Against Wake Forest, UNC football will have to find a way to replace Rene, Polino

It wasn't all good news in the days following the North Carolina football team's win over Miami on Saturday night. Mack Brown started his Monday availability by announcing that Patrice Rene, UNC's starting cornerback who was injured on Saturday, was out for the season with a torn ACL. 

Brown said the injury came on a slant-play for Miami when fellow Tar Heel Myles Wolfolk made contact with Rene's knee as both players tried to tackle the same player. Rene still has one year of eligibility left if he decides to redshirt and return to UNC.

"We do want him back if he wants to come back," Brown said. 

For now, junior Greg Ross will become the Tar Heel's No. 1 corner, with sophomore Trey Morrison becoming the No. 2 and first-year Storm Duck moving into the No. 3 spot on the depth chart. 

Those players will have to step up Friday to take on the challenge of guarding Wake Forest's tall receiving corps, including the 6-foot-5 Scotty Washington and the 6-foot-3 Sage Surratt, younger brother of UNC linebacker Chazz Surratt. 

"Scotty is really good, they're both basketball players, they're both athletic, they can jump," Brown said. "Our tallest corner was Patrice, and he's gone." 

After two games, the Demon Deacons are averaging 356.5 yards per game through the air, and have the No. 11 passing offense in college football right now. Last game, against Rice, Washington had 158 yards and two touchdowns on just seven receptions. The younger Surratt had 158 yards and a touchdown in Wake's season opener against Utah State. 

"We've got Trey Morrison hanging from his closet every night, hoping he gets a little bit taller," defensive coordinator Jay Bateman said. "... Trey Morrison defends big receivers every day out in practice, he's defended some big guys. Storm Duck's a bigger corner, so I think there is a little bit more favorable matchup for us there."

North Carolina will also be without starting center Nick Polino, who is out indefinitely with a lower body injury after his leg rolled up in the first quarter. Polino recently made the move to center after playing 11 games at left guard last season.

"It's funny because we just got Nick where we wanted Nick," offensive coordinator Phil Longo said. "The good thing is, we didn't have an answer at center yet from the Spring. And then we went into the August camp looking for a center, so we had two or three guys that were snapping a lot." 

For now, redshirt sophomore Brian Anderson will be the starting guard, with first-year Ty Murray listed as his primary backup. Anderson was the center on the field for both 90-plus yard touchdown drives in the fourth quarter against South Carolina.

Murray — listed as the No. 68 recruit from the state of Georgia by 247Sports — has yet to appear in a game for UNC.

"When you say 'Do you trust a freshman?' I don't trust anybody until they can go out there and prove they can do it. And then, after a time, you trust them. I know a certain number of those guys are going to show up and play good every week," Brown said. "But there's also a group you're just not sure yet." 

Moving forward, all the Tar Heels can do is wait to see how their young players will perform when called on. Brown said the hardest part of his job is situations like this, where he has little control. 

"When they walk out on that field, it's like you're letting your child go to college," Brown said. "OK, be good, have fun. My check's in your mouth." 

@bg_keyes

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