CHAPEL HILL – Being a third-team quarterback wasn’t very fun for Nathan Elliott. Not at all.

But for most of this football season, that’s exactly what the sophomore quarterback was, as graduate transfer Brandon Harris and redshirt freshman Chazz Surratt were above him on the depth chart and sharing snaps for much of the first eight games.

But Elliott didn’t wilt under the demoralization of being so far from getting on the field and watching the Tar Heels drop game after game with the offense performing at a historically bad level. Never had a team Larry Fedora was associated with been so ineffective with the ball, but for eight games Elliott sat and watched with the exception of some rare mop up duty at the end of a blowout.

It was obviously a challenge to the Texas native.

“It was definitely tough,” Elliott said earlier this week. “You have to make yourself stay in it, you have to stay and get reps because you’re not getting as many reps in practice, so you have to come in and get extra reps and watch film.

“Obviously, it’s hard (and) when you’re not starting it’s human nature to ‘I’m not doing anything, third-team guy, I’m not going to do anything.’ But when your opportunity comes you’ve got to be ready for it. That’s the main thing I kept telling myself was if my opportunity comes I don’t want to regret it and not be ready to go.”

Elliott got his chance in a late October game versus Miami after Surratt suffered a concussion. With Harris in street clothes also under concussion protocol, the staff had no choice but to put Elliott in the game, and he did pretty well, all things considered.

He completed just 16 of 39 pass attempts for 173 yards and a touchdown while throwing 3 interceptions. Elliott ran the ball effectively, going for 79 yards on 21 attempts, which included him losing 24 yards on sacks.

His spunk, leadership, decision making and how the other Heels responded to Elliott being on the field caught most people’s attention, including the coaches. Carolina lost, 24-19, to a team that a few weeks later ascended to No. 2 in the playoff rankings, and suddenly there was something positive to talk about around the football program.

So 12 days later, the next time the Heels played, Elliott got the start at Pittsburgh. He led the UNC to a 34-31 victory, ending a six-game losing streak in which the Tar Heels failed to reach the 20-point mark in any of the defeats. Nine days later, UNC rocked Western Carolina, 65-10, and is suddenly feeling pretty good about itself.

As for Elliott, he’s 38-59 with 475 yards, 6 touchdowns and no interceptions in the two starts. While it may look easy for Elliott, it wasn’t the case when he wasn’t playing. His mind needed coaching, so he went to a reliable source.

“My dad was huge in that,” he said. “I was really down, wasn’t having that much fun, but my dad just stayed on me and (said) ‘Keep working, you’ve got to stay in it, it’ll pay off,’ and he was right.”

The other Tar Heels played a role, too. Many of the players have been pretty open about their appreciation for Elliott in how he handled not playing and what he’s done since his opportunity came.

“Oh man, he has been amazing,” senior cornerback M.J. Stewart said. “He waited his turn but he was ready when he got the call. I admire that about him.”

Their sentiment hasn’t gone unnoticed by Elliott.

“These guys have had my back since I stepped in,” Elliott said. “I have some great teammates out here that have really helped me do what I’m supposed to do.”

And now, he walks around campus as some sort of quarterback savior, a notion he quickly brushes off.

“I don’t think there’s any legendary status, my main focus is just winning this game,” Elliott said. “I don’t really care how it looks, I just want to win this game.”

The next game is Saturday at arch rival N.C. State. The Wolfpack has been very close to putting together a special season, and even at 7-4 with some heavyweights on the schedule, the Wolfpack is a very formidable foe.

UNC offensive line coach and offensive coordinator Chris Kaplilovic says State’s defensive front will all play in the NFL, so the challenge is significant. But Elliott isn’t concerned. He just wants to play and have some fun, and is confident things will work out.

He’s confident, and that can be a weapon in and of itself.

“I’ve worked really hard ever since I started playing football, and to finally see it pay off at UNC is a great feeling,” he said. “The main thing now is we’ve got to finish this out and get this win this week.”