, took over for Johnson in the win against Minnesota and became the Heel’s starting quarterback.
He led the team to a 38-20 win over Charlotte in Week 2 with 219 yards and two touchdowns with an interception through the air. He started the game last week as well; however, after an extremely slow start to the passing attack, Mack Brown made a move and inserted Jacolby Criswell.
North Carolina is expected to shift to Jacolby Criswell as its starting QB when it faces JMU tomorrow, a source tells @247sports/@cbssports.
Criswell, a former four-star recruit who signed with UNC in 2020, returned to the Tar Heels this offseason after a year at Arkansas.… pic.twitter.com/JW1xvaSlo6
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) September 20, 2024
Criswell ended up finishing that game 14-of-23 through the air with 161 yards and a touchdown with another 16 yards on the ground. The team scored on almost all of the drives Criswell led, and inevitably, led to a controversy this week.
After a week of saying both players were being prepared to start against James Madison this week, it looks like Criswell is coming out on top and will gain his first start of the season.
Hopefully, we see an increase in passing offense against a much better opponent than Charlotte or NC Central.
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