UNC vs. Florida A&M: Game Thread

We are just moments away from the North Carolina Tar Heels taking on the Florida A&M Rattlers. This game was very close to not happening, as FAMU ran into some eligibility issues in the 11th hour, but ultimately the team decided to fly to Chapel Hill and play with the roster that they have. The Rattlers may be at a disadvantage in this one, but it is still awesome to see that this game is still happening and that HBCU football can properly be celebrated at Kenan Stadium.

Focusing on the Tar Heels, this game will give us a window into what this team will look like for their first official regular season game against App State. Now that Gene Chizik has reclaimed his defensive coordinator role, we should expect a lot of changes on that particular side of the ball, especially since his scheme is much simpler/allows players to play at their natural spots (no shade to Jay Bateman, of course, just stating facts). Will this mean that this squad will be able to get to the quarterback regularly, and that we will see a lot more of the turnover belt? One can only hope, and the roster is definitely loaded enough to make some spectacular plays during this game.

Of course the number one question going into this one is what will Drake Maye look like as the starting quarterback? After earning the starting role over Jacolby Criswell, Maye will do everything he can in tonight’s game to show that he earned his spot outright in hopes of seeing a majority of the snaps during the regular season. Mack Brown made it a point to say that he feels good putting Criswell into the game if need be, so that will undoubtedly add some fuel to Maye’s fire to show out against the Rattlers.

As always, we will be back after tonight’s game with some post-game analysis and takes. Until then, Go Heels!