CHAPEL HILL – For a while Saturday afternoon, it appeared North Carolina was playing musical centers, as three different Tar Heels snapped the ball to quarterback Sam Howell by the mid-point of the second period.
But eventually, they settled in with Quiron Johnson at center, and it coincided with the Heels moving the ball and gaining separation from Duke, as Carolina earned a 38-7 victory at Kenan Stadium.
UNC played three different centers throughout the course of the game. Brian Anderson was the starter, with Cayden Baker getting a couple series, and Quiron Johnson getting the bulk of the load. It was when Johnson entered, on the second play of Carolina’s fifth possession, when things started to hum.
“They knew we had some injuries, we’re still trying to get somebody well at center,” UNC Coach Mack Brown said. “We even played Cayden Baker in there some today. He hadn’t played at all at center in high school or college, so we’re going to start working him to see if he can get better, and hopefully we can get Brian and Q well.”
With Anderson and Johnson dealing with some injuries, Carolina had to find a third option, and that was Baker. So he got plenty of work there during the week.
“Neither center has been healthy, it’s been really, really difficult,” Brown said. “We’re not in the position right now to have a third one, so this week we said instead of coming in here every week and talking about injuries, and using it as an excuse, let’s see if there's somebody else who can do it.
“We had everybody on the offensive line snap… (Cayden) has not played in a game at center in college ever. There was some risk involved with him being in there… but this gets him started, and he’s got a chance to be a great center we feel like in the future, so it’ll be fun to watch him grow for the next 7-8 games.”
When Johnson entered the game, the Heels had minus-3 yards on their first six rushing attempts inside the tackles. They were quickly able to break off an 18-yard run up the middle from Ty Chandler, followed by a 33-yard run by Howell, which was finished off with a Kamari Morales two-yard touchdown catch, making it 21-0.
That began a stretch in which UNC amassed 73 yards over a span of just six runs between the tackles. Johnson provided a spark to an offensive line that desperately needed one. And it gave the situation stability, as three different guys snapping the ball isn’t exactly optimal.
“It’s definitely different, just because those guys are all different,” Howell said. “For us, the centers make a lot of calls from a communication standpoint, they’re asked to do a lot, so it definitely is a difference.
“It is a little harder to get things going when we’re moving guys in and out like that.”
But Johnson gave Howell and the Heels what they needed.
