If there’s any indication as to how pressing the spring game is to Butch Davis, it came in his postgame press conference.
Before North Carolina’s coach answered questions about his team’s spring game, he wanted to know who was leading the Masters.
But of all the questions heading into the game, none was more pressing than the progress of the quarterback position, particularly Bryn Renner.
“I mean he’s a gregarious, passionate, hyper, high-strung, passionate, he loves to play and he’s excitable, and that can be contagious,” Davis said. “That’s infectious … He’s just got to realize that there’s a lot of things he’s not ready to do yet, but he will if he’ll keep working.”
Renner said he was much more nervous Saturday than he was a year ago when many thought he outgunned former quarterback T.J. Yates in the 2010 spring game.
But it didn’t show.
The rising redshirt sophomore looked poised and confident in the pocket. He completed 9-of-13 passes for 123 yards and a touchdown, a 43-yard bomb to Erik Highsmith.
“It was a lot of fun because the defense usually covers it in practice, and they do a good job at it,” Renner said. “But I saw the corner bite, and I just threw it over. And (Highsmith) ran a great route and made a great catch.”
Davis said one of the most important things this spring will be finding a backup quarterback. The two candidates expected to compete for the position, A.J. Blue and Braden Hanson, played on Saturday.
