By R.L. Bynum
Given Carolina’s issues on offense, particularly at quarterback, it won’t be comforting to Tar Heels fans to see how the quarterbacks whom the program deemed not good enough are doing.
Ryan Browne, Jacolby Criswell and Conner Harrell have all put up good numbers. Meanwhile, Gio Lopez, who suffered a right leg injury in the loss to UCF, has as many interceptions as touchdown passes (3).
Browne’s story is particularly stinging from a Carolina perspective. He transferred to UNC from Purdue for the spring semester and participated in spring practice with the Tar Heels, only to return to Purdue.
He clearly could have helped UNC and would have fit right into the pro-style offense that the new staff has installed, although his Boilermakers have the same record as Carolina (2–2) after consecutive losses to USC (33–17) and Notre Dame (56–30).
Browne has a passer rating through four games of 142.5 in his redshirt sophomore season at Purdue, completing 77 of 122 passes (63.1%) for 1,036 yards and six touchdowns, although he has thrown five interceptions.
Browne’s passer rating has ranged from 120.3 in the loss to USC to 195.1 in a 26–18 victory over Ball State, and his completion percentage has been at least 60% in every game. Lopez has connected on at least 60% twice: 78.8% against UCF when he was 11 of 14 and 68% against Charlotte when he was 17 of 25.
Brown is on pace to pass for 3,108 yards this season, which would be the seventh-highest by a Purdue quarterback in the last 20 years.
It’s fair to wonder how Brown would do behind a Carolina offensive line that is struggling.
As the backup quarterback at East Tennessee State (2–2) behind Iowa transfer Cade McNamara, Criswell has completed 17 of 28 passes (62.5%) for 218 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions.
Harrell has connected on 64 of 96 passes (66.7%) for a career-high 737 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions and a 140.7 passer rating through four games for Charlotte (1–3).
Harrell’s passer rating of 99.2 on 17 of 29 passing for 140 yards against UNC was slightly more efficient than Lopez’s 17 of 25 in UNC’s 20–3 win. Against Monmouth, Harrell was 26 of 30 for 382 yards, three touchdowns, one interception and a 220.0 passer rating.
Lopez obviously impressed the coaching staff enough to win the job over Max Johnson, who figures to start now while Lopez recovers from his injury.
In 22 fewer pass attempts, Johnson has only one fewer touchdown pass (3) than Lopez, has a better completion percentage (66.7% vs. 62.7%), has a better passer rating (136.27–122.42) and hasn’t thrown an interception.
Photo via @BoilerFootball
