The North Carolina Tar Heels were already down early against the UConn Huskies in the Fenway Bowl, but matters only got worse. Starting QB Jacolby Criswell suffered an injury that could keep him out of the rest of the game, thrusting backup Michael Merdinger into the lineup.
Latest Jacolby Criswell Injury Update
With UNC down 3-0 with 4:57 left in the first quarter, Criswell and Co. faced a 2nd and 16 following a false start.
On just the second play of the team’s second offensive drive of the game, Criswell scrambled up the middle for seven yards but was swung down hard and landed heavily on his left shoulder.
After being tended to by trainers on the field, Criswell walked to the locker room with his left arm visibly hanging.
It looks to be a shoulder injury for Jacolby Criswell. He walked into the locker room/dugout with his left arm hanging. pic.twitter.com/gUtjHKVSi0
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulliNFL) December 28, 2024
It’s unclear if he will be able to return at this time. He exited the contest with one completion for seven yards and the aforementioned seven-yard run.
Who Is North Carolina Backup QB Michael Merdinger?
With Criswell out, Merdinger, a three-star true freshman, took over under center.
Merdinger did not throw a pass in the regular season, and his first attempt in the Fenway Bowl fell incomplete.
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The 6’3″, 200-pound QB was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, before moving to the U.S. when he was eight. He is believed to be the first-ever Israeli-born athlete to play in the FBS.
In his final season at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Merdinger nearly set school records with 2,850 passing yards (second) and 26 TDs (third). He’s also a bit of a dual threat, having competed in track and field.
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