Khris Francis doesn’t know when he’s going to take the field, and even when he does take the field — and positions himself for the carry — there’s no guarantee the ball will find its way into his arms.
Marquise Williams could hand it off to him, or he could keep it for himself depending on his read of the defense in front of him.
Francis had just six carries in North Carolina’s 45-14 win against Virginia on Saturday, which is about average for the freshman. That’s life in an offensive system in which you’re splitting time with three other running backs — not to mention a quarterback that can run like one.
“I go into every carry thinking I have to make the most out of it cause you never know when you’re going to get that next one,” said Francis, who also scored the first touchdown of his career Saturday.
“I’m competing every day. I know that. I don’t know how it’s going. It’s been by committee. We don’t really have anyone stand out.”
One series, it’s Francis; the next it’s redshirt senior A.J. Blue. Sometimes, it’s freshman T.J. Logan; other times it’s sophomore Romar Morris.
With a quarter of the season left, UNC’s running back competition still hasn’t spit out a single go-to back, and at this point, it seems unlikely that it will. Coach Larry Fedora said Monday that the mixing and matching has been intentional — that the coaching staff probably hasn’t given a single running back enough time to make the position his.
The tailback situation has morphed from competition into a collaborative effort. As each back enters and exits the game in favor of another, he helps his teammate get up to speed.
“I guess you are a little rusty when you get in there, but once you’re in there a couple of times you already know the flow,” Francis said. “When one person comes out, we’re always asking, ‘What does it feel like out there? What are you looking for? What’s happening? Where are blitzes coming from the most?’”
