Conner Harrell makes first career start in Duke's Mayo Bowl

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Ahead of the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, Mack Brown proposed a name change for the game.

Replacing seven offensive starters who were absent from his depth chart on Wednesday night, the North Carolina football head coach claimed his staff nicknamed the matchup as the “New Opportunity Bowl.” At his press conference prior to the bowl game, Brown sympathized with how hard it is for most players to get the in-game reps during the season. The head coach rattled off a few players that would see the field against West Virginia — some for the first time all season.

And if his first collegiate start was any indication, redshirt first-year quarterback Conner Harrell benefitted the most from the “New Opportunity Bowl." With Drake Maye opting out of the game to prepare for the NFL Draft, Harrell earned his first start of the season and gained valuable minutes. Still, after a quick glance at the box score in North Carolina’s 30-10 defeat to West Virginia in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, it’s hard to take away many positives.

UNC blanked the scoreboard in the second half for the first time all season.The 199 passing yards the Tar Heels accrued was the lowest amount in over 25 consecutive games.

This was due, in part, to the offensive line allowing Harrell to be sacked seven times, as the young signal-caller rarely had enough time to make the reads or throws that were expected of him. 

“I thought Conner competed," Brown said. "I didn’t think we helped him enough. We didn’t give him enough protection.”

In the few moments that Harrell could stand strong in the pocket, the quarterback was able to make some impressive plays. In the Tar Heels' second drive, Harrell aired out a deep ball to sophomore wide receiver Gavin Blackwell, who hauled in the dime for a 47-yard pickup.

Harrell was also able to make multiple plays with his legs, picking up four different rushes for at least 10 yards.

Yet Harrell’s inexperience eventually caught up to him, as a pair of interceptions — the first of which came in the red zone — and a slew of incompletions down the stretch contributed to UNC's season-low of 10 points.

“I can watch the film, get better, learn and get back to work,” Harrell said. “I think I did make some throws, I scrambled sometimes when I needed to. Obviously I need to see the film, see what it's all about, but I think I have some stuff to carry on — some stuff to build on.” 

After the game, Brown highlighted how this experience will aid Harrell ahead of spring practice next semester, where he will be competing against portal transfer Max Johnson for the starting job.

“It seems like it's his deal," Brown said of Harrell before the game. "He’s running it and he’s gotten more snaps in two weeks than he's gotten in two years."

Outside of the coaching offices, Harrell has also amassed support from his teammates.

As the former valedictorian of his high school class, Harrell is a student of the game. It’s well noted by teammates how in-depth his film study is, and as a result, receivers like junior J.J. Jones believe the playbook won’t shrink under Harrell’s lead. 

Instead, Jones believes that with time, his new passer could be a continuation of the great quarterback play that Tar Heel fans have become accustomed to.

“I don’t want people to think it’s a step down,” Jones said in a press conference ahead of the game. “It’s just a change of scenery.”

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