Marquise Williams wakes up offense, wins quarterback competition

“He said, ‘Go lead our football team tonight and have some fun.’”

For weeks, Marquise Williams has waited to hear those words.

When starter Bryn Renner fractured his shoulder last season, Williams took over as starting quarterback. The redshirt junior rose to the occasion, leading the North Carolina football team to wins in four of his six starts, including a 39-17 Belk Bowl victory over Cincinnati.

But for Williams, the starting job wasn’t just handed to him that easily. He instead trudged through a summer-long quarterback competition with redshirt freshman Mitch Trubisky.

That competition ended Saturday night as Williams led No. 23 UNC (1-0, 0-0) to a dominant 56-29 win against Liberty.

“The decision was we felt like coming out of camp that he deserved to start,” said Coach Larry Fedora. “We felt like because of his experience and that neither one of them had really separated from the other that he would get the start, and we knew (Trubisky) was going to play and get meaningful reps — not just mopping up at the end.

“That was going to be important, because we’ve got to have the next guy ready.”

Williams echoed the sentiment of his coach, citing how in spite of his starting job, it was crucial for Trubisky to play well as a part of UNC’s two-quarterback system.

“I found out like two weeks ago (that I would be starting) … It was scripted (when we would both go in the game), we planned this out when we did the mock game and a couple weeks ago how it was gonna go,” Williams said. “I mean, he had to get in there, just like I had to go in sometimes in case Bryn goes down; in case I go down, Mitch Trubisky will be ready to go.”

Williams, who started the game and played the majority of the first half, put the Tar Heels up 7-0 early with a four-yard touchdown pass to Bug Howard.

Until the end of the second half, Williams went cold. After going 5-for-5 for 43 yards and a touchdown during UNC’s opening series, Williams’ next three drives resulted in an interception, a punt and a missed field goal. Meanwhile, Trubisky led the offense down the field efficiently and to a one-yard Romar Morris rushing touchdown.

Always calm in the face of adversity though, Williams went back into the game with 1:32 left in the half and only one thought: score.

An Elijah Hood carry, a Bug Howard reception, a short gain.

Timeout UNC. 51 seconds left.

A 23-yard completion to Quinshad Davis. 32 seconds. A Liberty penalty. Seven yards to go.

Touchdown, on a three-yard rush with 28 seconds left, and by who?

None other than Williams.

Later in the game, Williams threw his second touchdown pass, this time to sophomore Mack Hollins. The 33-yard strike, Hollins’ second career reception, came as a part of a 3:49 stretch in the third quarter where the Tar Heels scored 28 straight points. Hollins recognized how that stretch of the game, with Williams in charge, shifted the momentum in UNC's favor for good.

“You see, we didn’t have that energy (at the beginning of the game) and then third quarter, we finally get it and we’re rolling, so we need to be able to start rolling right off,” Hollins said.

Williams’ play certainly wasn’t perfect, as he finished the night 19-for-29 for 169 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. On both interceptions, he under threw his receivers deep, but the redshirt junior won’t let those mistakes bring him down.

“That’s stuff I can overcome, I’m in the game and I know what I need to do,” Williams said. “Every quarterback is going to throw interceptions, so that’s one thing about me — I brush them off and I come back and I drive the ball down the field and we score again.

“My memory is very short, so I don’t even worry about interceptions, I just go out there and have some fun.”

For now, Williams doesn’t need to worry about interceptions.

He just needs to keep playing like he always has — playing like Williams.

sports@dailytarheel.com