Breaking News: UNC's Max Johnson Carted Off with Serious Injury Against Minnesota

in a game that promised to set the tone for North Carolina's season tragedy struck a starting quarterback Max Johnson was carded off the field with a serious injury the Tar Heels managed to eek out a 1 1917 victory over Minnesota but the big story of the night was the loss of Johnson who had just started his journey with UNCC after transferring from Texas am this video breaks down the game the injury and what lies ahead for the Tar Heels in a dramatic Thursday night clash in Minneapolis the North Carolina Tar Heels secured a 1 1917 victory over the Minnesota Golden Gophers but the win was marred by a significant injury to their new starting quarterback Max Johnson Johnson who transferred to UNC from Texas AM during the off season had a challenging debut as the Tar Heel starter despite his struggles he remained a key figure on the field until late in the third quarter when disaster struck Johnson was sacked by Minnesota's Justin wall and as he fell his right leg Twisted awkwardly beneath him the stadium fell silent as John grabbed his knee in obvious pain and moments later he was carted off the field his parents watching in stunned Silence from the stands Johnson's arrival at North Carolina had been seen as a fresh start after an up and down career at LSU in Texas am his experience minus 22 starts and 30 total appearances was a critical asset for the Tar Heels as they sought to replace former Star Quarterback Drake May a firstr NFL draft pick however Johnson's debut was cut short after completing 12 of 19 passes for just 71 yards with one interception cepon and a rushing touchdown the injury later confirmed as a hip issue raised immediate concerns about Johnson's availability for the rest of the season head coach mck Brown visibly shaken during the postgame press conference stated that Johnson had been taken to a local hospital and that his status for the immediate future was uncertain Brown expressed his sympathy for Johnson emphasizing the blow this injury dealt not only to the player but to the entire team backup quarterback Connor harell who served as the understudy to May last season stepped in following Johnson's exit harell a red shirt sophomore had previously started in unc's bowl game and now found himself thrust into a critical role he managed to lead the Tar Heels on a crucial Drive late in the game culminating in a go Ahad field goal by Noah Bernett with just 144 remaining harell finished the game completing two of four passes for 34 yards showing Poise under pressure as he guided the team to Victory Minnesota meanwhile was left ruing missed opport unities the Golden Gophers who have struggled offensively in recent Seasons faced high expectations with the arrival of transfer quarterback Max brosmer from New Hampshire and running back Marcus major from Oklahoma brosmer debut was a mixed bag while he completed 13 of 21 passes for 166 yards and added a rushing touchdown he also lost a critical fumble deep in Minnesota territory the golden gopher's offensive line expected to be a strength faltered as brosmer was sacked five times preventing him from finding any real Rhythm Minnesota's offense which ranked near the bottom nationally in passing last season showed flashes of improvement but ultimately fell short brosmer struggled to push the ball downfield with Minnesota's longest pass play of the night being just 28 yards the ground game which was hampered by the absence of injured star sophomore Darius Taylor sputtered in the second half with major gaining only three yards after halftime despite the setbacks Minnesota had a chance to steal the win with just seconds left on the clock preseason All-American kicker Dragon kesk lined up for a 47 yard field goal but his attempt sailed wide right sealing the Tar Heels Victory the game was a tale of two teams searching for offensive identity but it was ultimately overshadowed by the injury to Max Johnson North Carolina now faces an uncertain future at the quarterback position with Harold likely stepping in as the starter moving forward meanwhile Minnesota must regroup quickly as the loss exposed lingering issues that could make for a long season if not addressed for the Tar Heels the focus now shifts to Johnson's recovery and how the team will adapt without their expected leader under Center as both teams look ahead the impact of this game could resonate far beyond the final score shaping their respective seasons in ways no one could have predicted before that fateful third quarter Max Johnson's injury casts a shadow over what should have been a triumphant start for North Carolina with the quarterback position now in flux the Tar Heels face an uncertain path forward as we continue to follow this developing story make sure to stay tuned for updates on Johnson's condition and how UNC plans to navigate the rest of the season