UNC Football: Spring Game primer, info and more

The UNC Football program will host a Spring Game for the first time in two seasons this weekend in Chapel Hill

Rejoice! Football is back. Well, sort of.

The North Carolina Tar Heels will host their Spring Game this Saturday night in Chapel Hill as it returns after an absence in 2018. Fans will get their first look at the new UNC football program under head coach Mack Brown in what will be his second stint.

Brown took over the program in November after UNC fired previous head coach Larry Fedora.

To say there is a new excitement level with this program is an understatement right now. In the few months that Brown has been on the job, the excitement level has shot through the roof thanks to a nice 2019 recruiting class and a heck of a start to the 2020 class.

But even with that, Brown knows this program has to start winning this year after not making a bowl game the past two years. UNC has finished near the bottom of the ACC in both of those seasons and it’s time for things to change.

That all starts on Saturday.

What to watch for?

The quarterback battle

Quarterback has been a position filled with inconsistency since Mitchell Trubisky left after the 2016 season was was selected as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Since then, UNC has gone through five different quarterbacks as Brandon Harris, Chazz Surratt, Nathan Elliott, Jace Ruder and Cade Fortin.

Both Ruder and Fortin played limited time in 2018 but are expected to compete for the starting job in 2019. They will battle four-star freshman Sam Howell who is the favorite to win the job. Surratt has made the transition to outside linebacker while Elliott has left the program.

All three quarterbacks will see action in Saturday’s Spring Game and while we are still months away from a starter being named, their play is important in the race.

Watch how all three do with the new air-raid offense.

Air-Raid offense is here

If UNC’s offense looks like they want it to, it’s going to be fun. The Air-Raid offense is a pass-heavy offense that was made famous by Mike Leach at Texas Tech. It’s designed to move the ball down the field quickly with the passing attack, often times using four wide receiver sets.

The Tar Heels have some fast playmakers on offense that look to be an ideal fit in this style of offense. We saw flashes from several players last season and now they have the chance to showcase what they can do in this offense in the Spring Game.

Players like Dazz Newsome, Dyami Brown and Michael Carter should find instant success in this offense.

Secondary

The Tar Heels lost J.K. Britt to graduation and K.J. Sails transferred, leaving some question marks in the secondary. It was a unit that struggled at times over the years but there has been some growth.

Patrice Rene is a senior that is expected to have a big role in the secondary and will do so alongside sophomore Trey Morrison. The defensive back appeared in all 11 games last season as a true freshman and enters the 2019 campaign as one of the leaders.

Joining them in the secondary will be Myles Dorn, D.J. Ford, Javon Terry and DeAndre Hollins. We won’t see Dorn out there on Saturday night as he is dealing with an injury but it will be good to keep an eye on the this secondary as they go up against this new offense.

The atmosphere

It will be a big day on campus for the football program and they really need the crowd to come out and support them. Numerous players and coaches have expressed their request for the fans to pack the stands on Saturday night for the Spring Game.

With Brown back as head coach, we mentioned the excitement level earlier and now it’s time to see how the fans respond.

A packed Spring Game would go a long way for the confidence in this team and the turnaround they are hoping to achieve. There will also be several recruits on campus for a big recruiting weekend. Make sure to get out there and show your support!

What you need to know

What?  UNC Spring Football Game
When? Saturday, April 13, 2019 at 5 p.m. ET. Fan Fest begins at 2:30 p.m.
Where? Kenan Memorial Stadium.
Weather? 90% chance of rain, thunderstorms. A high of 78 and a low of 64.

For more information on all of the events for the day, please check out the official release from the program.